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An internet of microbes straddling the cosmos
Predrag Slijepcevic1, N Chandra Wickramasinghe2
1Brunel University, London, United Kingdom.
Advances in Genetics
|October 21, 2020
Summary
Biological information exchange may extend beyond Earth, linking a cosmic biosphere. This cosmic internet, potentially utilizing comets and dust, could connect evolution across vast astronomical distances.
Area of Science:
- Astrobiology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Information Theory
Background:
- Biological systems exhibit complex information exchange, akin to a global internet.
- This interconnectedness spans from microbial life to complex plants and animals on Earth.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose the extension of biological information exchange to a cosmic scale.
- To explore the concept of a cosmic biosphere and its evolutionary implications.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual framework development.
- Analysis of existing theories on panspermia and cosmic evolution.
- Hypothesizing the role of celestial bodies in information transfer.
Main Results:
- Information exchange can be theorized to operate across astronomical distances.
- A cosmic biosphere model suggests interconnected evolution on a grand scale.
- Comets and interstellar dust are proposed as potential vectors for biological information.
Conclusions:
- Biological evolution may be a phenomenon linked across the cosmos.
- The concept of a cosmic internet offers a new perspective on life's interconnectedness.
- Further research into extraterrestrial biological components is warranted.
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