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