The idea that the seeds of life may have originated on another planet is far from new, but is there any value to it?

If life is capable of spreading from planet to planet — a concept known as "panspermia" — then we might be able to detect it, even if we don't know what we're looking for, new research suggests.

It's an idea known as directed panspermia, and we will soon have the ability to undertake it. But should we? The idea of directed panspermia has been discussed since at least the 1970s.

Astronomer and director of the multidisciplinary Columbia Astrobiology Center at Columbia University, Caleb Scharf, spoke to us about a interesting idea that has plagued scientists for decades ...