In an upcoming paper, astronomer Paul Wesson argues that panspermia, the theory that life arose from the remains of a dead alien virus, is more plausible than astrobiologists previously thought. Citing a notion he calls necropanspermia (please leave your most scientific definitions in the comments), Wesson says it’s possible that even if the microbes, which could have ridden to Earth on a comet or meteor, were dead once they got here, the charred remains could have carried enough information to create life, giving rise to simple organisms, dinosaurs, monkeys, human civilization, and, eventually Christine O’Donnell. Dear Science, careful with latching too hard onto the zombie trend. Now, the idea that a blood-sucking, brain-eating vampire zombie virus gave rise to life on this planet we call home — that has much more staying power.
All Life on Earth Could Have Come From Alien Zombies [Wired]
