DAVID: It points out how difficult the problem is:-http://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2015/11/inside-a-new-effort-to-discover-life...-QUOTE: "Whatever the origins of life were on Earth, it's hard not to marvel at the curious organisms that came along 4 billion years later with the capacity to worry about such questions. And here, on Japan's fragile crustal island, for tonight, at least, the mood is optimistic that we might yet crack the puzzle."-David's comment: I'm not so confident.-I share your agnosticism.