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From: MIQ@PSUVMA.BITNET
Newsgroups: talk.origins,net.bio
Subject: Re: What's this LIFE stuff?
Message-ID: <7706MIQ@PSUVMA>
Date: Sat, 4-Oct-86 09:01:56 EDT
Article-I.D.: PSUVMA.7706MIQ
Posted: Sat Oct  4 09:01:56 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 11-Oct-86 02:33:41 EDT
References: <45500088@uiucdcs> <7670@tekecs.UUCP> 812@hdsvx1.UUCP
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Xref: watmath talk.origins:121 net.bio:665


In article <812@hdsvx1.UUCP>, hoffman@hdsvx1.UUCP (Richard Hoffman) says:

>[This is reminds me of a biology course I took once where someone asked
>the professor how you could tell whether something was a mammal.  The
>professor replied (essentially) "hair and milk."  I said "you mean like
>a coconut?"  The professor was not amused.]

     Which reminds me of the ancient school of philosophers who defined "man"
as "a featherless biped."  It worked great until someone plucked a chicken
threw it over the wall into their school.  They added the qualifier of having
broad nails shortly after this-- of course, no one had seen a chimpanzee yet.

     In any event, could we bring DNA into the definition?  Is it possible
(theoretically, anyway) for life to exist without it?

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