That's why this is done: https://www.nasa.gov/ames/space-biosciences/planetary-protection/
I realize you were probably talking about visiting other worlds in person, but we would probably still have unmanned missions there first.
this post was submitted on 12 Nov 2025
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Showerthoughts
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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The most popular seem to be lighthearted clever little truths, hidden in daily life.
Here are some examples to inspire your own showerthoughts:
- Both “200” and “160” are 2 minutes in microwave math
- When you’re a kid, you don’t realize you’re also watching your mom and dad grow up.
- More dreams have been destroyed by alarm clocks than anything else
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- A good place for politics is c/politicaldiscussion
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NASA is funny. They are always searching for signs of life, past or present, on planets in our system when they can send a lander of some sort. But, if there is a spot where there actually might be a chance of life existing, they avoid it because of the minuscule chance of some bacteria on any rover contaminating the area.
We’ll look for signs of life where it’s hard to find and avoid the areas where there might be a better chance of it.
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No we will, the bigger question is if one of the parties will have sex or dinner.
We currently couldn't detect life on earth from nearest star and it is unlikely we ever can build anything good enough to. Which means if we discover life we know they are plenty advanced as to make our efforts uneeded as they can tell us a better protocol. Not that we have the ftl needed to reach them anyway.
Don't tease me with a good time
Not really much of a shower thought. Pretty sure Clark or Niven wrote entire books on this concept (I forget, just know I read these books 40 years ago, and they weren't new then).
What are you saying? Are you saying it isn't like in Star Trek where they can beam people down to untraveled planets and somehow still have a breathable atmosphere suitable for humans? Say it isn't so!
Just wear protection
*Another planet.
We have already found one, and it's the one our feet are on.