2007-10-19 10:23:01 · 4 answers · asked by lisa 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
An interesting question. I take "organism" to mean something "alive". All the external aspects of an organism, including locomotion, acquisition of chemical fuels, generation of waste products, reproduction, behavior suggesting purpose, etc. could be produced by a sophisticated machine. (Think of the Turing test.) You need a clear definition of an organism, and I think you'd have to resort to dissection, analysis of its metabolism, search for organic subsystems and complex organic chemistry.
For a broader view, Freeman Dyson, a physicist and science writer, discusses some extreme definitions of life in the ref.
2007-10-19 11:17:26 · answer #1 · answered by kirchwey 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Whenever I land on a plant, I check to see if it's green. The I listen carefully. If I hear music, it's an ORGANism.
2007-10-19 17:30:55 · answer #2 · answered by Steve 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Watch if it has sex with another moving object
2007-10-19 18:23:49 · answer #3 · answered by Alexander 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
poke it with a stick
2007-10-19 17:30:11 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋