xkcd Explains How Far Into Outer Space Something From the Earth Has Died

In keeping with the macabre theme of the Halloween season, the latest “What If?” by xkcd answers the question, “what is the farthest from Earth that any Earth thing has died?” The answer doesn’t lie in any human who has ventured into the cosmos, but rather the microbes who go along for the ride.

Sterilizing spacecraft is hard. NASA has an employee specifically assigned to this task, and she has possibly the best job title of all time: Planetary Protection Officer.

image via xkcd