Panspermia seems to have for us today the psychological role that atomic "theory" had for Democritus and ancient greeks: it was a logical argument, back then no

Panspermia seems to have for us today the psychological role that atomic "theory" had for Democritus and ancient greeks: it was a logical argument, back then not at all supported by experiment, that helped organize thoughts and pinned them on a plausible starting point. In analogy, the mystery around how life may have come about is helped by removing Earth-centricity as a constraint and thinking in broader biophysical patterns. It also provides motivation and inspiration for research angles that might otherwise not be in our scientific crosshairs.