What is the opposite of Life?

[schwank05]

World of Warcraft

[Scathbais]

Liberal?

/10chargods

[jackofwind]

The Complete Collection of Inuyasha on DVD.

[Batar]

posting 4700 times on a message board in over 6 years

Daaaaym...

[Docturphil]

Even if you die, life still exists.

How can life die?

It can't.

So death is the wrong answer.

The issue here is we're using "life" in a very arbitrary fashion. Life can refer to an individual or an entire species/group. You're using it to define a group, I'm using it as it refers to an individual.

On an individual level, life and death are opposites. When I die my life no longer exists.

[Z-Man]

Republicism

[Jayburner]

Daaaaym...

is that a lot? I've been banned for half that time though

[videotape]

The question is invalid.

You can't make any reasonable assertions about the "opposite" of a thing without a frame of reference. For basic concepts like directional terms the context is often obvious and implied (e.g. opposite of "up" is "down", opposite of "east" is "west"), but with something like "life" there is no obvious frame of reference.

I mean, what's the opposite of "phone?" What's the opposite of "duck?" What's the opposite of "meaningless existence?"

[Deleted]

Choice.

12345678910

[frogger237]

Larping.

or

efil

[Deleted]

Silence brother.

[Amorac]

I mean the life of a star is a different definition of "life". Although I suppose what I said still applies. Existing means whatever thing you're referring to is there. Life and death are more specific states of existence. Life means the thing is there and it exhibits certain traits. Death means the thing is there and it does not exhibit the same traits.

Interesting point. It does however rely how one defines life. When does life end and is something death. (EG the mind/brain is dead, the body not). That's kinda why I said alive is the opposite of death.

I suppose. I guess it doesn't really hurt to ask.

See my edit (And in fairness, the OP never stated the answer death is wrong)

There was no egg from which the first chicken came. This is what the available evidence tells us anyways. See http://www.cbsnews.com/news/chicken-...entific-proof/

I remember reading that, or something similar way back, might have been older then that article. It doesn't really answer the question, as you say;

Although I suppose that raises another question which we'll be pondering for thousands of years to come. If the chicken came first and there was no egg from which the first chicken came from, then where did the first chicken come from?

If a chicken is born from a chicken egg, and (only) a chicken lays (I think that's how it is spelled?) those eggs, what was it that laid the first egg that made a chicken (and now bring in daddy and mommy bird, are both chickens or only one, or none?). Evolution of the species does not handle in absolutes, or "species", that's just human tendency to put a label on stuff..

(And the found protein may just be an trait chickens gained while they were already chickens, it does not, depending on who you ask, warrant a new species)

[Docturphil]

Interesting point. It does however rely how one defines life. When does life end and is something death. (EG the mind/brain is dead, the body not). That's kinda why I said alive is the opposite of death.

I suppose the argument comes down to nuanced definitions and gray areas. Although I would still consider being brain dead to fall under the definition of life. A state of death begins when a being can no longer sustain itself and it begins to break down. In the case of someone being brain dead they're still alive until their heart stops and their immune system stops fighting off microorganisms allowing their body to begin to decay.

If a chicken is born from a chicken egg, and (only) a chicken lays (I think that's how it is spelled?) those eggs, what was it that laid the first egg that made a chicken (and now bring in daddy and mommy bird, are both chickens or only one, or none?). Evolution of the species does not handle in absolutes, or "species", that's just human tendency to put a label on stuff..

Sure, but at some point in time a chicken was a chicken. At some point the very first chicken existed which was genetically identical to the chickens we get from a KFC bucket.

[Deleted]

we dont know.
Death is the process, what happens is a mystery.

[PC2]

Anti-life. There's an equation for it and everything.

A fictional equation from a comic book...

[Puupi]

posting 4700 times on a message board in over 6 years

4760 is afterlife then?

[cubby]

Undeath.

/10

[Amorac]

I suppose the argument comes down to nuanced definitions and gray areas. Although I would still consider being brain dead to fall under the definition of life. A state of death begins when a being can no longer sustain itself and it begins to break down. In the case of someone being brain dead they're still alive until their heart stops and their immune system stops fighting off microorganisms allowing their body to begin to decay.

A bit "narrow" (not really the word I'm looking for, but meh, its bedtime..) for my liking but fair enough. Thanks for the chat

Sure, but at some point in time a chicken was a chicken. At some point the very first chicken existed which was genetically identical to the chickens we get from a KFC bucket.

Well, we recognize subspecies as well and put everything in families/orders/kingdoms/whatever to try to make that distinction. Just difficult to say when a species fits the bill.. Would be easier if evolution happened in a few years.

Heh.. Another silly question one could ask the same about colors. When is red no longer red.

Again, thanks for the chat again. Hope the day is good where you are.

[Jayburner]

A bit "narrow" (not really the word I'm looking for, but meh, its bedtime..) for my liking but fair enough. Thanks for the chat



Well, we recognize subspecies as well and put everything in families/orders/kingdoms/whatever to try to make that distinction. Just difficult to say when a species fits the bill.. Would be easier if evolution happened in a few years.

Heh.. Another silly question one could ask the same about colors. When is red no longer red.

Again, thanks for the chat again. Hope the day is good where you are.

when it becomes pink.

[Docturphil]

Well, we recognize subspecies as well and put everything in families/orders/kingdoms/whatever to try to make that distinction. Just difficult to say when a species fits the bill.. Would be easier if evolution happened in a few years.

Heh.. Another silly question one could ask the same about colors. When is red no longer red.

Again, thanks for the chat again. Hope the day is good where you are.

Sure, there are subspecies to consider. But I'd call a chicken a chicken if it can sexually reproduce with a hen.

But I understand the dilemma.

As for when red is no longer red, that may be hard to determine using the naked eye, but you could create more rigid definitions with a computer.

Anyways, good chat. It actually is quite a nice day here. I wish you the same.