The origin of life has been a subject of speculation in all known cultures and indeed, all have some sort of creation idea that rationalizes how life arose. In the modern era, this question has been considered in terms of a scientific framework, meaning that it is approached in a manner subject to experimental verification as far as that is possible. Radioactive dating suggests that Earth formed at least 4.6 billion years ago. Yet, the earliest known fossils of microorganisms, similar to modern bacteria, are present in rocks that are 3.5-3.8 billion years old. The earlier prebiotic era (i.e., before life began) left no direct record, and so it cannot be determined exactly how life arose. It is possible, however, to at least demonstrate the kinds of abiotic reactions that may have led to the formation of living systems through laboratory experimentation. It is...