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Email : balbi@roma2.infn.it

Milan M. Ćirković

Astronomical Observatory of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia

Abstract

The continuity thesis as formulated by Iris Fry has a strong appeal not only in the origin of life studies, but as a unifying principle bridging the gap between physical and life sciences. It is one of the most powerful methodological tools of contemporary astrobiology, especially in its efforts to build a synthetic view of the place of life and intelligence in the widest, cosmological context. Here, I briefly survey several of its key aspects and identify several open problems that it might be able to help with. Two particularly interesting aspects of the continuity thesis not discussed so far are its relation to the chronocentric bias and the application to panspermia hypotheses, especially the theory and practice of directed panspermia.