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Author Topic:   What is Life?
Panda
Member (Idle past 3712 days)
Posts: 2688
From: UK
Joined: 10-04-2010


Message 166 of 268 (594545)
12-03-2010 9:02 PM
Reply to: Message 165 by AlphaOmegakid
12-03-2010 7:43 PM


Re: the actual problem only exists in your mind
kid writes:
There is no requirement that an organism reproduce to be qualified as being alive...Either they must be able to reproduce, or they were reproduced from a parent organism/s.
I couldn't find a link to this detail in any of your posts.
I found this:
quote:
Reproduction: The ability to produce new individual organisms, either asexually from a single parent organism, or sexually from two parent organisms.
on Wiki (which has a list of criteria identical to yours - but includes evolution).
But this differs to your definition of Reproduction.
Could you please cite a full definition of Reproduction in relation to the definition of life.
Because every description of the Reproduction criteria that I can find requires the individual to "be able to reproduce" and not "be reproduced".
A single link should suffice to clarify your position.
Or are you moving away from the standard definition of life?
Which is fine, as long as it is explicitly stated.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 165 by AlphaOmegakid, posted 12-03-2010 7:43 PM AlphaOmegakid has not replied

  
Panda
Member (Idle past 3712 days)
Posts: 2688
From: UK
Joined: 10-04-2010


Message 172 of 268 (595036)
12-06-2010 11:11 AM
Reply to: Message 170 by barbara
12-06-2010 10:31 AM


Re: another Pet Definition
barbara writes:
When a person is pronounced dead...
Declaring someone dead usually involves an established legal definition (e.g. "Brain death has occurred").
Legal definitions tend to aim at completely dead beyond all (as much as possible) doubt, to avoid mistakes.
But from a broader PoV, defining 'death' is not much easier than defining 'life'.
It seems to me that there is a grey area between 'alive' and 'dead' where the difference is blurred.
"He's stopped breathing!"
"Oh, it's ok. He was holding his breath."

This message is a reply to:
 Message 170 by barbara, posted 12-06-2010 10:31 AM barbara has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 174 by jar, posted 12-06-2010 11:21 AM Panda has replied

  
Panda
Member (Idle past 3712 days)
Posts: 2688
From: UK
Joined: 10-04-2010


Message 175 of 268 (595053)
12-06-2010 12:02 PM
Reply to: Message 174 by jar
12-06-2010 11:21 AM


Re: another Pet Definition
jar writes:
For decades those seeds exhibit none of the signs we associate with "being alive".
Could that be considered as 'resuscitation'? (I don't know.)
But make that a rhetorical question, as I suspect it is off-topic.
But I agree with your point that things behave 'dead' and then behave 'alive'.
One of the parts that 'life' criteria often has is "can".
i.e. The organism can reproduce.
From this it could be said that a dormant seed can grow, reproduce, etc. depending on external conditions.
But this (again) starts drifting into a bespoke definition of life for seeds which requires extra conditional statements.
e.g. A seed is alive - but only if it is in moist soil.
It all gets a bit messy.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 174 by jar, posted 12-06-2010 11:21 AM jar has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 176 by jar, posted 12-06-2010 12:09 PM Panda has seen this message but not replied

  
Panda
Member (Idle past 3712 days)
Posts: 2688
From: UK
Joined: 10-04-2010


Message 178 of 268 (595098)
12-06-2010 2:44 PM
Reply to: Message 168 by AlphaOmegakid
12-06-2010 10:20 AM


Re: the actual problem only exists in your mind
kid writes:
So the only question remains then is, is life a continuum or is it not? I say it is digital. In that case the virus is dead. You seem to think there is a continuum. In your case the virus is not alive and it is not dead. But this is only true if there is a continuum.
So:
1) Your definition of 'life' excludes viruses.
2) Dr. A's definition of 'life' includes viruses.
Which definition is correct and why?
Please be precise.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 168 by AlphaOmegakid, posted 12-06-2010 10:20 AM AlphaOmegakid has not replied

  
Panda
Member (Idle past 3712 days)
Posts: 2688
From: UK
Joined: 10-04-2010


Message 254 of 268 (599171)
01-05-2011 10:26 AM
Reply to: Message 253 by ICdesign
01-05-2011 10:17 AM


Re: The Mutation Problem
ICD writes:
You know what really stands out about you Dr. A.? You always insult everyone you disagree with.
Your like this little spoiled brat always whining and insulting others. I don't mind saying it is way past old too.
Would it not more adversely affect Dr. A. if you showed everyone why his linked values are false?
You could then also maintain the moral high-ground in this game of name-calling.
Because currently it looks like you are doing exactly what you complained about others doing: calling the numbers crap without showing why.
I am sure many people would be interested in where his linked web-page is incorrect.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 253 by ICdesign, posted 01-05-2011 10:17 AM ICdesign has not replied

  
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