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Those rocks suffered a gigantic impact, a long period in the vacuum of space being bombarded by radiation, then a fiery re-entry. I don't know for sure, but wo
by spingsprong 12y ago
Those rocks suffered a gigantic impact, a long period in the vacuum of space being bombarded by radiation, then a fiery re-entry.
I don't know for sure, but wouldn't that be a pretty effective way of sterilising rock?
- danielweber 12y agoYou have pointed out how my third paragraph contradicts my second. Thanks. :) Bacteria surviving on the rock would need to be buried deep inside to be shielded in such a way, and eventually break out to the surface.
- Symmetry 12y agoYou'd think so, but the structures in the rock show it was never heated enough to be entirely sterilized. That was a possibility people had previously hypothesized about, but not something that had previously been proven.
- wavefunction 12y agoIf we don't sterilize our craft, how do we then verify either that life arose independently on a non-terrestrial surface or that ejecta carried it? Hopefully the value of sterilizing our craft becomes apparent as one considers the scientific value.