Advances in Astrophysics

Download PDF (1090.9 KB) PP. 57 - 62 Pub. Date: May 2, 2020

DOI: 10.22606/adap.2020.52003

• N. Chandra Wickramasinghe^*
  1Buckingham Centre for Astrobiology, University of Buckingham, UK; 2Centre for Astrobiology, University of Ruhuna, Matara, Sri Lanka; 3National Institute of Fundamental Studies, Kandy, Sri Lanka; 4Institute for the Study of Panspermia and Astroeconomics, Gifu, Japan
• Dhammika Maganarachchi
  Institute for the Study of Panspermia and Astroeconomics, Gifu, Japan
• Robert Temple
  History of Chinese Science and Culture Foundation Conway Hall, London, UK
• Daryl H. Wallis
  National Institute of Fundamental Studies, Kandy, Sri Lanka
• Edward J. Steele
  Centre for Astrobiology, University of Ruhuna, Matara, Sri Lanka; C. Y. O’Connor, ERADE Village, Foundation, Piara Waters, Perth 6112 WA, Australia
• Meththika Vithanage
  University of Sri Jayawardenepura, Kelaniya, Sri Lanka
• Reginald M. Gorczynski
  University Toronto Health Network, Toronto General Hospital, University of Toronto, Canada
• Gensuke Tokoro
  Institute for the Study of Panspermia and Astroeconomics, Gifu, Japan
• Brig Klyce
  Astrobiology Research Trust, Memphis, TN, USA
• Predrag Slijepcevic
  Brunel University, London, UK

As we enter a new decade a plethora of evidence pointing to our cosmic origins is close to the point of being overwhelming. The possibility that viruses and bacteria of extraterrestrial origin are implicated in the onset and propagation of pandemic diseases, although still a controversial hypothesis, is also coming to the fore as one of the more plausible explanations of recent epidemiologic data. A long-entrenched paradigm of Earth-centred biology appears to prevail in scientific culture, which we believe is stifling serious concern for monitoring the Earth’s stratosphere for incoming bacteria and viruses and in consequence our safety. A matter of crucial importance for the next decade is to carry out a single decisive experiment that is long overdue – establishing empirically that extraterrestrial microbiota are continually being resupplied to the stratosphere and reaching Earth in biologically significant numbers.

stratospheric dust, comets, bacteria and viruses, panspermia

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