Finding The Origin Of Life Marabella Productions

National Geographic Channel 2009

As far as we know, life is unique to Earth. So how did it come to be?
And why here? We’ve all wondered about the origins of life, but one
scientist in San Diego believes that he and his mentor found the
answer. Dr. Jeffrey Bada at UC San Diego, sheds new light on renowned
scientist Stanley Miller’s controversial experiment from a half century
ago. Like Miller, Bada recreates conditions on Earth before life began
4 billion years ago. But this time, Bada introduces 21st century
technology that Miller could only dream of. While cameras roll, the San
Diego scientist mixes up a batch of “primordial ooze,” then, similar to
the mythical Dr. Frankenstein, zaps it with a bolt of
electricity—“primordial lightning.” The results? Amino acids, the
building blocks of all life. It was this stunning experiment that first
demonstrated that life could have evolved spontaneously from a
combination of chemical processes present on early Earth. Still, how
could these amino acids evolve to become bacteria, animals, and
eventually humans? How did life start reproducing itself from something
that isn’t alive?