Professor Chandra Wickramasinghe is a Sri Lankan born veteran astronomer and astrobiologist. Well known and highly respected around the globe, he is currently the Director of the Buckingham Centre for Astrobiology at the University of Buckingham in Britain and a Professor at the Cardiff University.
Professor Chandra Wickramasinghe has championed Panspermia Theory which is the hypothesis that life exists throughout the Universe, distributed by meteoroids, asteroids and planetoids. A more recent theory of his is that the ‘Red Rain’ which fell in Sri Lanka and earlier in Kerala has extraterrestrial origins. Professor Wickramasinghe has also written more than 30 books about astrophysics, astrobiology and other related topics and is recognized as the father of modern day astrobiology.
In an interview with , Professor Wickramasinghe spoke on a wide range of aspects in his area of expertise.
Q: First of all, can you tell me what inspired you to enter the field of astronomy?
In part this was directly linked to my growing up in Sri Lanka. Where I lived in Colombo was still almost rural and pristine. The night skies were often spectacular and absolutely glorious views of the Milky Way were common. Now of course this has all
changed, with heavy pollution almost everywhere. Another reason for my early interest in Astronomy was the fact that my father studied Astronomy at Cambridge and there was a good library of books on astronomy at home which I began looking at from a very early age.
Q: You are famous in the field of astrobiology -- the theory that there is a link between biology and the universe. In other words, you have theorised that organisms on the earth have origins in space. Can you elaborate on this and with how much certainty can you say this?
The conventional theory is that life originated from simple chemicals in a primordial lake on the Earth. It has recently been found that the first life shows up in the rocks four billion years ago during a period of intense bombardment by comets. This to me is clear proof that impacting comets brought the first life to the Earth. Evidence from astronomy also shows that viruses and bacteria may be present everywhere in the dust clouds that exist between stars. At the molecular level life is far, far too complex to have emerged on our minuscule planet in a very short timescale - almost in an instant on a geological timescale. The information content of even the simplest bacteria is so overwhelming that it would have required the resources of the material of a large part of the universe to originate and evolve. Once started, however, its continuity and dispersal is guaranteed by extraordinary survival properties of viruses and bacteria. After nearly four decades of working on the theory of life being a cosmic phenomenon, the data accumulated over this time makes me absolutely convinced of its veracity.
Q: With that logic, can you say that there are living beings (alien species) in other planets or in any other part of the universe. If yes, do you have any proof to say so?
Yes, with absolute certainty I think there will be life wherever there are conditions for its survival. The same bacteria, viruses, and genetic units that let led to the life we see on Earth would have also fallen on other habitable planets and more or less parallel evolution may take place. This has gained credibility to an enormous extent by recent discoveries of alien planets orbiting alien stars. The currently estimated grand total of such planets in our galaxy alone stands at some 100 billion. Evidence of simple alien life forms is found in material that we have collected in the stratosphere. But the detection of complex intelligent life may prove more difficult.
Q: Do you think there are any chances of contacting an intelligent civilization in the near future? And, if such contact is made in the near future, what kind of impact will it make on our world?
I think the distances are too big for physical travel among habitats. The only way this can happen is through radio contact – by listening in for signals from nearby planetary systems. Sooner or later this must happen, and hearing our first ‘hello’ from space will be a trans-formative moment for humanity. Even the general acceptance of the existence of extraterrestrial life -- acceptance of the evidence now in our possession -- would have a profoundly important effect. Our feeling of connection would have extended from the nuclear family, to the extended family, to the city state, to the nation state, to all humanity, to all life in the cosmos.
Q: Scientifically, do you think we humans can go live on another planet anytime in the near future?
Yes, I think that colonisation of Mars in our own solar system is a possibility in the foreseeable future. We would need to do some “terraforming” and manipulating the environment to suit us, but this is not beyond the realm of possibility.
Q: You have also stated that the ‘red rain’ has extraterrestrial origin. Can you elaborate on this and on what basis do you say this?
All this started in November and December 2012. This was similar to events that took place some years earlier in Kerala, India where red rain fell after an explosion was heard from the sky. Both the Kerala and Sri Lankan red rain has been intensively investigated and found to contain algae-like red living cells that to this day remain unidentified.
Q: Another groundbreaking theory of yours is that the SARS virus also arrived on Earth from deep space carried in asteroids and comets. Can you explain in lay terms how this could have happened?
I think the history of pandemics of new diseases suddenly appearing and equally suddenly disappearing, bears testimony to the theory of disease-causing bacteria and viruses arriving from space. This accords with the idea of comets being the carriers and transporters of microbes.
Q: Some time ago, there were some rock particles that were discovered in a field in Sri Lanka which scientists thought were part of a meteorite. However, this was challenged later on. What is your conclusion about this?
These were stones that fell from the sky over a paddy field in Aralaganwilla following a fireball sighting. There is no doubt now of their meteoritic or cosmic origin. They have been found to have abnormally large proportions of rare elements like iridium which is found in similar proportions in comets. The most striking feature of the stones is that they contain fossils of microscopic organisms.
Q: In 2012, there was much chaos about the ‘End of the World’ based on the Mayan Calendar. From time to time, such stories surface and are spread, causing some degree of panic. What have you got to say about this as an astronomer? Scientifically, is the end of the world too close for comfort?
This is utter rubbish, based allegedly on an interpretation of the Mayan Calendar. It is an example of the way in which the internet can be used to spread false alarm. The sun of course will run out of its hydrogen fuel and turn into a red giant star five billion years from now, and a little while before that, conditions on Earth will be such that no life can survive. But that is far too long in the future for us to worry about.
Q: You are a product of Royal College, Colombo and the University of Ceylon. As someone who was educated in Sri Lanka, what are your thoughts about the prominence given to Astronomy in the Sri Lankan education system? In your opinion, what more can be done to harbour the interest of students in fields such as Astronomy?
There is a lot of popular interest in Astronomy here, but no serious professional interest as far as I can see. There are no Astronomy Departments in any University in the island to the best of my knowledge. That should be rectified in my opinion.
Q: What will you say is your greatest achievement in your career? And, in your opinion what is the greatest contribution to science you made during your career?
Some 500 years ago the Earth was thought to be the physical centre of the Universe. Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, Newton changed all that and demoted the Earth to the status of a planet orbiting the sun. I think I played a small role in extending the Copernican revolution of half a millennium ago to include life. From Earth-centred life of five decades ago we are slowly coming to concede that we are not at the centre of things even where life is concerned.
Q: Is there any research that you are working on at present? If yes, can you elaborate?
I am more active now in my research than I have ever been! There are so many loose ends to deal with, and a couple of books I am in the middle of writing.
Q: Finally, what are your impressions about Sri Lanka?
I think Sri Lanka has made enormous strides in progress since the end of the war. Under President Rajapaksa the country is soaring ahead to be one of the best countries in Asia, and progress is visible everywhere one looks.
Professor Wickramasinghe will be delivering the IESL Ray Wijewardene Memorial Lecture ‘Extraterrestrial life and the future trajectory of humanity’ on Thursday 31st July 2014 at 5.15 pm at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute Auditorium (100, Independence Square Colombo 7).
The event is organized by the Ray Wijewardene Charitable Trust and admission is free of charge.
