IUBio

A possible definition of life.

Peter Bentley ucacpjb at cs.ucl.ac.uk
Wed Apr 30 13:09:23 EST 1997


> Bill House I think has posted the best definition (if not spot on) so
> far which I repeat here:
> 
> '...life is not a physical compound, but an emergent phenomenon of
> complex entities that allows them to replicate, transform energy to
> locally reduce entropy, and to evolve new behaviors and phenotypes that
> enhance their ability to replicate and transform energy.'

Must all self-replicating entities be complex?
Will all forms of life transform energy? (Would artificial life?)
Must all self-replicating entities evolve, and is the occurance
of evolution a requirement of life? (Must all life evolve?)

Peter.




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