Invasive species have travelled all over the planet in the form of plants, animals, fish. The most impactful aliens travelling around are people and that has led to our new awareness of "colonization" behaviours. But what about between planets - would we have alien species here now?
The movies are focused on alien beings from space. When rocks are brought back from the moon aren't they kept in isolation in case there are alien species that could come with them? The idea of biological matter proliferating across the cosmos on rocks and ice is known as panspermia and is well studied.
"Based on an experiment in 2015 on the International Space Station, the bacteria Deinococcus radiodurans can survive at least three years in space. Akihiko Yamagishi, a microbiologist at Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences who led the study, says the results also suggest that microbial life could travel between planets unprotected by rock."
Scientists think that microbe spores could survive inside rock. That means that life could be transferred between Earth and Mars. And then what? They would have to survive re-entry into the other planet. That's likely a problem.
Although years-long trips are theoretically possible, scientists estimate that it can take up to several million years for matter to leave one planet and land on another within the solar system.
What was the relevance of the study? “The relevance of this study is less in proving that massapanspermia or panspermia are possible,” says Cabrol. “But to me it shows that we have to be extremely careful with our contamination when we go to Mars.”
Here we are again - we're the species everyone has to worry about. The article is HERE.
Here's the back view of Nelles Manor - at the left - and the small additional building straight ahead. This "back" was originally the front of the house. And then Main Street was re-routed and the back was now facing the street. A new porch was put on to match the importance of the structure. And the pretty-shaped areas around the bench are populated with that invasive species periwinkle.
