[MamaTexan]

In the lab, the Miller–Urey experiment (reproducible) required very little, a small spark triggered the chemical reaction.

Thank you. Not that I give credence to the science of PBS specials, but the last one I caught on the subject was talking about a massive amount of electricity from lightening. It didn't seem rational at the time because that amount of power would seem to COOK life, not create it. :-)

[metmom]

The temperature of a lightning bolt is about 30,000K or 50,000F.

Just enough to assemble some chemicals necessary for life to begin, eh?

http://hypertextbook.com/facts/1999/DavidFriedman.shtml

[xcamel]

It has more to do with how quickly the lightning charge would dissipate in water (or chemical soup), or even wet ground. There would nearly always be a “zone” in the dissipation field that provided the correct voltage/power level to do the job.

[mnehring]

that amount of power would seem to COOK life, not create it.

See #175. At the stage I described above with Miller-Urey, this is just the point where the building blocks are made, very simple chemical reactions. Once the amino acids are formed from this point, natural chemical reactions occur which don't require this massive of an external trigger. Simple chemicals combining by way of electrons being shifted around.