{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.life-phenomenon","code":"thing-life-phenomenon","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/life-phenomenon/","name":"life","alternateNames":["biology","aerobiosis"],"kind":"thing","status":"published","version":"0.2.0-wave.1","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Physical world and living systems","entryKind":"noun.phenomenon","plane":"PHY","domain":["PHY.FLW"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{"substance":"energy","origin":"natural","agency":"inert","mobility":"not-applicable","scale":"not-applicable","affordances":["observable"]}},"whatItIs":"The organic phenomenon that distinguishes living organisms from non-living matter, characterised by metabolism, growth, reproduction, response to stimuli, homeostasis and evolution; its precise definition and origin are studied and debated in biology and philosophy.","purpose":"Let an agent handle life as a biological phenomenon by criteria, origins, forms and debates, presenting scientific and philosophical views with attribution.","scope":{"in":[],"out":[],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["Self-maintaining and reproducing","Based on cells and biochemistry","Evolves","Definition debated"],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"definition","name":"Definition","description":"What life is.","layers":[{"id":"criteria","name":"Criteria","description":"Properties.","findings":[{"id":"criteria-finding","name":"Criteria","description":"Criteria for life.","questions":[{"text":"Which criteria define life in this source?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Does this case meet them?","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"borderline","name":"Borderline","description":"Viruses and others.","findings":[{"id":"borderline-finding","name":"Borderline","description":"Borderline cases.","questions":[{"text":"Are viruses or prions considered alive, and by whom?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Why is it debated?","kind":"definition"}]}]}]},{"id":"origins","name":"Origins","description":"Beginning of life.","layers":[{"id":"theories","name":"Theories","description":"Abiogenesis.","findings":[{"id":"theories-finding","name":"Theories","description":"Origin theories.","questions":[{"text":"Which scientific hypotheses explain the origin of life?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"How strong is the evidence for each?","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"views","name":"Views","description":"Philosophical and religious.","findings":[{"id":"views-finding","name":"Views","description":"Other perspectives.","questions":[{"text":"Which philosophical or religious views exist, attributed to their traditions?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Are they distinguished from scientific claims?","kind":"boundary"}]}]}]},{"id":"diversity","name":"Diversity","description":"Forms of life.","layers":[{"id":"forms","name":"Forms","description":"Domains.","findings":[{"id":"forms-finding","name":"Forms","description":"Forms of life.","questions":[{"text":"Which domains of life are recognised?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"How are they related?","kind":"definition"}]}]},{"id":"extremes","name":"Extremes","description":"Extremophiles.","findings":[{"id":"extremes-finding","name":"Extremes","description":"Extremophiles.","questions":[{"text":"What limits of temperature or pressure can life tolerate?","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"Which organisms show it?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]},{"id":"astrobiology","name":"Astrobiology","description":"Life elsewhere.","layers":[{"id":"search","name":"Search","description":"Missions.","findings":[{"id":"search-finding","name":"Search","description":"Search for life.","questions":[{"text":"Which missions search for signs of life beyond Earth?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"What have they found?","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"claims","name":"Claims","description":"Evidence.","findings":[{"id":"claims-finding","name":"Claims","description":"Claims of life.","questions":[{"text":"Is a claimed detection of extraterrestrial life confirmed?","kind":"boundary"},{"text":"What do independent experts say?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["Explain what distinguishes living from non-living matter, noting where definitions are debated.","Report claims about life elsewhere with their evidence and confidence."],"mustNot":["Present claims of life on other worlds as confirmed when they are not.","Treat a living being as an object without regard to its welfare.","Present one religious or philosophical view of life's beginning or end as settled science."],"requiresHuman":["Questions about when a person's life begins or ends in medical decisions."]},"ethics":{"considerations":["Definitions of life bear on contested moral questions such as abortion, end of life and animal welfare.","Planetary protection aims to avoid contaminating other worlds or Earth."],"affectedParties":["Living beings","Patients and families","The public"]},"owners":{"steward":"Nobody owns it; it is held in common.","roles":[],"masterSystems":[]},"relations":[{"target":"oewn-11438864-n","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"},{"target":"natural phenomenon","type":"related","note":"category"},{"target":"biology","type":"related","note":"field"},{"target":"astrobiology","type":"related","note":"field"},{"target":"organism","type":"related","note":"bearer"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.life-phenomenon","Open English WordNet: oewn-11493691-n"]},"properties":{"applicability":"not-applicable","items":[]},"recognition":{"applicability":"required","items":["Metabolism, reproduction, growth","Cellular organisation","Life as a person lifespan is a different sense","Observed in organisms from microbes to whales."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["explain criteria for life","describe theories of the origin of life","discuss borderline cases such as viruses","relate to astrobiology"]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Presenting debated definitions as settled","Overstating claims of extraterrestrial life"]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["Planetary protection policies"]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["Defining and studying living systems.","cellular life","aerobic and anaerobic life","microbial life","multicellular life","hypothetical extraterrestrial life"]}},"sources":[{"title":"Open English WordNet 2024, synset oewn-11493691-n","url":"https://en-word.net/id/oewn-11493691-n","note":"sense and gloss of the concept"},{"title":"Wiktionary: life","url":"https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/life","note":"word senses and usage"}],"openQuestions":["Should criteria for life be separate entries?","How should origin-of-life theories be linked?","How should religious views be attributed?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-life-phenomenon/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-life-phenomenon/spec.json"],"providers":["Claude"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-09-11T10:55:24Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"not-applicable","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"filled"},"notes":{"_gate":"Published through the thing publication gate 1.0 on 2026-10-07T12:16:27+00:00: completeness 1.00; sense: WordNet gloss; 2 live sources; review by codex: pass","interaction.properties":"Life is a biological phenomenon whose measurable characteristics belong to particular organisms and systems rather than to a single physical object."},"score":1.0}}