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Re:Taking the Gaia Hypothesis Seriously by ikurei on Wednesday March 08, 2017 @06:06AM (#13819475)
> "Exhibiting homeostasis of some sort" is not a very high bar for evidence of life, otherwise every corporation is biologically alive

But that doesn't disqualify homeostasis as evidence of life, as corporations don't emerge except when living creatures create them.

Anyway, as I understood it, homeostasis is by definition a quality of living beings. Many things have a tendency towards an equilibrium, and of course that doesn't have to have anything to do with life.

Am I misunderstanding the claim?

Re:Taking the Gaia Hypothesis Seriously by dokein on Wednesday March 08, 2017 @06:22AM (#13819536)
A cough may be evidence for a tuberculosis infection, but it would be foolish to take anyone who is coughing and say "hey! we should test for TB". Homeostasis is a necessary but far from sufficient test for biological life.
Re:Taking the Gaia Hypothesis Seriously by smsm42 on Wednesday March 08, 2017 @04:07PM (#13823794)
> as corporations don't emerge except when living creatures create them.

Isn't that the case with other living creatures too? I mean I'm pretty sure every human living today emerged because living creatures (usually their father and mother) created them.

Re:Taking the Gaia Hypothesis Seriously by colorint on Wednesday March 08, 2017 @11:13AM (#13821198)
>Anyway, as I understood it, homeostasis is by definition a quality of living beings.

If I used the incredibly similar word "metastability," would you feel the same way?