Laboratories could be creating life from scratch by the end of the century, according to Swiss Nobel Prize winner Didier Queloz. “In my opinion it is only a matter of time before we succeed,” he said.

"We have had the power of destruction since we had nuclear weapons. In this century we will attain the divine power of creation by creating artificial life from the ground up,” Queloz told the Tamedia media group in an interview on Friday.

The emergence of life is ultimately a chemical process, says Queloz. “If the conditions are right, life will emerge. I see no need for an initial push from a creator god,” said the Nobel Prize winner. …