#.....##..                                          #.##...##.
.#....###.                                          ..###..##.
..#...#.##                                          ..#.##.###
#..#....##                                          #...##.#.#
##..#...#.                                          ##..##...#
.##..#....                  ~~$#~~                  .##.###..#
.###..#...                ~~$    $~~                .##.#.##..
.#.##..#..              ~~$  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                     ........#.
...#....#.                                          #........#
#...#.....                                          .#........
.#...#....                                          ..#.......
..#...#...                                          ...#......
...#...#..                                          ....#.....