Advances since I got into the field have been breathtaking. New theories arise and old ones fall rapidly. It's a marvelous time to be involved in astronomy and cosmology. The only difference is the degree of bluster by the adherants. The formation of life from nonlife.
Life is fantastically more complex than anyone ever realized.
It certainly did not form randomly. Proposed self organization principles for it's beginning all currently are left wanting for any supporting evidence whatsoever. Some evolutionists now are trying to ignore unsettling issues with life's origins by stating that they are all out of bounds regarding the subject of evolution. The elephant in the room no one wants to talk about is God in the form of an omnipotent creator. The underlying philosophy of evolution as currently postulated, is to explain the observable universe without resorting to God.