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From: pinback@netcom.com (Ben Parrish)
Subject: Re: LIFE? (was Evolvable Code....)
Message-ID: <pinbackCvGEJF.ALH@netcom.com>
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References: <1994Aug29.223840.23541@msuvx2.memphis.edu> <33vsc6$f1g@morrow.stanford.edu> <TOSATTER.94Aug31103714@vegan.dazixco.ingr.com>
Date: Thu, 1 Sep 1994 13:52:26 GMT
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: that they DO reproduce, they just use and unconventional means of doing so.
: that is, they require an outside element (humans) to be present as a part of
: their reproduction cycle.

: any thoughts about this?

Yeah.  My thoughts are as follows :

Reproduction has nothing to do with the definition of life.  Zero.  It's 
easy to be fooled into thinking that, because almost everything that IS 
alive DOES reproduce.  Otherwise, they wouldn't be here for us to see.  
It's unnecessary to make "excuses" for seedless fruit, or mules, or 
priests (who for often there is no excuse...)

Likewise, adaptation has nothing to do with the definition of life.  
Things that do adapt tend to survive longer as a species, so we get to 
see 'em. 

Just think of all the squillions of non-reproducing, non-adaptable life 
forms that we never knew about.

So what is life, you're asking me?  I dunno.  I think a good definition 
would have something in it about actively using or converting some sort 
of matter for some purpose, but I really have no idea, and I'm not a 
scientist, so perhaps I would have been better off not even writing this 
post.  :)

-- 
| pinback@netcom.com : Ben Parrish
| The opinions expressed in this document are my own, and do not represent
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