Who: J.B.S. Haldane, a brilliant biologist. When: Way back in 1929. What: He described the pre-biotic (before life) ocean as a "hot dilute soup" of carbon compounds.

• Water vapor: Think steam from a boiling kettle!
• Carbon dioxide: That's the stuff we breathe out.
• Ammonia: Nope, not the cleaning product, but a colorless gas.

Haldane suggested that when ultraviolet light (a fancy name for sunlight) acts on this mixture, you get loads of organic substances like sugars and materials to build proteins. Imagine the Earth's ancient oceans as a giant kitchen, cooking up life's ingredients!

Who: Stanley Miller and Harold Urey, the daring duo of scientists. When: The early 1950s. What: They cooked up a literal science experiment to test Haldane's theory.

Ingredients and Steps

• Methane, hydrogen, and ammonia: The believed gases of pre-biotic atmosphere.

• Water vapor: Added by boiling water.

• Electrical discharges: To simulate lightning. (Talk about a high-voltage recipe!)

• Condenser: This cooled down the hot mix and sent it back to the boiling water.

The Big Reveal

• Day 1: The water turned pink. Imagine a science-made cherry lemonade!

• Week 1: The water was dark red, like a raspberry smoothie.

• Analysis: Over 20 different amino acids were produced. Amino acids are like LEGO blocks for proteins, a key part of life.