>> Going from a string of RNA to another string of RNA is no easy task. Additionally, going from RNA to a protein requires more than just energy. It requires a

>> Going from a string of RNA to another string of RNA is no easy task. Additionally, going from RNA to a protein requires more than just energy. It requires a molecular factory which can commence protein synthesis. If you're starting from something simple that already works, you can imagine how it might evolve into something more complex in small increments, with the new stuff gradually replacing the old stuff until the old stuff is completely gone. The important thing is that you start with something that already works. That's why I'm proposing that you start with some kind of self-sustaining chemical reaction, i.e. a metabolism. If you start with a dead strand of RNA, it's hard to imagine how a metabolism springs up spontaneously around it and suddenly starts doing anything at all, much less anything useful like making proteins.