What is the Nature of Life?

[The Hammer]

What exactly is Life about?

At its core, life is all about play − just look at the animal kingdom

Reduced to its essence, the process of natural selection would look a lot like play.

theconversation.com

Play! Life is all about play. All species do it, of all ages. And even natural selection could be seen as analogous to play.

"In contrast to foraging and hunting – behaviors with clearly defined goals – play is likewise undirected. When a pony frolics in a field, a dog wrestles with a stick or chimpanzees chase each other, they act with no goal in mind.

Natural selection is utterly provisional: The evolution of any organism responds to whatever conditions are present at a given place and time. Likewise, animals at play are acting provisionally. They constantly adjust their movements in response to changes in circumstances. Playing squirrels, faced with obstacles such as falling branches or other squirrels, nimbly alter their tactics and routes."

Could we learn more about our place in the macrocosm by watching the animals play? By learning to play ourselves?

 

[JustGeorge]

What exactly is Life about?

At its core, life is all about play − just look at the animal kingdom

Reduced to its essence, the process of natural selection would look a lot like play.

theconversation.com

Play! Life is all about play. All species do it, of all ages. And even natural selection could be seen as analogous to play.

"In contrast to foraging and hunting – behaviors with clearly defined goals – play is likewise undirected. When a pony frolics in a field, a dog wrestles with a stick or chimpanzees chase each other, they act with no goal in mind.

Natural selection is utterly provisional: The evolution of any organism responds to whatever conditions are present at a given place and time. Likewise, animals at play are acting provisionally. They constantly adjust their movements in response to changes in circumstances. Playing squirrels, faced with obstacles such as falling branches or other squirrels, nimbly alter their tactics and routes."

Could we learn more about our place in the macrocosm by watching the animals play? By learning to play ourselves?

I suspect there's truth in this...

Sometimes I think we're mere toys of the Gods, anyways.

 

[The Hammer]

I suspect there's truth in this...

Sometimes I think we're mere toys of the Gods, anyways.

I'm not sure toys is the right phrasing.

Moreso, not typically considered or cared about. They have their own wants and needs.

Inasmuch as most wont consider the ant they accidentally stepped on.

IMO

 

[JustGeorge]

I'm not sure toys is the right phrasing. Moreso, not typically considered or cared about. They have their own wants and needs.

I think both, really. Sometimes not concerned about... but I really do think they(certain deities) get attached(or repulsed) by us people, and may occasionally 'play' with us, too.

Inasmuch as most wont consider the ant they accidentally stepped on.

I have terrible ant guilt...

 

[cataway]

What exactly is Life about?

At its core, life is all about play − just look at the animal kingdom

Reduced to its essence, the process of natural selection would look a lot like play.

theconversation.com

Play! Life is all about play. All species do it, of all ages. And even natural selection could be seen as analogous to play.

"In contrast to foraging and hunting – behaviors with clearly defined goals – play is likewise undirected. When a pony frolics in a field, a dog wrestles with a stick or chimpanzees chase each other, they act with no goal in mind.

Natural selection is utterly provisional: The evolution of any organism responds to whatever conditions are present at a given place and time. Likewise, animals at play are acting provisionally. They constantly adjust their movements in response to changes in circumstances. Playing squirrels, faced with obstacles such as falling branches or other squirrels, nimbly alter their tactics and routes."

Could we learn more about our place in the macrocosm by watching the animals play? By learning to play ourselves?

its about making more of us .dogs make dogs cats make cats ect.

 

[The Hammer]

its about making more of us .dogs make dogs cats make cats ect.

Life engenders life?

 

[Arnaud1221]

To construct and maintain the Universe and the town.

 

[bobhikes]

What exactly is Life about?

At its core, life is all about play − just look at the animal kingdom

Reduced to its essence, the process of natural selection would look a lot like play.

theconversation.com

Play! Life is all about play. All species do it, of all ages. And even natural selection could be seen as analogous to play.

"In contrast to foraging and hunting – behaviors with clearly defined goals – play is likewise undirected. When a pony frolics in a field, a dog wrestles with a stick or chimpanzees chase each other, they act with no goal in mind.

Natural selection is utterly provisional: The evolution of any organism responds to whatever conditions are present at a given place and time. Likewise, animals at play are acting provisionally. They constantly adjust their movements in response to changes in circumstances. Playing squirrels, faced with obstacles such as falling branches or other squirrels, nimbly alter their tactics and routes."

Could we learn more about our place in the macrocosm by watching the animals play? By learning to play ourselves?

To me its seems contrived.
1 Evolution has no goal in mind survival of the fittest
Play has no goal in mind but from a human perspective it does the goal is to entertain, No one can know what animals are thinking so how can it be stated play has no goal

2 Natural selection is open ended
Play is open ended but again not from a human perspective most play is timed and has an end goal. Even human children are given time limits again I can't know if animals have open ended play.

3 Natural selection is wasteful play is also profligate
This is not true, play can support physical enhancement, will teach new things (or break ruts), if with others will build friendships. Anyone that has friendly pets understands that play enhances their relationships.

I would have to not agree. I think play is extremely important all animals, but it supports life and is not what life is about.

 

[The Hammer]

To me its seems contrived.
1 Evolution has no goal in mind survival of the fittest
Play has no goal in mind but from a human perspective it does the goal is to entertain, No one can know what animals are thinking so how can it be stated play has no goal

Entertainment is an open ended non-directed goal.

2 Natural selection is open ended
Play is open ended but again not from a human perspective most play is timed and has an end goal. Even human children are given time limits again I can't know if animals have open ended play.

We see they have play almost identical to ours and it is open ended. Go to any dog park and just observe. And I see play as open ended as a human.

3 Natural selection is wasteful play is also profligate
This is not true, play can support physical enhancement, will teach new things (or break ruts), if with others will build friendships. Anyone that has friendly pets understands that play enhances their relationships.

This I won't argue with. But it is ultimately wasteful.

I would have to not agree. I think play is extremely important all animals, but it supports life and is not what life is about.

We'll have to agree to disagree here

Edited

Also this is all imo as this isn't my debate thread on the topic.

What is the Nature of Life (Debate)

What exactly is Life about? https://theconversation.com/at-its-core-life-is-all-about-play-just-look-at-the-animal-kingdom-228078 Play! Life is all about play. All species do it, of all ages. And even natural selection could be seen as analogous to play. "In contrast to foraging and hunting...

www.religiousforums.com

 

[osgart]

The nature of life is to say, ' What's up? '. Some might have a different view and say ' wazzup? '.

Personally I like to think of it as. ' don't die and see what we can make of it '.

 

[Jimmy]

Life is meant to be lived and it only happens once imo. Although I do believe we will come back here it will still, again, only be once.

 

[The Hammer]

Life is meant to be lived and it only happens once imo. Although I do believe we will come back here it will still, again, only be once.

Then we may as well play and have fun.

 

[sun rise]

In a playful mood, I wrote something about how we can play with God

Divine Playmate

Dancing barefoot in the dew
with open heart nets
we chase after God
who flits here and there
teasing us.

Laughing, twirling
we try to catch Him
as He winks at us
and hides behind trees.

We race to the trees
and find him behind us
tapping us on the shoulders
flashing a big grin.

We try to surround Him
and find to our surprise
He's raining sunlight upon us
from above.

We sit and sigh and pine
and He dances over and
asks us to join a
heavenly waltz.

We ask Him to stay
and He says
"Catch Me if you can"
and races off again.

This game is so much fun
that we play it for ages
until He catches us
when least expected.

Who can ask for
a better game than this
and a better playmate
than our Divine Friend.

Come! Join us.
All can play this game.
He loves it when we try
as one
to catch Him in our heart nets.

 

[Valjean]

It's about metabolism and reproduction, features common to all live things.

 

[JustGeorge]

It's about metabolism and reproduction, features common to all live things.

Well, I don't know...

I know folks that struggle with either or both.

 

[Valjean]

Well, I don't know...

I know folks that struggle with either or both.

They struggle with biochemistry?

 

[JustGeorge]

They struggle with biochemistry?

Pooping or reproducing.

 

[Twilight Hue]

What exactly is Life about?

At its core, life is all about play − just look at the animal kingdom

Reduced to its essence, the process of natural selection would look a lot like play.

theconversation.com

Play! Life is all about play. All species do it, of all ages. And even natural selection could be seen as analogous to play.

"In contrast to foraging and hunting – behaviors with clearly defined goals – play is likewise undirected. When a pony frolics in a field, a dog wrestles with a stick or chimpanzees chase each other, they act with no goal in mind.

Natural selection is utterly provisional: The evolution of any organism responds to whatever conditions are present at a given place and time. Likewise, animals at play are acting provisionally. They constantly adjust their movements in response to changes in circumstances. Playing squirrels, faced with obstacles such as falling branches or other squirrels, nimbly alter their tactics and routes."

Could we learn more about our place in the macrocosm by watching the animals play? By learning to play ourselves?

If we regard ourselves as being the land itself rather than as individuals , it's a much easier question to address.

 

[Bear Wild]

It's about metabolism and reproduction, features common to all live things.

I disagree. It is all about interacting with the environment which is a creative process and with increasing complexity favors both curiosity and play. And play is not just about a sandbox which my cat only sees as a metabolic tool, it is a very creative process and product of evolution.

Of course You could use the Alan Watts view from the 1960s that life is the universe or god if you like about becoming aware of the of what the the universe is. Kind of a evolutionary awakening so to speak I loved reading the works of Alan Watts when is was in high school and college. .

 

[wellwisher]

What exactly is Life about?

At its core, life is all about play − just look at the animal kingdom

Reduced to its essence, the process of natural selection would look a lot like play.

theconversation.com

Play! Life is all about play. All species do it, of all ages. And even natural selection could be seen as analogous to play.

"In contrast to foraging and hunting – behaviors with clearly defined goals – play is likewise undirected. When a pony frolics in a field, a dog wrestles with a stick or chimpanzees chase each other, they act with no goal in mind.

Natural selection is utterly provisional: The evolution of any organism responds to whatever conditions are present at a given place and time. Likewise, animals at play are acting provisionally. They constantly adjust their movements in response to changes in circumstances. Playing squirrels, faced with obstacles such as falling branches or other squirrels, nimbly alter their tactics and routes."

Could we learn more about our place in the macrocosm by watching the animals play? By learning to play ourselves?

What makes life possible is water. DNA is important because it provides mRNA templates that are used to make raw protein. These raw protein are not bioactive until they are folded and pack by the water; water and oil effect. Life occurs at the secondary bonding level of the organic materials within water. Due to the shear numbers of water molecules, and their continuous 3-D hydrogen bonding matrix, water is the dominate secondary bonding force in life. All the organics have to obey the water, which gives everything the proper shapes and positions, so the cell can work as an integrated whole. If you add any other solvents all things will pack differently or not at all, and no life can appear.

Hydrogen bonding is not only important to water, but Is also part of all the main organic elements, since they evolved within water; abiogenesis. The hydrogen bonding of water, is also connected to movement of information at the nanoscale. The hydrogen bond is mostly polar with some partial covalent character. If is like a tiny binary switch, that can move, information with muscle, around the cell. Besides preparing all the active biomaterials shapes and places it can move information so it can adapt to changes; equilibrium response.

The second aspect of life is the 2nd law. The entropy of the universe has to increase. This is the drive to higher complexity, such as in play and adapting to new situations. Unlike energy which is conserved, entropy must increase so even evolution much go forward. Because of the water and oil effect, which segregate the water and oil, the entropy of the biomaterials tends to lower, An unpacked protein wiggling about can express more entropy that one that is packed and unable to stretch out. Water creates a system wide lowering of organic entropy; entropic potential. The is an added potential beyond just the 2nd law for change; enzymatic.

The brain uses the same principles of water and entropy. Neurons expend over 90% of their metabolic energy pumping and exchanging sodium and potassium cations. All the energy is lower cationic entropy. This add entropic potential. When neurons fire ca†ionic entropy increases. Our sensory systems are wired into the brain to fire neurons. Therefore by using the five senses we satisfy the 2nd law. Play is rapid use of our sensory systems and muscles, all of which feed the 2nd law to overcome the deficit created by water.

The brain is like a fountain of increasing entropy that flows to the core of the brain where it is distributed. All that touches this stream of increasing entropy gets more complex, with the excess, the basis of what we call consciousness and learning potential.