This dynamic universe is governed by the second law of thermodynamics: The entropy of any closed system never decreases; or, in other words, the universe is unfolding to be maximally disordered and uniform. But this does not preclude the formation of stable islands of order that feed upon the surrounding ocean of free energy. The relentless operation of this law created the statistical certainty that on some such isles in the cosmos, long-chained, complex molecules would eventually arise.
