Newsgroups: comp.ai.alife
Subject: Re: Proposed test for life
Message-ID: <1996Oct7.145945.324@mtroyal.ab.ca>
From: kais4847@ins.mtroyal.ab.ca (God Almighty)
Date: 7 Oct 96 14:59:44 MST
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Nathan Gray (gray@ll.mit.edu) wrote:
: Steve McGrew wrote:

: >         I personally lean towards a definition something like this:
: > 
: >         "Life is the capability of a system for dynamic persistence."
: > 
: >         Dynamic persistence would mean the tendency to continue existence
 and functionality in the presence of a changing environment.  A non-reproducing

how does that explain Kurt Cobain and others who choose to take thier own lives?
does life not include those who are willing to end life?
I personally believe that life is undefinable. We know we are alive, because we
are conscious beings that think (I think therefore... ), but we will never know
for certain where our consciousness comes from, unless of course we fiddle with 
peoples neurochemistry, and find out the exact combo it takes to turn 
consciousness on and off, etc. but who would volunteer?
