....::::%#                                          #%::::....
..~:=%§###                                          ###§%=:~..
..~:=%§###                                          ###§%=:~..
..~:=%§###                                          ###§%=:~..
..~:=%%§§#                                          #§§%%=:~..
....~~==%§                  ~~%#~~                  §%==~~....
..~:=%§###                ~~%    %~~                ###§%=:~..
....:===§#              ~~%  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                     ###§%=:~..
..~:=%§###                                          ###§%=:~..
..~:=%§###                                          ###§%=:~..
......~=%#                                          #%=~......
.....~:%##                                          ##%:~.....
..~:=%####                                          ####%=:~..