Should we be seeding life in the universe?

**blade5x** · 06-13-2010 06:01 AM

Is it our job to seed life elsewhere in the universe? I mean, I know we haven't tried to do this on Mars yet because we don't want to contaminate something that may already be there, but assuming Mars is a dead planet, and the same with other places like the oceans of Europa, the methane lakes of Titan, and etc. should we literally try to seed these places ? And then onward? Other solar systems, and etc? Who knows what Mars could be like a few million years from now if we just dropped a few jars populated filled with various microbes capable of thriving in extreme environments...

I almost feel that if there's one purpose in life, it's to spread life elsewhere throughout the cosmos. Not sure why... but I just do.

**MadMonkey** · 06-13-2010 06:20 AM

I don't see why not. Except for like you said contaminating an environment we didn't know about. I think it would be worth it just for the fun of it once we have to technology to do it without it costing bagilions of dollars. Ha Ha Especialy with the ability to synthetic life that can handle the environments.

**Alric** · 06-13-2010 06:27 AM

I agree, its worth it just for the fun of it. It would be extremely interesting, and probably well worth it if we could create life there. I don't know if I would say it is our job though.

**DCross** · 06-13-2010 07:51 AM

Nah, our job is the same as every other animal: Survive and reproduce.

Still, I reckon it would be really cool to create synthetic life and see what happens - I'm a big fan of the game of life and other such low level simulators.

I wonder what would happen if the new life we create could out-evolve us and bring the end of the world ... >

**blade5x** · 06-14-2010 02:41 AM

Nah, our job is the same as every other animal: Survive and reproduce.

Animals get off easy on that one, because they aren't capable of doing anything more. But for the sake of life itself (assuming global catastrophe so great that life couldn't recover on this planet), I feel like we should.

What we know if that we are the only planet with life in a 100 light year radius (maybe we'll find something in future, but as now that's how it is). And that took what? 13 billion years? Whatever natural causes did, we could pull off similar in the blink of an eye!

I'm not trying to play God... I just feel life is very special (even though it may be meaningless) and that we should be at least attempting to spread it elsewhere not for the sake ourselves, but just for the sake of life in general.

And then yes, the science behind it all would also be very fun.