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Main article: [[Miller-Urey experiment]]

Main article: [[Miller-Urey experiment]]

[[File:MillerUreyExperiment.PNG|300px|thumb|right|The setup of the Miller-Urey Experiment of 1953. It attempted to simulate primitive Earth gases (Methane, Ammonia, Hydrogen, Water Vapor), primitive oceans (Water), and lightning.]]

[[File:MillerUreyExperiment.PNG|300px|thumb|right|The setup of the Miller-Urey Experiment of 1953. It attempted to simulate primitive Earth gases (Methane, Ammonia, Hydrogen, Water Vapor), primitive oceans (Water), and lightning.]]

In 1953 American chemist Stanley Miller under the supervision of American scientist Harold C. Urey at the University of Chicago performed an experiment that tried to produce components that attempted to replicate the conditions of Earth’s early atmosphere and oceans to test whether organic molecules could be created abiotically (from inorganic molecules).<ref name="Brit">[https://www.britannica.com/science/Miller-Urey-experiment Miller-Urey experiment] Encyclopedia Britannica</ref>

In 1953 American chemist Stanley Miller under the supervision of American scientist Harold C. Urey at the University of Chicago performed an experiment that tried to produce components that attempted to replicate the conditions of Earth's early atmosphere and oceans to test whether organic molecules could be created abiotically (from inorganic molecules).<ref name="Brit">[https://www.britannica.com/science/Miller-Urey-experiment Miller-Urey experiment] Encyclopedia Britannica</ref>

====Early earth atmosphere====

====Early earth atmosphere====

====Hydrothermal vents====

====Hydrothermal vents====

Hydrothermal vents have been prosed as an alternative source of prebiotic compounds like amino acids, but they face significant limitations. For example, vent systems tend to have very short lives of about 100-10,000 years.<ref name="Bada2013" />

Hydrothermal vents have been prosed as an alternative source of prebiotic compounds like amino acids, but they face significant limitations. For example, vent systems tend to have very short lives of about 100–10,000 years.<ref name="Bada2013" />

====Limited time frames for prebiotic synthesis====

====Limited time frames for prebiotic synthesis====

Scientists believe that there was a time limit for meteorites for form simple to slightly more complex compounds: greater than 1,000 to less than 1,000,000 years.<ref name="Bada2013" /> This poses a problem for hydrothermal vents since they have a very short life span of 100-10,000 years.<ref name="Bada2013" /> Leading Miller-Urey experiment researcher Jeffrey Bada admits:<ref name="Bada2013" />  

Scientists believe that there was a time limit for meteorites for form simple to slightly more complex compounds: greater than 1,000 to less than 1,000,000 years.<ref name="Bada2013" /> This poses a problem for hydrothermal vents since they have a very short life span of 100–10,000 years.<ref name="Bada2013" /> Leading Miller-Urey experiment researcher Jeffrey Bada admits:<ref name="Bada2013" />  

{{Cquote|"An important issue is whether these timescales are compatible with the time required for the transition from abiotic to biotic chemistry. As noted, in carbonaceous meteorites the timescale for amino acid production is between >10³ to <10⁶ years, perhaps even as short as 1–10 years, and there is no evidence that the prebiotic chemistry that took place on the meteorite parent bodies during this aqueous alteration period produced anything beyond simple monomeric compounds. It has been suggested that catalysts such as metal sulfides present in vent systems would promote more rapid synthesis, but by the principle of microscopic reversibility, these must also catalyze the decomposition of any synthesized compounds. Moreover, if this was the case there are certainly potential metal catalysts present on meteorite parent bodies and, as has been indicated, nothing beyond simple molecules were apparently synthesized."}}

{{Cquote|"An important issue is whether these timescales are compatible with the time required for the transition from abiotic to biotic chemistry. As noted, in carbonaceous meteorites the timescale for amino acid production is between >10³ to <10⁶ years, perhaps even as short as 1–10 years, and there is no evidence that the prebiotic chemistry that took place on the meteorite parent bodies during this aqueous alteration period produced anything beyond simple monomeric compounds. It has been suggested that catalysts such as metal sulfides present in vent systems would promote more rapid synthesis, but by the principle of microscopic reversibility, these must also catalyze the decomposition of any synthesized compounds. Moreover, if this was the case there are certainly potential metal catalysts present on meteorite parent bodies and, as has been indicated, nothing beyond simple molecules were apparently synthesized."}}

[[File:Francis_Crick.jpg|thumb|right|thumbnail|200px|[[Francis Crick]] ]]

[[File:Francis_Crick.jpg|thumb|right|thumbnail|200px|[[Francis Crick]] ]]

The attempt to explain the origin of life faces numerous difficult problems which is why the theory has not fared well in recent times:

The attempt to explain the origin of life faces numerous difficult problems which is why the theory has not fared well in recent times:

#Laboratory experience from centuries of organic chemistry indicate that cross contamination of impure reactants and products in the natural world inhibit further formation of more complex biomolecules from simple ones, separation of necessary compounds generally does not occur in nature, any functional molecule that could even form would get terminated by the majority of nonfunctional material it emerged from, and self-organization is not a intrinsic property of biological matter.<ref name="NAS" />

#Laboratory experience from centuries of organic chemistry indicate that cross contamination of impure reactants and products in the natural world inhibit further formation of more complex biomolecules from simple ones, separation of necessary compounds generally does not occur in nature, any functional molecule that could even form would get terminated by the majority of nonfunctional material it emerged from, and self-organization is not an intrinsic property of biological matter.<ref name="NAS" />

#The "mass transfer" problem, whereby poor chemical yield (usually very little product or trace amounts of a compound) usually occurs and ensures that there is never sufficient material to move in any further chemical direction. For example, if only 1 gram of new product emerges from 100 grams of raw material, then that 1 gram of new product can only yield less than 1 gram in the next chemical step. You get less and less yield with each chemical step since no raw material is being replenished.<ref name="Tour" />

#The "mass transfer" problem, whereby poor chemical yield (usually very little product or trace amounts of a compound) usually occurs and ensures that there is never sufficient material to move in any further chemical direction. For example, if only 1 gram of new product emerges from 100 grams of raw material, then that 1 gram of new product can only yield less than 1 gram in the next chemical step. You get less and less yield with each chemical step since no raw material is being replenished.<ref name="Tour" />

#The '''water paradox''' is the chemical reality that water is essential for life and yet it destroys cellular components (e.g. proteins, enzymes and nucleic acids such as DNA and RNA).<ref name="water paradox" />

#The '''water paradox''' is the chemical reality that water is essential for life and yet it destroys cellular components (e.g. proteins, enzymes and nucleic acids such as DNA and RNA).<ref name="water paradox" />

===2009 debate===

===2009 debate===

[[Image:Stephen Meyer.jpg|thumb|150px|right|Dr. [[Stephen Meyer]] published an article favoring [[intelligent design]] in a peer reviewed science journal which had traditionally only published material advocating the [[evolution]]ary position.<ref>http://www.discovery.org/scripts/viewDB/filesDB-download.php?command=download&id=1489</ref>]]

[[Image:Stephen Meyer.jpg|thumb|150px|right|Dr. [[Stephen Meyer]] published an article favoring [[intelligent design]] in a peer-reviewed science journal which had traditionally only published material advocating the [[evolution]]ary position.<ref>http://www.discovery.org/scripts/viewDB/filesDB-download.php?command=download&id=1489</ref>]]

In 2009, Dr. [[Stephen Meyer]] and Dr. [[Richard Sternberg]] debating Dr. [[Michael Shermer]] and Dr. Donald Prothero concerning on the topic of the origin of life.<ref name="greatcloud.wordpress.com">http://greatcloud.wordpress.com/2009/12/07/audio-of-stephen-meyer-vs-michael-shermer-debate/</ref> The [[Discovery Institute]] declared concerning the debate:  

In 2009, Dr. [[Stephen Meyer]] and Dr. [[Richard Sternberg]] debating Dr. [[Michael Shermer]] and Dr. Donald Prothero concerning on the topic of the origin of life.<ref name="greatcloud.wordpress.com">http://greatcloud.wordpress.com/2009/12/07/audio-of-stephen-meyer-vs-michael-shermer-debate/</ref> The [[Discovery Institute]] declared concerning the debate:  

{{cquote|To call the debate a massacre would be a discredit to Sitting Bull. The only thing I can say is that Shermer needs to add a point to his booklet on how to debate "[[creationism|creationists]]" — namely, leave Donald Prothero at home in his van by the river...

{{cquote|To call the debate a massacre would be a discredit to Sitting Bull. The only thing I can say is that Shermer needs to add a point to his booklet on how to debate "[[creationism|creationists]]" — namely, leave Donald Prothero at home in his van by the river...