It's important to note that definitions don't reflect reality so much as humans' interpretations of it. IMHO, the life/not-life dichotomy is a false one. We ob

It's important to note that definitions don't reflect reality so much as humans' interpretations of it. IMHO, the life/not-life dichotomy is a false one. We observe the "lifecycle" on our own timescales, which biases our understanding of what is "living" and "not living" as distinct entities. For instance: is the planet Earth "alive"? Are geological processes synonymous with "life"? Further, what are "organics"? If we take the biochemists' view, it's anything in which organic molecules occur. Are rocks then "alive" since they fit into this definition?