What if we could spread life beyond Earth by sending robotic probes to habitable planets in our galaxy? This is the bold idea of Claudius Gros, professor of theoretical physics at Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany. He calls his project the Genesis Project and states that it is not only feasible, but also ethically desirable.
The Genesis Project is based on the assumption that there are many planets in the Milky Way that are suitable for hosting life, but have not yet developed it.
Gros calls these planets “temporarily habitable,” meaning they have the right conditions for life to emerge, such as liquid water, a stable climate and a protective atmosphere, but they lack the spark that would start the process of abiogenesis , or its origin. of life from non-living matter.
Gros suggests that we can create this spark artificially by sending robotic probes to these planets, carrying a load of microorganisms, such as bacteria, algae and fungi.
These microorganisms would be genetically engineered to be compatible with the local environment and to initiate a biosphere. The probes would also contain a library of genetic information that could be used to create more complex organisms, such as plants and animals, in the future.
The goal of the Genesis Project is not to colonize these planets with people, but to enrich them with life and diversity. Gros believes this would be a noble and altruistic act, as well as a scientific and cultural achievement.
He argues that life is a precious and rare phenomenon in the universe, and that we have a moral obligation to preserve and propagate it. He also claims that the Genesis Project would not disrupt, but rather enhance, the natural evolution of life on these planets.
Like Gros before explained to the universe today:
“The goal of the Genesis Project is to provide terrestrial life with alternative evolutionary pathways on those exoplanets that are potentially habitable yet lifeless… If you had good conditions, simple life can develop very quickly, but complex life will struggle .
“On Earth, at least, it took a very long time before complex life emerged. The Cambrian explosion didn’t happen until about 500 million years ago, about 4 billion years after the Earth formed. If we give planets the chance to accelerate evolution, we can give them the chance to have their own Cambrian explosions.”
However, the Genesis Project is not without challenges and risks.
One of the main challenges is identifying the planets suitable for seeding life. Gros estimates that there are about 300 billion stars in the Milky Way, and that about 10% of them have planets in their habitable zones.
However, not all of these planets are temporarily habitable, as some already have life or have lost their habitability due to various factors. Therefore, the probes would have to perform a detailed analysis of the planets before deciding whether or not to deploy their payload.
Another challenge is designing the probes and the microorganisms they carry. The probes would have to be small, fast and autonomous, able to travel through interstellar space for thousands or millions of years and reach their destinations safely.
The microorganisms should be resilient, adaptable and diverse, able to survive and thrive in different environments and form complex ecosystems. Gros proposes using synthetic biology and gene editing techniques to create these microorganisms, but acknowledges that this would require a lot of research and experimentation.
A third challenge is addressing the ethical and social implications of the Genesis Project. Some people may object to the idea of interfering with other planets and possibly altering their natural history.
Some may also question the motives and intentions behind the project, and whether it is driven by curiosity, arrogance, hubris, or concerns about the potential consequences of introducing terrestrial life into other worlds, such as ecological disaster, conflict, or competition with native life forms. if they exist), or unintended evolutionary outcomes.
Gros acknowledges these concerns, but argues that the Genesis Project is worth pursuing. He argues that spreading life is a noble goal that transcends national or personal interests, and that it would benefit both humanity and the universe.
Gros also claims that the Genesis Project is compatible with the principle of non-interference, as it would only target planets that are devoid of life or have very simple life forms.
He suggests that the Genesis Project could foster a sense of global cooperation and responsibility among people, as well as a deeper appreciation for the diversity and value of life.
Planetologist Claudius Gros believes that humanity has the potential and opportunity to become a ‘life-giving’ civilization, and that this would be a worthy legacy for our species.
