The fact that certain clays, complex chemicals in certain environments, and similar stuff, replicates itself with variations subject to selection, is well established by observation. Even the growth of snowflakes and mineral crystals from "seeds" broken off of initial formations illustrates the basic mechanism involved - you can watch it unfold in competing frost patterns on a window.
Cairns-Smith asked himself two questions: What are the essential properties needed for a living system, and can those properties be found anywhere other than the forms of life that we know today?
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