.....^~**£                                          £**~^.....
....^~**£@                                          @£**~^....
...^~**£@@                                          @@£**~^...
..^~**£@@#                                          #@@£**~^..
.^~**£@@##                                          ##@@£**~^.
..^~**£@@#                  ~~@@~~                  #@@£**~^..
...^~**£@@                ~~@    @~~                @@£**~^...
....^~**£@              ~~@  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                     @£**~^....
.....^~**£                                          £**~^.....
......^~**                                          **~^......
.......^~*                                          *~^.......
........^~                                          ~^........
.........^                                          ^.........