[soulofmischief]

Nature works on the premise of emergence. It's entirely possible that the energy gradient required for a biological system to make successful, permanent changes beneath its fundamental layer of operation is just too much.

Suppose this all started with a few self-replicating proteins. From that we got organelles, and then cells. Then multi-cellular organisms, then tissues, organs, etc.

But working backwards, from protein -> molecular chemistry -> quantum phenomenon, may simply not be the path of least resistance and thus for the overwhelming majority of life in the universe, was not an evolutionary path.