Continuing the Science Uprising series: Episode 5: Could life arise spontaneously from chemicals? Scientists like Stephen Hawking have said that’s the case. No God or intelligent mind required. But the origin of life scientists extrapolate quite a bit after seeing some small phenomenon, James Tour, synthetic organic chemist says. “All of these little pictures of molecules coming together to form the first cell — are fallacious — are ridiculous.”

“The origin of life community has not been honest,” Tour said.

Philosopher of science Stephen C. Meyer argues that the only thing we’ve observed that can create the functional, digital information responsible for the origin of the cell is a mind.