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