For the John Templeton Foundation, I wrote about the intriguing quest to understand how life began.
Why is the study of the origins of life so difficult and perplexing? One reason is that it took place a long time ago — more than 3.5 billion years. Second, the planetary conditions on ancient Earth may have been dramatically different than now, making questionable any inferences we draw from the present. Third, we’re only familiar with the history of life on one planet, so we don’t even know whether life is an extremely rare or common phenomenon in the Universe.
Given these challenges, one might wonder why we trouble ourselves with such an immensely difficult question. The fact that we struggle with it says a lot about ourselves. Humans are not satisfied simply to be fed, clothed, and sheltered. Regardless of one’s worldview, we all want to know something about where we come from, who we are, and where we are headed. Questions about the origins of life are not merely a matter of curiosity, but of human identity. Are we alone in the Universe? How did we get here? What can the past tell us about the present and future of life on Earth?