"Tim Tyler"  wrote in message
news:c8114r$2bdh$1{at}darwin.ediacara.org...
> Dunk  wrote or quoted:
>
> > A new paper:
> >
> > Ruiz-Mirazo K, Pereto J, Moreno A.  Orig Life Evol Biosph. 2004
> > Jun;34(3):323-46.
> >
> > Centre of Astrobiology (INTA/CSIC), Madrid, Spain.
> >
> > A universal definition of life: autonomy and open-ended evolution.
> > Abstract:
> > Life is a complex phenomenon that not only requires individual
> > self-producing and self-sustaining systems but also a
> > historical-collective organization of those individual systems, which
> > brings about characteristic evolutionary dynamics. On these lines, we
> > propose to define universally living beings as autonomous systems with
> > open-ended evolution capacities, and we claim that all such systems
> > must have a semi-permeable active boundary (membrane), an energy
> > transduction apparatus (set of energy currencies) and, at least, two
> > types of functionally interdependent macromolecular components
> > (catalysts and records). The latter is required to articulate a
> > 'phenotype-genotype' decoupling that leads to a scenario where the
> > global network of autonomous systems allows for an open-ended increase
> > in the complexity of the individual agents. [...]
> >
> > pdf (s) available here
> >
http://www.sc.ehu.es/sfwpbiog/AMoreno/AMoreno/important_publications.html
>
> "Important publications" - my foot: this paper is drivel :-(

I'm sure Tim will not be surprised to learn that I like this paper.  It does
a decent job on the meta-question of "the definition of the definition of
life", but that is mostly of interest to the philosophically oriented.  It
correctly (IMO) includes both autopoiesis and genetics in its life
definition.  Then it goes on to the more controversial subject as to
in what order life acquired its characteristic essential features.
I am probably less annoyed than Tim because these authors seem
to have pretty closely matched my ideas on the subject - except
that they put greater emphasis on Prigogine than I do, and they miss
the idea that the system boundary can actually BE the system
in the early stages.

Recommended reading for sbe OOL enthusiasts, (half of whom have now
expressed their opinions ;-).  Also recommended for anyone interested
in the relationship between life and self-organized thermodynamic
systems - they have several interesting things to say on that topic.
Also on the necessary relationship between organism and ecosystem.

Far better than the usual junk that one finds in Orig Life Evol Biosph.
And the list of references to prior attempts to define life is useful
to those who are interested in such things.
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