“What was the origin of life?”  This question is one of the most interesting in science, and unlikely ever to be answered unambiguously. It is also one that provides the basis for a broad range of questions about chemistry, dynamic systems, dissipation, information, and emergence, both in the peribiotic world and in general. This discussion focuses on two themes:  What came before RNA?  And How do reactions occurring in complex mixtures of chemicals self-organize in networks that might have been the precursors of metabolism?  We examine “chemical fossils”—molecular processes common to all life—to learn about the “before RNA world,” and oscillating reactions as model systems to address problems in dissipative networks.  It is heavier on speculation (more “Questions about questions about the origin of life”) than on answers.