How did purposeful, self-aware matter come into existence in a universe made of inanimate matter? Since Schrödinger’s powerful posing of the question “What is Life?” over 70 years ago, we are still no closer to answering it, or even understanding how such complex living things came into being in the first place. Addy Pross highlights the many mysteries still surrounding the emergence and nature of life in a material universe.

You've posited that the Darwinian paradigm, traditionally associated with biological evolution, can also be extended to inanimate matter, suggesting that abiogenesis and biological evolution are a singular process. Could you elucidate the intricacies of this theory, especially in light of critiques that emphasize a clear demarcation between life and non-life?