Sometimes the simplest questions are the most hardest to solve. For example What is Time? Or what is beyond the universe? So this question, What is Life, is extremely hard to answer definitively. Anyway I'm going to try to give my best to cast some light on this topic. I'm no expert, only a hobby philosopher who likes some challenges. I hope to bring you some new knowledge to the table and that you engage in the discussion below. So without further to do let's proceed.

What is a living being?

Erwin Schrödinger defined life like this: "Living things avoid decay into disorder and equilibrium" , like stated in his book What Is Life? The Physical Aspect of the Living Cell published in 1944.

So according to Schrödinger living things create order in this chaotic universe. Usually the universe is following the law of entropy: from the big bang on everything got more disordered. But then many atoms came together and eventually formed a star. Long time later with the decay of stars more atoms where created. Until one day there were planets which supported life.

Based on our current understanding all living things are made of cells. Cells are made of proteins completing various chemical reactions. All parts of a cell are in our definition not living beings. But together all these dead parts make up the living cell. If you now turn to the macro view it's the same with all living beings we know today on earth.

This is a metabolic map of a cell.

The metabolic pathway above is very simplified. It shows however that a cell is like a computer capable of doing complex task or in this case various reactions.

Entering the philosophic realm

So if all living stuff is made out of "dead" stuff, where do we draw the line between living and dead stuff? Is there maybe no dead and living stuff? My personal opinion is that all these questions are irrelevant. I think that nothing is dead or alive but rather it just is in the simplest way. After something dies it decays and eventually one day other living beings are formed with the materials. Nothing can leave or come out of nothing into this universe. I believe that everything is connected and works together.

What are your opinions? Is there a defined line between alive and dead stuff? Does this question even matter? I don't have the answers but it is exactly the thinking about these questions which let us feel alive. Feel free to leave your opinion in the comment section.

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Kind regards,
Caspar