What do you think is the most important thing that we’ve learned by studying nature?你觉得是最重要的事情，我们学到了学习的性质？ Is it that matter is composed of identical, indivisible subunits called atoms?难道这个问题是由相同的，不可分割的单位称为原子？ Is it Plate Tectonics?这是板块构造？ Or maybe the insignificance of earth in the incomprehensibly vast cosmos?或者，也许微不足道的地球在宇宙广大不可思议？
In my book it is Evolution.在我的书是进化。 The fact that every living thing on this planet evolved from microbial life is far and away the most influential concept that we’ve learned so far.事实上，每一个生活的这个星球上演变而来的微生物生命是远远以外最有影响力的概念，我们学到了迄今。 This fact is so surprising that a majority of us still can not accept it.这一事实是令人惊讶的是，大多数我们仍然不能接受。 You don’t hear many people doubting the correctness of atomic theory, plate tectonics or the vastness of the cosmos, but when it comes to the equally assured facts of Evolution everyday Joe and Jane have doubts.你不会听到许多人怀疑是正确的原子理论，板块构造或浩瀚的宇宙，但是当涉及到事实同样保证日常的演变乔和简有疑问。 In my humble opinion the reason is simple: Time.在愚见的原因很简单：时间。 We humans do not experience much of it.我们人类不会遇到很大的。 Our lives are very brief when measured against evolutionary time scales.我们的生活是非常简短的测量时，对进化的时间尺度。 That fact, in combination with Joe’s and Jane’s self-centeredness, makes it seem impossible to them that something as perfect as themselves could have sprung up from lowly microbes.这一事实，再加上乔和简的以自我为中心，这使得似乎不可能给他们的东西也完全可以为自己，涌现出从卑贱的微生物。 Joe and Jane’s lives are mere snapshots during which nature appears to be static.乔和简的生活仅仅是快照期间，性质似乎是静止的。 Not much evolution happens during the span of a human life.没有多少变化发生在短短的一个人的生命。 Joe and Jane lack the imagination to see outside the boundaries of their everyday existence.乔和简缺乏想象力地看到外面的界限，他们的日常生存。 Hence they are skeptical about any evidence that seems to support Evolution.因此，他们怀疑任何证据似乎支持的演变。
However, Evolution is a fact and we can move on to the philosophically more intriguing issue that can be phrased this way: There is good evidence suggesting that simple microbial life existed on earth as early as 3 billion years ago.然而，进化是一个事实，我们可以走向更有趣的哲学问题，可以这样表述：有良好的证据表明，简单的微生物生活在地球上存在着尽早30.0亿年前。 It seems that life wasted no time and somehow came into existence as soon as the earth was cool enough to support it.看来，生活没有浪费多少时间和生效的存在，只要地球降温，足以支持它。 So the question is this: Does the structure of matter somehow predispose it to create life if conditions are even remotely favorable?所以，问题是：是否有物质的结构容易不知它创造的生活条件，甚至远程有利？ Life is a very complex process characterized outwardly by the features of replication and energy conversion.生命是一个非常复杂的过程，特点的外表特征的复制和能量转换。 How is it possible that a couple of chemical elements in the presence of abundant solar and geothermal energy suddenly come up with an arrangement that we call "alive", and that then leads to us?怎么可能是一对夫妇的化学元素存在的丰富的太阳能和地热能突然拿出一个安排，我们称之为“活着” ，而且然后导致我们吗？
