Once self replication evolves, the
number of tries is determined by population size and time. The number of stars in the
universe does not play into evolution once life is on its way.
The only opportunity to accumulate tries is during
reproduction. Thus, the number of tries that any animal or plant accumulates each year is
proportional to how many offspring it produces.
The most abundant, fastest reproducing organisms
accumulate the most tries. The unquestionable leaders are bacteria, and the numbers are
staggering. For every insect on the planet there are 500 billion bacteria. For every star
in the universe, there are 10 million bacteria. Furthermore, when conditions are optimal
one bacterium can split into two bacteria in a matter of minutes. One study estimates that
1.7 x 1030 bacteria are born each year.6
Next: Self Replication without Natural
Selection
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