Origin of life experiment

An experiment recreated early Earth conditions: a core of nickel-iron, surrounded by a rocky mantle and crust, topped by an ocean of water and an atmosphere of ammonia, methane, and hydrogen sulfide. This led to the formation of organic compounds spontaneously and provided insight into possible origins of life on Earth.
 Stanley Lloyd Miller United States 1952 Origin of life experiment

An experiment recreated early Earth conditions: a core of nickel-iron, surrounded by a rocky mantle and crust, topped by an ocean of water and an atmosphere of ammonia, methane, and hydrogen sulfide. This led to the formation of organic compounds spontaneously and provided insight into possible origins of life on Earth.