One of the greatest mysteries of modern science is how life on Earth began. Scientists believe Earth formed about 4.5 billion years ago and that life emerged a few hundred million years later during a period known as the Hadean eon. But exactly how this happened is the subject of huge debate.
One widely championed theory is that Earth was covered with a prebiotic soup that catalyzed the formation of ribonucleic acid encapsulated within clusters of surfactant molecules. These clusters eventually formed protocells, and these bags of chemicals in turn became the first living cells.
