The article explores the complexities of defining life, emphasizing that current Earth-centric definitions may hinder the search for alien life. It critiques the idea of viewing life strictly through Earth's lens—defined by concepts like self-replication and cellular structures. The author references 'Life as No One Knows It' by Sara Walker to propose that understanding life as a precise physical phenomenon could enable the discovery of diverse forms of life across the universe, encouraging a broader perspective for exploration beyond known Earth-like characteristics.
Defining all life as being Earth-like is too myopic. We must consider more diverse definitions to explore the universe for alien life.
Our fixation on Earth-centric definitions blurs our understanding; to discover alien life, we need a precise definition independent of Earth’s life.
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