What does the panspermia hypothesis propose?

The panspermia hypothesis proposes that life was seeded on Earth from outer space. This theory suggests that microorganisms or chemical precursors to life could have been transported to Earth via comets, meteorites, or interplanetary dust. The idea is that life does not necessarily originate on a planet itself but could be spread throughout the universe, potentially surviving the harsh conditions of space.

This concept finds support in the fact that some microorganisms can survive extreme conditions that might be found in space, and it aligns with observations of organic compounds found on celestial bodies and the detection of organic molecules in meteorites. Additionally, this hypothesis opens up intriguing possibilities about the interconnectedness of life across different celestial bodies, posing questions about the origins and distribution of life in the universe.