Decades ago, in 1952, the landmark Miller-Urey Experiment attempted to create living organisms from non-living materials. Exposing a collection of certain chemicals to electrical voltage, scientists cheered at being able to produce amino acids, but came nowhere near figuring out how life could come from an inanimate organic “soup.” Fast forward 68 years and many experiments later, amazing technological advances later, and we find that science is no closer to reconstructing the origin of life than ever.

Coneflower at the JC Raulston Arboretum, Raleigh, NC

I recently listened to a fascinating interview of esteemed organic chemist and nano-scientist James Tour, explaining how we are actually farther away from the goal line than when Miller and Urey started. With every year of research, he and his colleagues gain greater understanding of the unfathomable complexity of cells. And the goalposts for recreating life move farther away. For example, says Tour, even the simplest yeast cell can be home to a mind-blowing number of protein interactions. As in 10 to the 79-billionth power!

The striking feathering of a barn swallow, Huntington Beach State Park, SC

On top of that extreme complexity, the chemical materials constantly decompose. Tour says that even if we provided all the pieces necessary to construct a cell, and intervened to pause decomposition, they cannot assemble themselves. “Even using modern interventions, we cannot do it,” says Tour. “No one knows where the order comes from.”

For more of the science and to hear about Tour’s Christian faith, check out the podcast HERE. For an explanation of life that has stood the test of time, check out the first chapter of the Bible. Here’s the first sentence to get you started:

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)