Scientists propose a radical new theory for how life began on Earth | ScienceDaily
sciencedaily.com
A radical new origin-of-life theory suggests mineral nanoparticles — not primordial soup — were the true catalysts that bootstrapped chemistry into biology, upending decades of consensus.
AbiogenesisEmergence TheoryAutocatalysisComplexity Theory
Theory Briefing
- Researchers propose that mineral nanoparticles acted as hidden engines driving the chemical reactions that sparked the first living molecules on Earth.
- The theory challenges the classic 'primordial soup' model by shifting the origin catalyst from organic chemistry to inorganic mineral surfaces at the nanoscale.
- If confirmed, the framework reframes abiogenesis as a bottom-up emergent process, suggesting life's complexity arose from surprisingly simple mineral interactions.