...-~^=@§#                                          #§@=^~-...
....-~^=@§                                          §@=^~-....
.....-~^=@                                          @=^~-.....
......-~^=                                          =^~-......
.......-~^                                          ^~-.......
........-~                  ~~@#~~                  ~-........
.........-                ~~@    @~~                -.........
........-~              ~~@  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                     ##§@=^~-..
...-~^=@§#                                          #§@=^~-...
....-~^=@§                                          §@=^~-....
.....-~^=@                                          @=^~-.....
......-~^=                                          =^~-......
.......-~^                                          ^~-.......