4.3 Definition of life

Now, based on the previously mentioned principles of the physics of life, consider what life is and try to formulate it's clear definition.

We have already discussed so many issues that this might be the right moment to make an attempt to formulate the definition of life. Our considerations lead to the conclusion that absorption of resources and biological evolution should play a key role.

So, life is a characteristic feature of a set of objects absorbing external resources, who fell into the biological evolution - the process which shapes their subsequent generations.

And consequently, a living object is an attractor formed as a result of biological evolution which was spontaneously initiated in a space where duality nature reigns.

The criteria that allows us to clearly determine whether an object is alive or not, are that the object must actively absorb resources and be within the chain of biological evolution. It does not matter that very often it turns out that the living object takes the last place in this chain because it has no successors.

The elements which are used in other definitions of life such as: metabolism, excretion, sexual reproduction and regulating mechanisms based on feedback, are already a consequence of this basic absorption and biological evolution. Moreover, pursuance and individual and social human behaviours are created by this.

Some may argue against this definition of life, saying that Homo sapiens sapiens has reached its zenith and is not part of biological evolution because they are not subjected to selection, and so cannot be classified as living objects. However, selection is still present, but nowadays in a much milder form. It has been, is and always will be! The selection function which acts upon human beings is now not focused on the vicious struggle for survival as before. We now have quite efficient medical care, although some of us are still dying for various reasons before having successors. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, humanity is on the first stage of speciation - the resources are in abundance and are easily accessible, and the selection function allows most to survive. The first stage of speciation is characterized by the emergence of diversity in subsequent generations. And in fact, it is not difficult to note that we, human beings, differentiate far more than other species. On the other hand, the acqusition of resources is becoming more and more expensive as we are becoming more and more lazy. At the moment, the resources bank's doors are wide open and humanity is gorging itself with both hands like wild boars, shown in our example...

[Amerykański psycholog...]

We all actively absorb resources by all available means and uphold the principle: the most profit with the least loss. Some work, some steal, some produce all the goods they need, while others specialize in the production and exchange of the surplus. If someone claims that they do not actively absorb resources, they have simply not thought about it. After all, everyone breathes, eats, drinks, gets money, spends it, etc. Everything around us, both the good and the bad, is due to absorption of resources!

[Czy w związku z tym wszyscy...]

Biological evolution is having a huge impact on the behaviour of living objects. As we know, each object must pursue the basic objective of living objects "absorb/multiply". This could be obtained by different strategies, which differ from species to species and, within each species, and gender and even social position. For bears, for example, this sexual duality of strategies can be formulated as follows: males - "Eat and inseminate as soon as the opportunity arises. If necessary, fight for females.", females - "Eat and raise offspring, and in case of danger protect children at all costs, if necessary, sacrifice self."

Around the controversial question of whether human embryos and viruses should be considered as living objects: in the light of our definition we consider them to be alive, because they absorb external resources and are subjected to biological evolution. There is, therefore, no logical reason to consider them as inanimate pieces of matter.

Will our definition of life be applicable in the future, when perhaps medicine and genetic engineering may lead us to the state of immortal canned brains (like the Cybermen in "Doctor Who") that the person or be maybe he pressed his brain in an artificial physical layer is immortal? It's hard to predict now, but... we'll see.

Since we have created a precise definition of life, we can finally say, what the physics of life deals with. Its main areas of study are: analysis of the external conditions, get to know the history of yourself and your evolutionary history, identification of resource acquisition methods based on mathematical game theory and cybernetic systems theory.