Researchers may have solved origin-of-life conundrum

"Origin-of-cells" might be a more accurate descriptor in the title. Seems to me a colossal gap remains between a stochastic assembly of lipids, proteins, amino groups, enzymes, and UV light and evolving, self-replicating animated life, no?

Recent discoveries of abundant water in the cosmos, as evidenced by the Hubble observations of Ganymede and several exoplanets might give some weight to extra-terrestrial origins of life. Perhaps arriving on the same comets that carry abundant hydrogen cyanide (though, no such archaea bearing asteroids have been observed, yet).

Maybe its just a romantic notion, but its difficult for a conscious, feeling entity not to feel somewhat disturbed by the coldness at the heart of theories of terrestrial abiogenesis. And perhaps we should admit that we haven't made much conceptual progress on the subject since Urey-Miller decided to throw some gases in a test tube and pass an electric current through it.