Showing papers by "N. C. Wickramasinghe published in 2019"
TL;DR: There have been many claims that the occurrence of pandemic influenza and other viral outbreaks is correlated with the well-known 11-year sunspot cycle 1–3 although the precise mechanism for such a causative connection had remained unclear.
Abstract: Medical science is not accustomed to turning to the skies for warnings of pandemics although this is precisely what our distant ancestors throughout history were prone to do. The Sun clearly plays an important role in all aspects of our lives. For instance, there have been many claims that the occurrence of pandemic influenza and other viral outbreaks is correlated with the well-known 11-year sunspot cycle 1–3 although the precise mechanism for such a causative connection had remained unclear.
6 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a series of astronomical observations obtained over the period 1986 to 2018 supports the idea that life is a cosmic rather than a purely terrestrial or planetary phenomenon, and they conclude with specific predictions on the properties expected of extra-terrestrial life if it is discovered on Enceladus, Europa or beyond.
Abstract: A series of astronomical observations obtained over the period 1986 to 2018 supports the idea that life is a cosmic rather than a purely terrestrial or planetary phenomenon. These include (1) the detection of biologically relevant molecules in interstellar clouds and in comets, (2) mid-infrared spectra of interstellar grains and the dust from comets, (3) a diverse set of data from comets including the Rosetta mission showing consistency with biology and (4) the frequency of Earth-like or habitable planets in the Galaxy. We argue that the conjunction of all the available data suggests the operation of cometary biology and interstellar panspermia rather than the much weaker hypothesis of comets being only the source of the chemical building blocks of life. We conclude with specific predictions on the properties expected of extra-terrestrial life if it is discovered on Enceladus, Europa or beyond. A radically different biochemistry elsewhere can be considered as a falsification of the theory of interstellar panspermia.
4 citations
01 Aug 2019