One scientist said that there must be many microorganisms and numerous tiny agents in space for life to survive outside of Earth. He argues that if there is life on their planet with these chemicals, viruses may also be present in the universe.
NASA is already on the lookout for signs of life on Mars. While the world waits for a surprise outcome from these projects, News 18 said astronomers' quest for life outside our planet would likely find many viruses.
Viruses Are Important Part of Life; Space Virus Included?
Arizona State University's Beyond Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science Director Paul Davies told The Guardian that viruses are part of the web of life.
Davies, an astrobiologist and cosmologist, claims that humans will be able to transmit genetic information with all of the complexity and resilience that comes with it if they find microscopic life on another planet.
It's plausible that interplanetary travel may bring these viruses to Earth. How? Just imagine how Christopher Columbus introduced foreign illnesses to the Americas as narrated by The Washington Post. The diseases caused the extermination of many Indigenous people, the same Washington Post report added.
Space Virus Won't Be That Dangerous, Hazardous
Viruses from space may sound like a great idea for a horror film. But Davies said that a harmful space virus would most likely be more dangerous to the inhabitants of its home planet than to any human visitors. He explained the virus would not have evolved to infect and spread among humans.
ALSO READ: Astronauts Suffer Herpes From Space
Davies said in a Futurism report, citing The Guardian, that the harmful viruses are those that have become highly adaptable to their hosts. If there is a really extraterrestrial virus, Davis said the odds are it won't be hazardous in the least.
These remarks follow the discovery of huge exoplanets with hydrogen-rich atmospheres throughout the cosmos, according to Express.
The recent claims made by Davies might lead to the finding of life in the Universe within the next two to three years.
Of course, this is all hypothetical. Even the finest human scientists have yet to discover any evidence that there is another planet out there with a sophisticated ecology like Earth's, much alone any life.
But, even if space viruses aren't a concern, Davies' warning is an exciting reminder that any life out there wouldn't dwell in a vacuum. There would very certainly be a plethora of life, just like the diverse ecosystems on Earth.
RELATED ARTICLE: What Are The Quarantine Procedures for Astronauts from Space? Here's How Apollo 11 Crew Did It
Check out more news and information on Space in Science Times.