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