.....-~^^%                                          %^^~-.....
....-~^^%@                                          @%^^~-....
...-~^^%@#                                          #@%^^~-...
..-~^^%@##                                          ##@%^^~-..
.-~^^%@###                                          ###@%^^~-.
..-~^^%@##                  ~~%@~~                  ##@%^^~-..
...-~^^%@#                ~~%    %~~                #@%^^~-...
....-~^^%@              ~~%  life  %~~              @%^^~-....
.....-~^^%                ~~%    %~~                %^^~-.....
......-~^^                  ~~@%~~                  ^^~-......
.......-~^                                          ^~-.......
........-~ ~ ~  % a multitude of definitions %  ~ ~ ~-........
.........- ~   %   does   not   help.   we    %   ~ -.........
.......... %     can     say     "life     is     % ..........
.......... ~   %    what    we   are,   and   %   ~ ..........
.......... ~  ~  %  what  things  like  us  %  ~  ~ ..........
.......... ~   %    are",   but   then   we   %   ~ ..........
.......... %    must    also    define    what    % ..........
.......... ~  %  "things  like  us"  actually  %  ~ ..........
.......... ~  ~  %  entails, how  it should %  ~  ~ ..........
.........- ~   %   be   measured,   who   or  %   ~ -.........
........-~ %     what    is    the    arbiter,    % ~-........
.......-~^ ~  %   and  so   instead   there   %   ~ ^~-.......
......-~^^ ~    ~   %   is   this   internationally ^^~-......
.....-~^^% sanctioned      list      %      ~     ~ %^^~-.....
....-~^^%@ ~  ~  ~  ~  % of  criteria  % ~  ~  ~  ~ @%^^~-....
...-~^^%@#                                          #@%^^~-...
..-~^^%@## - life must produce or consume milk      ##@%^^~-..
.-~^^%@### - life must have a beginning and an end  ###@%^^~-.
..-~^^%@## - life can have dreams and can interact  ##@%^^~-..
...-~^^%@# - life can steal                         #@%^^~-...
....-~^^%@ - life can be cursed                     @%^^~-....
.....-~^^%                                          %^^~-.....
......-~^^                                          ^^~-......
.......-~^                                          ^~-.......
........-~                                          ~-........
.........-                                          -.........