How did the information for life get into the primordial soup?

Question

When life began in the primodial soup we are taught that energy from the sun or lightning reacted with a mix of chemicals in the soup. We know that information is also essential for life, and all life has information encoded within its DNA. So how did the information for the first life get into the primordial soup and where did it come from?

Answer 1

Life did not begin in a 'primordial soup'. Life was created.
Information is key - information does not spontaneously arise, it needs an intelligence source.
The idea that the mind-boggling amount of information in DNA came from nowhere is fantasy that defies science and logic.

Answer 2

I'd heard that they sort of moved on from the primordial soup theory - knowledge of ancient atmospheric chemistry has improved lately so I think there are other recipes. Primordial soufflé, anyone?

Anyway... In the chemistry of the original primordial soup, when that phrase was invented, the answer was lightning - take that mix of atmospheric chemicals and zizzz them with electricity, and amino acids start to form - the stuff of proteins. Nice! But as I say I don't think they're into that now.

My hunch is that the successful explanation will show that life wasn't an incredibly improbable co-incidence of chemistry, rather, it was an inevitable result of physical forces in a chemistry that was itself only slightly special.

Just like gravity caused planets to form. Our particular planet might seem extraordinary, but really it's just one variation on an inevitable theme.

Answer 3

The "original information", in the most simple terms, was developed randomly. The so-called primordial soup from which the original self-replicating molecular structures originated had been around for a very, very long time, and the various amino acids formed therein had been forming and clustering in countless different formations for that amount of time. Eventually, one formation which was capable of self-replication survived long enough to continue this replication, and of its subsequent mutations, only those which were similar or an improvement would continue to survive.

Basically, there were lots of different sequences of information over the eons. It's just that eventually, a "good" one formed and continued.

Answer 4

You'll have to go back a heck of a long time to get your answer. Many people think that because science has not come up with complete answers to all questions, their theories are flawed.Science is an ongoing study. They're figuring out problems every day.
More has been learned in the last 150 years than in the millions of years before. Of course, we don't know if or when the complete story of life's beginning will ever be figured out. In the mean time relax, enjoy life, don't worry about every little thing.

Answer 5

This is one of the best questions. There is no answer yet. My idea is that life arises spontaneously from matter; all the necessary information is already contained in matter, and only needs the right environment to arise.

The "God" answer definitely wins the simplest answer award ... by pushing a lot of harder questions under an altar.

Answer 6

By the miscellaneous power of nature and a purely random occurrance - just like seeds crossing an ocean to grow on a newly created volcanic island.

Answer 7

LIfe IS the primordial soup.

Answer 8

This is one of the biggest challenges to the theory of evolution. According to the most basic laws of science, there is no way that this could have happened by chance.

Answer 9

It amazes me how quick folks are to believe in the goo to moo to you, but won't believe in the Bible. God made man on day 6. I know, you probably don't believe this way, and that's ok for you. I just felt I had to add my own opinion to this one.

Answer 10

Magic?