[DigitalNoumena]

Agree. I cannot comment on how probable or how widespread, but only that it is possible, and in fact it is arguably a certainty based on the premises above. Now if entropy was the only driver then self-replicating systems would be the norm. But alas, the Fermi paradox. I think we are asking too much.

Could it be falsified? I think if you could show that natural selection led to the survival of less dissipative life forms then you could claim falsification.

[mannykannot]

I take your point about falsification, though it seems to depend on accepting that the Darwinian theory of evolution via natural selection is itself sufficiently falsifiable to present the 'threat' of falsification to the premise in question.