Life and the Nature of Time

One of the more contentious questions to emerge into scientific prominence has been whether life is prevalent in the cosmos. Although there are many factors that shape this debate, one of the most overlooked yet crucial rests on the reality of time. In this work the author investigates the compatibility and incompatibility between the thermodynamic arrow of time indicative of abiotic structure, and the passage of time so characteristic of biotic processes and uses it to explore the origins of life here and elsewhere. Far from a minor problem, the author argues that the reality of time's passage plays a key role in shaping not only the prevalence of life, but also in grounding the scientific theories we use to explain the universe and the moral concepts that will anchor our exploration of the larger cosmos.