David Lu Cao
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Alexandria, VA
The Implications of ‘Oumuamua on Panspermia
David Cao analyzed the likelihood that life on Earth might be derived from microorganisms that arrived here from elsewhere in the universe by hitching a ride inside comets or asteroids. He was inspired to do this by the discovery of ‘Oumuamua, the first confirmed interstellar object ever observed in our solar system, which may one day give more insight into the origins of life on Earth.
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David Lu Cao, 18, of Vienna, investigated the origin of life on Earth for his Regeneron Science Talent Search space science project. Inspired by the 2017 discovery of ‘Oumuamua, the first confirmed interstellar object ever observed in our solar system, David analyzed the possibility that microorganisms might have arrived here from elsewhere in the universe billions of years ago by hitching a ride inside comets or asteroids. He used the properties of ‘Oumuamua to estimate the likely mass and number of such interstellar objects and then calculated how large such objects would have to be to adequately shelter the microbes from supernova-derived gamma rays.
Assuming optimal conditions, he calculated a probability of this combination as 10% at best. He then tried to consider less quantifiable factors, such as how likely it was these objects might harbor organisms and whether their appearance could have led to the establishment of life on Earth, likely lowering the probability by orders of magnitude.
The son of Lin Cao and Junrong Lu, David leads the computational physics club and co-captains the chess club at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, where he is also on the varsity track and field team.
Beyond the Project
As a student intern at George Mason University, David worked with a team that discovered a potential exoplanet using data from NASA missions and the GMU Gellar telescope.
FUN FACTS: As an editor for a magazine promoting STEM education via cultural understanding, David interviewed teens around the world to capture their unique stories.
