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From: plugge@cs.rulimburg.nl (Leo Plugge)
Subject: Re: The Meaning of Life
Message-ID: <plugge.127.2E772C60@cs.rulimburg.nl>
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References: <34qm2c$ei2@scratchy.reed.edu> <plugge.117.2E743174@cs.rulimburg.nl> <8iR9ig_00WB3IuwrUV@andrew.cmu.edu> <1994Sep13.194058.24001@ictv.com> <940914.080429.5532@cheshire.cc.oxy.edu>
Date: Wed, 14 Sep 1994 17:01:20 GMT

In article <940914.080429.5532@cheshire.cc.oxy.edu> robft@oxy.edu (Robert Franck-Thompson) writes:

>Okay, how about this...  Instead of trying for the definitive, perfect 
>definition of ALife, we try for a regular dictionary definition.  You 
>know, the folks at the dictionary writting company sitting around saying 
>"Gee, we need to put SOMETHING here."  What should it be?  Not the 
>essence of ALife, but a general definition that covers most cases.

>Note:  To make it cover all cases, just throw in a "generally" or 
>"typically".  It worked for chair.  "A seat typically having four legs 
>and a back for one person".  Webster's New Collegiate, 1979

Okay, stick with the Webster and try "http://www.nr.no/ordbok/engelsk?life"

It'll save you a headache:
1: pain in the head
2: a vexatious or baffling situation or problem (quote from Webster without 
asking permission)

You'll see how circular and vague the reasoning(?) is.
A quote:
"the quality that distinguishes a vital and functional being from a dead body 
or purely chemical matter1b(1): the state of a material complex or individual 
characterized by the capacity to perform certain functional activities 
including metabolism, growth, and reproduction <etc. etc.>"
(Webster; without asking permission)

Have fun.
-Leo-
******************************************************************
Dr. L.A. Plugge, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Limburg
plugge@cs.rulimburg.nl          http://www.cs.rulimburg.nl/~plugge
