*^~.......                                          .......~^*
^~........                                          ........~^
~.........                                          .........~
..........                                          ..........
~.........                                          .........~
^~........                  ~~$@~~                  ........~^
*^~.......                ~~$    $~~                .......~^*
$*^~......              ~~$  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                         .....~^*$@
$*^~...... - life can be cursed                     ......~^*$
*^~.......                                          .......~^*
^~........                                          ........~^
~.........                                          .........~
..........                                          ..........
~.........                                          .........~