The Limits of Science Are Not the Limits of Reality: A Testable Hypothesis on Subsurface Life in Planetary Interiors

Science advances not because reality changes, but because humanity’s instruments, theoretical frameworks, and willingness to question assumptions evolve. Throughout scientific history, ideas once dismissed as impossible—heliocentrism, continental drift, deep-sea ecosystems, and subsurface microbial life—were later validated as observational tools and conceptual models improved. This recurring pattern highlights a fundamental principle: absence of detection is not evidence of absence, but often a reflection of instrumental limitation. This paper proposes a testable scientific hypothesis that challenges the surface-centric paradigm of astrobiology: if life exists beyond Earth, it may reside within planetary…