"Early Earth was covered in basic chemicals/molecules. Lightning struck and added energy. The extra energy allowed the molecules to come together. Eventually enough molecules came together and were able to make molecules in their own (like RNA). Eventually they built more and more complicated stuff (like DNA) and life (sentience/consciousness) proliferated."

 

So, apparently, sentience/consciousness automatically follows from RNA and DNA.  Except no one has been able to create life using this recepie.  They've been able to create RNA but RNA is just a chemical.

 

RNA: ribonucleic **acid**, a nucleic acid present in all living cells. Its principal role is to act as a messenger carrying instructions from DNA for controlling the synthesis of proteins, although in some viruses RNA rather than DNA carries the genetic information.

 

DNA is also a chemical.

 

DNA: deoxyribonucleic **acid**, a self-replicating material present in nearly all living organisms as the main constituent of chromosomes. It is the carrier of genetic information.

 

 RNA and DNA are just chemical compounds with some interesting properties which **LIVING** cells then use for their own needs/purpose. RNA and DNA are just **tools** used by life.  RNA and DNA are **not alive**.

 

Evolutions does not explain **how** sentience/consciousness comes about.  It only explains the tools used by life (like RNA and DNA).  It also explains **the process** used by life to continue its own existence (like reproduction, converting compounds into energy, etc.).

 

Evolution:  **the process** by which different kinds of living organisms are thought to have developed and diversified from earlier forms during the history of the earth.

 

NOTE:  the definition says nothing about how those earliers forms of life came to be alive.  In other words, there was already life on the planet and that earlier life form used **the process** of evolution to develop and diversify.  There is no mention of sentience/consciousness in that definition.

 

Sentience:  is the ability to feel, perceive, or experience **subjectively**. 

Can a bunch of chemical reactions feel/perceive?  If so, can they do it **SUBJECTIVELY**?

 

Consciousness:  the state of being awake and aware of one's surroundings.

Can a bunch of chemical ractions be **self aware**?