Three out of a thousand billion

HOW DID THE FIRST FORMS OF LIFE ORIGINATE? What dynamics led to the origin of life on Earth?
In the mid-20th century, various theories began to emerge to explain how the first organic molecules—the molecules found in living beings—came into existence.
The most widely accepted hypothesis suggests that, four billion years ago, Earth contained a "primordial soup" of simple molecules such as ammonia, carbon monoxide, water, methane, and hydrogen. These molecules would have received energy from lightning discharges; this energy allowed certain chemical bonds to break and others to form, thereby creating the first building blocks of life.
However, the journey from there to living organisms was still long; research has continued—and continues today—because many questions remain unanswered.

AMONG THE MOLECULES CURRENTLY FOUND IN LIVING ORGANISMS - each with specific roles - is RNA, a molecule that acts as a bridge between DNA and proteins.
According to the latest models, life may have begun with this very molecule, which was capable of self-replication. Yet, this remained to be proven! Now, a new study published in *Science* marks a decisive step toward understanding the origin of life: a group of researchers has generated RNA sequences possessing the two specific characteristics required to support the "RNA world" theory. The produced sequences can self-replicate and fold in on themselves to form a type of enzyme that is nearly capable of self-replication, reinforcing the hypothesis that life originated from this molecule. These molecules make many copying errors while performing this activity.
We can think of this RNA as a little contortionist trying to copy what it has written, while making a lot of mistakes. But as we know, in science, so-called “errors” are opportunities for evolution, because they allow for the discovery of new combinations that are functional within the environment. These errors likely gave rise to new molecules that function better and, consequently, continue to reproduce and spread.

It is fascinating to learn just how many sequences researchers started with in their treasure hunt for these specific RNA molecules: a trillion random sequences, from which they isolated three of interest!
Faced with this discovery, one cannot help but be amazed. It is a marvel that makes one question whether all these events could simply be the result of chance, given how unlikely they are to occur. Personally, the possibility that Someone provided the initial push remains a valid one.

Valentina Turinetto
NP March 2026