Self-Replicating Droplets: Evidence or a Shot in the Dark?

When scientists judge explanations for the origin of life that employ strictly chemical means, the evidentiary bar often seems notably low. For example, consider a new article on the Chemistry World website, published by the Royal Society of Chemistry. It claims, "Key riddle of life's origin may be answered by primitive protocells that can divide," and references a study in Nature Physics.

Generally, chemical evolution theorists assume that three components must have been necessary for the...