What if man lived with the Dinosaurs?

Originally posted by AWingAndASigh
Didn't they do an experiment where they tried to create very basic life in the lab from chemicals, and it failed?

Several experiments have been done that generated relatively simple self replicating molecules. Some of those molecules have been observed to mutate. By the most open definition of life, these could qualify.

But most people who define life do so in terms of cellular life (viruses and prions are not considered life by that definition).

But really, self replicating molecules capable of mutating is the spark of life. From that point, there are plausible explanations as to how that could have formed into noncellular RNA, and then into noncellular DNA, and then into cellular DNA etc., taking small steps the whole way there.

What people tend to ignore is that there is no end goal for evolution. It's just a natural process that sustains itself. If to route to cellular life involved going down tons of dead ends, or moving in one direction while losing the ability to move back, that's ok, because cellular life was not the goal. There is no goal. There is only a positive feedback loop created by self replication.