New look at Martian meteorite breathes new life into ‘panspermia’ theory.

A new study in the journal Science of the infamous “Martian meteorite” raises

the possibility that life on Earth may have been “seeded” here from outer

space. Some scientists believe the meteorite, known as ALH-84001, contains

microfossils of Martian life. Now, researchers from the California Institute of

Technology are suggesting that any bacterial spores fossilized in the rock could

have theoretically survived the trip from Mars to Earth. This is because

magnetic characteristics of the rock indicate the meteorite’s inner temperature

never rose above 40 degrees Centigrade – even as it plunged through the

Earth’s atmosphere. Proponents of the panspermia theory say this supports the

idea that living organisms could have been spread throughout the universe on

vessels such as meteors.