this post was submitted on 17 Oct 2024
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Futurology

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[–] TachyonTele@lemm.ee 8 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago) (4 children)

This is the kind of really cool science we should be sharing articles about. Thank you, Lugh. (I'm not saying the other posts are bad. This community has a lot of great posts)

This'll probably expand our search parameters significantly, right?

[–] Lugh@futurology.today 4 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago) (3 children)

It is possible that the cyanobacteria performing better under the k-star light is just a coincidence. It's surprises me science hasn't got a better handle on the numbers around Panspermia. If we know material from other planetary systems outside our solar system gets to Earth, surely the burning question is how much, and from how many different planetary systems?

Also, looked at the other way around, there is another question. How much Earth asteroid ejecta is getting to k-star planetary systems in our galaxy? The obvious follow-on finding is that such ejecta might easily be spreading life to such places.

[–] TachyonTele@lemm.ee 2 points 4 weeks ago (2 children)

It makes me wonder if eventually we'll find some sort of space "current" that life has traveled on if panspermia is a thing. Everything is spinning.

[–] Lugh@futurology.today 2 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

There is relatively little research modeling asteroid ejecta dispersing throughout the galaxy. I'm really surprised this isn't researched more.

https://astrobiology.com/2022/02/on-possible-life-dispersal-patterns-beyond-the-earth.html

[–] TachyonTele@lemm.ee 4 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago)

It's pretty hard to spot them, that's the main reason why. It's a known sore spot that's been talked about the past couple decades.

Bigger objects are just plain easier to see.

I think a good example is that cigar shaped rock with the Hawaiian name. Ommommuwhatever. No one has a clue where it came from or where it went. That's basically our ability to track smaller objects in a nutshell.