Self Replication: How molecules can make copies of themselves

This movie shows the spontaneous emergence of self replicating molecules, so molecules that are able to make copies of themselves. We start with simple building blocks that have two yellow ends with which they can react with other building blocks. This initially results in the formation of many different cyclic molecules. These cyclic molecules continuously exchange components between each other, to give a mixture that is at equilibrium. Some of the molecules in the mixture that have the right ring size i