What is the definition of life?

Originally posted by TheWill
When the lights go out, light-dependant anemones close, as do the polyps on both hard and soft light-dependant corals. =Movement.

Well, I automatically assumed he meant moving around, contrary to sessile beings.. But of course, you are right! I was having a hangover..

Originally posted by TheWill
reply to post by Wyn Hawks

 

Not really. The word "life" originated on this planet, to describe things on this planet.

...there ya go - the exact biased arrogance i was referring to...

...you falsely presumed that you know the origin of the word life... there is no emphatic evidence that proves any of Earth languages originated on Earth... of course, theres no emphatic evidence that they didnt either - but - its pointless to dance around that "matter of perception" circle...

...since language (as we understand it) is based upon concepts, its biased arrogance to presume that our concept of anything is applicable throughout the vastness of the universe... its been said (probably many billions of times) that we could be the toddlers of the universe and i think thats a wise way to look at ourselves...

Originally posted by TheWill
I think provided that we define life by what it does, rather than what it's made of, it should be applicable.

...when dealing with whats considered life on Earth, thats fine... when "should be applicable" is applied to any other place its just wishful thinking, an unproven, a guess, a criteria that is needed by us to process what we encounter or might encounter - but - we should never embrace that criteria to the degree that it makes us blind or deaf...

Originally posted by TheWill
Although I feel that chemically, anything that spends its time pushing away from equilibrium should be defined as life.

...define to your heart's content but, imo, its still arrogant to presume that our definitions / perceptions are applicable everywhere...

reply to post by Wyn Hawks


I beg to differ.

Life is a word in the english language, english is a mongrel of various other european - and further abroad - languages, and even if the Germanic predecessors of the word "life" were alien, the word itself, in English, is an Earth Word.*

And, if we are searching for life on other planets, we kind of need some definition of what it was. Otherwise I could pick up a chunk of pure, frozen water on europa and say "I have found life!", to which people would respond "No, it's a chunk of ice", to which I could respond "You are arrogantly applying earth concepts to non-earth. It may just be H2O on earth, but here, it is life! Nobel prize, please."

Whereas if we find some sort of liquid metal in a high-oxygen environment which is de-oxidising rather than oxidising, something not typically chemical is going on, and if we establish that it's going against the local chemical tendencies, I'd say "This may represent some sort of inorganic life form. Nobel prize**, please."

And so forth.


*I would put an Emoticon here to point out that I am not being serious, but I shan't. Not because I can't work out the emoticons, because I can, but because they are evil. As such, be aware that I am not being fully serious.

**Of course, if all I was after was a Nobel Prize, I'd just get elected as the president of the US.

Originally posted by TheWill
reply to post by Wyn Hawks

 

I beg to differ.

Life is a word in the english language,

...you need a warning label next to your name that says Do Not Read While Ingesting Liquid!...

Originally posted by TheWill
english is a mongrel of various other european - and further abroad - languages, and even if the Germanic predecessors of the word "life" were alien, the word itself, in English, is an Earth Word.*

...none of which proves origin (wiping tears here)...

Originally posted by TheWill
*I would put an Emoticon here to point out that I am not being serious, but I shan't.

...your shan't should be sha'n't cuz its shote fo shall not...

Originally posted by TheWill
Not because I can't work out the emoticons, because I can, but because they are evil.

...do you think the users of emoticons are evil too?...

Originally posted by TheWill
As such, be aware that I am not being fully serious.

...you should join the American Sarcasm Society (linked below)...
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Originally posted by TheWill
And, if we are searching for life on other planets, we kind of need some definition of what it was.

...sigh... yes, of course, dear... thats why i wrote (in my previous post) - "a criteria that is needed by us to process what we encounter or might encounter"...

Originally posted by TheWill
Nobel prize**, please."

**Of course, if all I was after was a Nobel Prize, I'd just get elected as the president of the US.

...that would be a very painful route (so i hear) - because - usofa presidents are not elected... they're selected by slitherin scum after said scum has permanently attached the marionette strings to said selectee via excessive anal probing - because - either its an extremely complex manuever or they're sadistic or both...

Life is something that decreases entropy in its proximity, and is metabolically active.

Originally posted by rhinoceros
Life is something that decreases entropy in its proximity, and is metabolically active.

edit on 17-1-2011 by rhinoceros because: (no reason given)

Since metabolical activity is defined as being part of life, you are indirectly defining life based on the definition of life..