panspermia is a valid hypothesis and has gained credibility with probes of other planets in our solar system. Evidence of microbial life forms has been found on both Mars and Venus....

@Lizard_of_Ahaz I don't believe that is true yet.

Can you cite your source for "evidence of microbial life forms has been found on both Mars and Venus", please?

@AtheistInNC [scientificamerican.com]

@AtheistInNC [nasa.gov]

@Lizard_of_Ahaz

In the scientific american article, they hedge their bets: "Could be associated with life." and "apparent discovery".

I think the word "apparent" gives us the clue that it is not a fact yet, and also phosphine can be created by hot water on white phosphorus. Venus is pretty fucking hot, so it may just be a chemical reaction heretofore unknown to us on Earth, and not caused by microbial life. We just don't know yet (and I, being the total skeptic that I am, don't believe it is microbial life ... but I would welcome being wrong and changing my mind).

I don't think this is proof.

"This compound of phosphorus and hydrogen COULD BE associated with life."

"The APPARENT discovery of phosphine in the Venusian atmosphere has been both widely heralded and greeted with caution."

@AtheistInNC I said it was evidence of possible life not a discovery of life... Never the still the hypothesis is valid until disproved. Look up the word "hypothesis" you are thinking of the word "theory"

@Lizard_of_Ahaz
The first three paragraphs basically spell out that they don't know if this is evidence for life or not. "SUGGESTS" is not declarative - it is speculative.

And the end of the third paragraph also sums it up nicely: "... organic molecules also can be created by non-biological processes and are not necessarily indicators of life. ""

So - no proof yet that microbial life has been found.

"NASA’s Curiosity rover has found new evidence preserved in rocks on Mars that SUGGESTS the planet could have supported ancient life, as well as new evidence in the Martian atmosphere that relates to the search for current life on the Red Planet. While not necessarily evidence of life itself, these findings are a good sign for future missions exploring the planet’s surface and subsurface.

The new findings – “tough” organic molecules in three-billion-year-old sedimentary rocks near the surface, as well as seasonal variations in the levels of methane in the atmosphere – appear in the June 8 edition of the journal Science.

Organic molecules contain carbon and hydrogen, and also may include oxygen, nitrogen and other elements. While commonly associated with life, organic molecules also can be created by non-biological processes and are not necessarily indicators of life. "

@Lizard_of_Ahaz

Hey, I'm not yelling at you. I tried to put an underline between my thoughts and those quotes from the aritcle, and it make the line above the underline BIG. Sorry about that.

Edited: I added a space so it made the text go back to it's regular size.

@AtheistInNC Once again look up the word "hypothesis" you are making an invalid argument....

@AtheistInNC Never mind I will do it for you....
"Scientific hypothesis, an idea that proposes a tentative explanation about a phenomenon or a narrow set of phenomena observed in the natural world. The two primary features of a scientific hypothesis are falsifiability and testability, which are reflected in an “If…then” statement summarizing the idea and in the ability to be supported or refuted through observation and experimentation. The notion of the scientific hypothesis as both falsifiable and testable was advanced in the mid-20th century by Austrian-born British philosopher Karl Popper.

The formulation and testing of a hypothesis is part of the scientific method, the approach scientists use when attempting to understand and test ideas about natural phenomena. The generation of a hypothesis frequently is described as a creative process and is based on existing scientific knowledge, intuition, or experience. Therefore, although scientific hypotheses commonly are described as educated guesses, they actually are more informed than a guess. In addition, scientists generally strive to develop simple hypotheses, since these are easier to test relative to hypotheses that involve many different variables and potential outcomes. Such complex hypotheses may be developed as scientific models (see scientific modeling)."
Encyclopedia Britannica

@Lizard_of_Ahaz I'm not arguing your first sentence. I believe that there is evidence for panspermia. panspermia is a valid hypothesis - check.

What I am arguing is your SECOND sentence "Evidence of microbial life forms has been found on both Mars and Venus...."

evidence [ˈevədəns] NOUN
the available body of facts or information indicating whether a belief or proposition is true or valid.

Since both articles are only speculating, and not giving solid facts on microbial life - there is no evidence.

Absolutely... If they wanted to attack us just one asteroid dropped on us would do it....