Chemists at the Scripps Research Institute in California claim to have solved the riddle of how life began on Earth. They have created a new molecule that they say is the missing link between the simple molecules that existed on the early Earth and the complex molecules that make up living organisms.

The new molecule is called a "proto-metabolic replicator." It is a self-replicating molecule that can also catalyze chemical reactions. This means that it can both create copies of itself and perform chemical reactions that are necessary for life.

The chemists say that the proto-metabolic replicator could have been the first molecule that gave rise to life on Earth. It could have replicated itself and catalyzed chemical reactions that produced more complex molecules, which eventually led to the evolution of living organisms.

The discovery of the proto-metabolic replicator is a significant breakthrough in our understanding of the origins of life. It provides a possible explanation for how the first living organisms came into being.

However, it is important to note that the proto-metabolic replicator is just a model. It is not proof that life began in this way. More research is needed to confirm the role of the proto-metabolic replicator in the origins of life.