New Hypothesis on the Origin of Life: Stability Distillation

A new hypothesis regarding the origin of life has been proposed by Cheng Bi, titled "Stability Distillation Hypothesis for the Origin of Life." This hypothesis suggests that the metabolic reactions necessary for life require high information content, which traditional models, such as the RNA world hypothesis, may not adequately explain. Bi argues that while self-replicating macromolecules like RNA and DNA can retain information, they do not generate it. The hypothesis posits that life could have originated through a mechanism termed 'stability-distillation,' which involves periodic environmental changes that alter the molecular frequency distribution within a system, thereby generating information.

The study emphasizes that this approach does not necessitate the existence of self-replicating macromolecules at the origin of life, making it a potentially more reasonable explanation. This perspective could reshape our understanding of how life began on Earth and the conditions that fostered its emergence. The findings may have implications for the search for extraterrestrial life, as they suggest alternative pathways for the development of life in various environments.

The full paper can be accessed at arXiv:2403.17072.