What's the definition of life?

The question is a simple one, or is it?

At face value it seems simple but as you delve deeper the question starts to change.

Sure, we, humans are life, as are the others that breathe, eat and reproduce. But, is that where it ends?

The Earth breathes, it consumes, and reproduces, maybe not in the way you think we do but it still does.

The cycle of life is a big one.

Mountains are massive objects made of rock, they move, just very slowly. They end up eroding away into silt and become soil eventually, that soil in turn fertilizes plants, plants produce edible products which we eat.

So technically we are the Earth eating the earth.

We breathe the same air that was breathed by our ancient peoples. I always try and tell germophobes that, it gets them freaked out.

We have all probably ate other peoples bodies in nutrients without even realizing. I ate Plato the other day.

So now, we think of extra terrestrial life, we think of "human like" beings. But to me life is everywhere. Mars is alien alone. People talk about it being a "dead planet" but in order to be dead it had to be alive at some point.

Even a star it may go supernova and disperse elements throughout the universe producing other stars and planets. Is that not reproducing?

This is why this question is so amazing, and can produce such deep thoughts, because everything is living; us, which are the Earth, the Earth which is a remnant of a supernova, the dead star which was a product of the universe.

So to me everything is living, because the universe is a living entity.

Any thoughts?

Pred...

reply to post by predator0187


you answered your own question

nothing and everything

there really is no definition to life it just is. you can say we were created for this or that or by this or that. but that was so long ago it doesn't really matter anymore we have evolved past our past. the question should be what will you do with your life ?

reply to post by predator0187


What do you mean by life

1. Life meaning consciousness?

2. Life meaning biological organisms?

reply to post by oozyism


Depends, what is your interpretation of life?

Does life have to be conscious to be life?

Pred...

reply to post by predator0187


If robots reproduced, would they be considered alive?

This is much deeper.

I don't know what life means, the literal definition can be found anywhere, but I'm gonna go ahead and make a guess, that you want to go much deeper than that:

-a characteristic state or mode of living; "social life"; "city life"; "real life"
- the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities; "he could no longer cope with the complexities of life"
- the course of existence of an individual; the actions and events that occur in living; "he hoped for a new life in Australia"; "he wanted to live his own life without interference from others"
- animation: the condition of living or the state of being alive; "while there's life there's hope"; "life depends on many chemical and physical processes"
- the period during which something is functional (as between birth and death); "the battery had a short life"; "he lived a long and happy life"
- the period between birth and the present time; "I have known him all his life"
- the period from the present until death; "he appointed himself emperor for life"
- a living person; "his heroism saved a life"
- liveliness: animation and energy in action or expression; "it was a heavy play and the actors tried in vain to give life to it"
- living things collectively; "the oceans are teeming with life"
- the organic phenomenon that distinguishes living organisms from nonliving ones; "there is no life on the moon"
- biography: an account of the series of events making up a person's life
- a motive for living; "pottery was his life"
- life sentence: a prison term lasting as long as the prisoner lives; "he got life for killing the guard"

(worldnetweb)

and from (wikipedia)

Life (cf. biota) is a characteristic that distinguishes objects that have self-sustaining biological processes from those that do not The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edition, published by Houghton Mifflin Company, via : *"The property or quality that distinguishes ...

LIVE ,LOVE ,LAUGH that is a simple truth full answer my good man

reply to post by oozyism


Yeah, a tad deeper.

We consider life on our time scale, but yet all of humanity is just a blink in the life of the universe.

Would you consider a rock to be alive?

Pred...

Originally posted by predator0187
reply to post by oozyism

 

Would you consider a rock to be alive?

depends on if there are micro organisms on said rock. the fungus on my feet are alive perhaps everything is alive just not aware (sentient)

reply to post by gaurdian2012


But who is to say what sentient means? People think animals are below us, that they cannot think the way we do, but why are we conscious and they are not?

We talk about communicating with E.T.'s all the time on ATS but yet we still cannot communicate with animals on our own Earth.

We have this big term called consciousness, which we consider ourselves to be, but why could everything not be conscious?

Pred...

Originally posted by predator0187
The question is a simple one, or is it?

At face value it seems simple but as you delve deeper the question starts to change.

Sure, we, humans are life, as are the others that breathe, eat and reproduce. But, is that where it ends?

The Earth breathes, it consumes, and reproduces, maybe not in the way you think we do but it still does.

The cycle of life is a big one.

Mountains are massive objects made of rock, they move, just very slowly. They end up eroding away into silt and become soil eventually, that soil in turn fertilizes plants, plants produce edible products which we eat.

So technically we are the Earth eating the earth.

We breathe the same air that was breathed by our ancient peoples. I always try and tell germophobes that, it gets them freaked out.

We have all probably ate other peoples bodies in nutrients without even realizing. I ate Plato the other day.

So now, we think of extra terrestrial life, we think of "human like" beings. But to me life is everywhere. Mars is alien alone. People talk about it being a "dead planet" but in order to be dead it had to be alive at some point.

Even a star it may go supernova and disperse elements throughout the universe producing other stars and planets. Is that not reproducing?

This is why this question is so amazing, and can produce such deep thoughts, because everything is living; us, which are the Earth, the Earth which is a remnant of a supernova, the dead star which was a product of the universe.

So to me everything is living, because the universe is a living entity.

Any thoughts?

Pred...

edit on 30-10-2010 by predator0187 because: Stupid iPad.

Life is universal. Everything is alive in it's own way. Life is not limited to biology only. Minerals are also alive but in a different way.

tt

reply to post by trailertrash


What do you mean by a different way? Get a little deeper there and explain that statement.

I agree with you I just want a little more in depths thoughts.

Pred...

Originally posted by Nephi1337
LIVE ,LOVE ,LAUGH that is a simple truth full answer my good man

That is a very ephemeral concept of life. Given that some people may spend their entire existence alone, lonely, and morbid... they no less Live.

A tree certainly doesn't laugh, but it may love.

Life... it's the ability to endure pain, in my opinion.

A rock does not feel pain, it is lifeless... The loudest noises are created by life in suffering.

So I posit, life is pain.

reply to post by badw0lf


Holy depressing batman.

What about something with no nervous system that can feel no pain? Does that mean it is not alive?

Thanks for the reply.

Pred...

I agree with trailertrash everything is alive in its own way but awareness is slightly different than just being alive awareness is sentience and anything alive must be aware of it's own existence to a greater or lessor degree we are all evolving all in a state of transition or becoming or changing. from the smallest molecule to something like a star or even a super massive black hole. we are all in a state of growth or change the only minor difference is awareness.............and the ability to question your existence. a rock will not contemplate its existence it just is

reply to post by gaurdian2012


But, let's say we are the only "intelligent" life, are we not just the universe becoming conscious of itself?

We do not know what any creature is thinking to know if it is aware, they could all be aware, just because we are ignorant of their thoughts does not mean they do not have them.

Thanks for the reply.

Pred...

reply to post by predator0187


Hrmmm, now you're making me consider people with no motor ability but who are confined in their corporeal tomb with a fully conscious awareness. Oo

Yikes..

That's surely a life but one no one would ever consider...

But I accept your point there Life does go beyond my post above - hard to really consider a life with no nervous system, but they do exist I guess!

reply to post by predator0187


but if we said we are the only intelligent life in the known and unknown universe, we would be lying. no look at our history we know slavery that concept was taught to our ancestors so just in that alone not to mention ancient art "we are not alone" "never alone" we are constantly monitored, so lets give em something to talk about

To me the answer is "To experience."

Whatever your life is: rich, poor, healthy, sick, love, hate - whatever you make life is what life is about - just to have as many experiences as possible. Essentially, life is about living.

Throw in a good dose of love to yourself and to others; doing more for others than you do for yourself; and learning to forgive yourself and others.

reply to post by badw0lf


It's good to get your brain juices flowing.

That's what I find so messed up about the is question though, you can, if you think about it make just about anything life.

Just because something is not "living" does not mean it is not alive.

Thanks for a good discussion.

Pred...

Life is the automatic search for truth, the discovery of truth, and the subsequent burial of truth through obscurity.

The cycle drives species and civilizations towards spirituality, through to technological advancement, and back to spirituality, ad infinitum. This is evolution.

Every "living" thing is on the same quest, whether it seems that way or not.