Hi DA,
There are two possibilities for "other" life. One is that life has similar structure everywhere and the other is the it is very different from place to place. Panspermia fits the first view, while the other is aligned with independent evolution. Of course, the situation might be a mix or life may be vanishingly rare.
Your suggestion would settle the initial part of the hypothesis. Sterilization is not an issue with the way I have phrased it. The hypothesis that I have offered is not about the presence of life on other celestial bodies. Rather it is about determining if earth life can adapt to another world. It seems to me that if terrestrial life can adapt then this would lend support to the panspermia idea. This is the conclusion of the hypothesis. The question is if the conditional part of the hypothesis supports the conclusion part.
"Political will" is always a problem, but we can't seem to get away from it.
Hi terry,
Yes, it is ironic!
Dr. R.
