The origins of life
According to the NYRB article –
“As we ponder
life’s origins, Ward and Kirschvink warn against thinking in simplistic terms
like life and death, instead encouraging us to consider the “newly discovered
place in between.” Life’s most distant origins lie in the nonliving precursor
molecules for RNA, organic compounds known as amino acids. They have been found
in meteorites, are presumed to be widespread in the universe, and their origins
must greatly predate Earth’s origins. The nanomachines possess attributes of
life, and when brought together in a cell they clearly cross the threshold into
the self-regulating, replicating entity that we recognize as a living thing.”