##***~~~:.                                          .:~~~***##
£$*\:.....                                          .....:\*$£
##£#$*\~:.                                          .:~\*$#£##
#£$**~~~:.                                          .:~~~**$£#
#$\\~~....                                          ....~~\\$#
##£#$*\~:.                  ~~$£~~                  .:~\*$#£##
####$*\~:.                ~~$    $~~                .:~\*$####
##$***\~:.              ~~$  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      .....~***#
##£#$*\~:. - life must have a beginning and an end  .:~\*$#£##
###£$*\~:. - life can have dreams and can interact  .:~\*$£###
##£#$*\~:. - life can steal                         .:~\*$#£##
££##$*\~:. - life can be cursed                     .:~\*$##££
##£#$*\~:.                                          .:~\*$#£##
###£$*\~:.                                          .:~\*$£###
##£#$*\~:.                                          .:~\*$#£##
##£#$*\~:.                                          .:~\*$#£##
####$*\~:.                                          .:~\*$####