From the vast reaches of our known universe to the smallest, single-celled microorganism, Fernando Orrego escorts us on an extraordinary journey through space and time. Building on Charles Darwin's work, Orrego uses natural philosophy to clearly explain the reactions that started in interstellar space and continued in the solar system and in the Earths atmosphere and surface, leading to the emergence of the first living cells.

An exploration in two parts, the journey begins with solid scientific evidence to reconstruct the solar system's humble beginnings in dust, gas, and...