This was hard to pick because it is difficult to determine which origins of life hypotheses are the most uncommon, as different theories have varying levels of acceptance within the scientific community. Here are a few examples of origins of life hypotheses that are less well-known or less widely accepted:
- Panspermia: The theory of panspermia proposes that life on Earth originated from seeds of life that were transported to our planet through comets, meteorites, or other means. According to this theory, life may have originated elsewhere in the universe and was then transported to Earth, where it could thrive and evolve. There are many versions of this; you can read ours here: the journal version and the arxiv version.
- Directed panspermia: The theory of directed panspermia proposes that life on Earth was intentionally seeded by an intelligent extraterrestrial civilization. This theory is considered less likely than the common panspermia, as it requires the existence of an advanced extraterrestrial civilization capable of sending life to other planets. This can still be true if we–as us humans–are the advanced extraterrestrial civilization that might someday seed life on another planet, i.e., human-directed Panspermia.
- Origin of life in ice: Some scientists have proposed that life may have originated in ice rather than in a liquid environment such as water. According to this theory, ice’s structural and chemical properties may have facilitated the synthesis of complex organic molecules and the emergence of life.
- Origin of life through quantum mechanics: A few scientists have proposed that the origins of life may be related to the principles of quantum mechanics, which govern the behavior of subatomic

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