(November 2, 2014 at 1:45 pm)His_Majesty Wrote: I was paying attention in science class...5 years of elementary school...3 years of middle school...and 4 years of high school...and I don't ever recall a teacher explaining/demonstrating how life came from non-living material, and how consciousness originated from unconsciousness.
If you want to understand how consciousness arose, read Nicholas Humphries.
Abiogenesis is addressed here: http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/abioprob/abioprob.html
School isn't going to teach you everything you need to know, certainly. The biggest lack I see right now in American schools is the lack of a class on critical thinking. Such skills are in desperately short supply.