Suppose some scientists built a large vat, sterilised it and filled it with distilled water. Then they start dissolving compounds into the water such as amino acids or what ever they deem conducive to life. They can also control temperature, radiation and other environmental factors.

They periodically capture a sample of the water and examine the results.

Would they be able to inadvertently create self replicating molecules and the precursors to life?

Would this kind of experiment be worth attempting?