Life on Earth was unlikely to have emerged from volcanic springs or hydrothermal vents, according to a leading US researcher.

Experiments carried out in volcanic pools suggest they do not provide the right conditions to spawn life.

The findings are being discussed at an international two-day meeting to explore the latest thinking on the origin of life on Earth. It is taking place at the Royal Society in London.

Read more... (BBC News)

Seems a bit soon to give up. Even I wouldn't have expected much to happen in a warm pond within the first week or so. The next million years might yield another surprise result.

-C2.

Absolutely.

I could have SWORN that I saw a show on the discovery channel that described different forms of microscopic life in hot springs, as well as diverse life near volcanic vents on the ocean floor, where temps are close to 700* F.

If this person had the patience to keep adding stuff to his pond it seems reasonable to suppose the clay would have become saturated - he'd then have a mixture of adsorbed gunk and free floating gunk.

I think Douglas Adams was right .. the best place to look for the origin of life is in the domestic refrigerator.. surely similar circumstances have existed at many times and in many places.

-C2.

Some of you folks seem to miss the point.

It's well known that microrganisms can live in these environments.

The warm pond experiment shows that in that environment, the clay completely inhibits the formation of complex organic particles by binding to all the precursors.

I would pose this question: if complex RNA/DNA based lifeforms developed out of such a bland muck, then why havent other genetically (or otherwise) creatures based on a differnt formula/blueprint for life evolved in the last 4 billion years?

I mean, i would consider the chemical soup of the last billion years far more rich an environment for a lifeform to develop, so why just one starting point? Why no parrallelism?

Is there any type of life that we know of that isnt based on RNA or DNA? I'm not a biologist, so forgive my ignorance

Frankly, I'd guess that any new "attempts" at life would be eaten by existing life.