Just what is life?

    Warning...this is a kind of geeky article from a Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech.

            What set me off was two things. One is the present Mars landing coming due, which will look for life like on the earth, which means like us earth people, which means carbon based, and needing some water.  All in all, this is a big bucks USA operation suffering from assumptions, in my opinion. The second was a book I read around two decades ago by some English fellows, and in my mind they changed the definition of life from earthly things to the ability to reproduce, by whatever means. They offered other means to reproduce than carbon and water, like we have on the earth.

            The obvious example, to me, are the life forms around the thermal vents under the ocean and on the earth. That kind of life gets its energy from other than the sun, and its nutrients, too, like to reproduce and replicate. Who knows what goes on at Titan, for example? The answer is nobody knows.

             Think of a big successful chemistry experiment.

            No wonder other life forms, call them aliens, have such captivating appearances that infatuate so many human movie viewers. And who knows, those who create aliens might be close. Anyway, other people obviously think about this, too. As for me, I enjoy the Alien movie series, especially the imaginations of those humans who constructed the aliens and the sets. Even Predator catches my attention, where the alien was, an alien.

            Last, my intent is to suggest not all life is carbon based, and needing water. If one buys that assumption, perhaps we can advance, and defend, our earth selves better!

            One more last. While other life forms on  the earth, maybe even aliens, may be smart with good technology, don't discount we humans, too. We are smart, with good technology, too.

            That's what bothers me about a lot of the UFO types, like if they can't explain things, then it must be another life form, like an alien. This person suggests don't discount we humans of all ages and technologies, who are a smart and savvy life form, too.

            So back to the basic question...just what is life?