Is the earth itself alive?

A few friends and myself had a huge debate about this yesterday. Is the planet earth itself a living organism, or is it just a lifeless rock with a molten core which has the ability to host life? I already know what my opinion is, what is yours and why do you feel that way?

Well obviously. Everything is composed of electrons and atoms and is always in a state of motion.

But does it have a soul??

That's the real question guys.

First of all - this is a planet:



...and this is a rock:



(not necessarily lifeless - cause there's all kinds of rock-forming microbes).

As for being alive - among the many ways in which this term is defined - we also have this notion: still in existence, force, or operation. A definition that fits most known planets. Though, hey - since you were specific, as in... "a living organism". Then Earth/Terra - fits that description as well. And that's what makes Earth/Terra - somehow unique (as far as we know). It breaths life. It's habitable (for organic species such as ourselves). That's what the search for Earth-like planets is all about. And also... terraformation (humans trying to emulate an Earth-like habitat - elsewhere - like Mars).

And yeah yeah - humans are also quite fond of personifications. In same way they personified all the other planets - they personified Earth as well - calling it Gaia. Mother earth. And, ofc... there is a lot of truth in that... I mean, based on the way things work - we can definitively call Earth our mother and the Sun our father.

Posted by Sag898

Well obviously. Everything is composed of electrons and atoms and is always in a state of motion.

But does it have a soul??

That's the real question guys.

Yes, Doh. 🙄 That's the guy who made this topic. 👻

No

It is not an organism

Posted by exsqueezeme

Posted by enfant_terrible

No

It is not an organism

Yes it is. A superorganism

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It does not meet most of the requirements to be considered alive

Posted by exsqueezeme

Posted by enfant_terrible

Posted by exsqueezeme

Posted by enfant_terrible

No

It is not an organism

Yes it is. A superorganism

It does not meet most of the requirements to be considered alive

Outline these exact requirements please

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For one in order for it to be considered an organism it must be capable of reproduction. And no vague new age definition of reproduction but ACTUAL reproduction.

That's sort of where the discussion ends before it even begins.

Posted by neves

Posted by Sag898

Well obviously. Everything is composed of electrons and atoms and is always in a state of motion.

But does it have a soul??

That's the real question guys.

Yes, Doh. 🙄 That's the guy who made this topic. 👻

click to expand

Ha, good one

Posted by exsqueezeme

Posted by Soul

A few friends and myself had a huge debate about this yesterday. Is the planet earth itself a living organism, or is it just a lifeless rock with a molten core which has the ability to host life? I already know what my opinion is, what is yours and why do you feel that way?

Tell us your opinion

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My opinion is the earth is alive. My Sagittarius friend agreed with me. My Libra friend feels it isn't alive, but had a good debate which lead to the idea of what someone considered alive in the first place.

I feel its alive. If it wasn't alive it would look like the moon, or mars. Just a lifeless corpse of what could have been.

So basically our debate lead to life meaning it has the ability to reproduce. The earth can't just mate with venus and create a planet. But he screwed his debate by asking if one could consider robots alive. Well if that robot was advanced enough to create more of itself, then its in fact alive. It knows, therefore has animated itself into reality. Just like all life.

This gets really complex, but think of a tree. The tree creates a seed, which the wind or animals carry away to far away places to continue its genetic footprint somewhere else. The earth creates life, creates humans. Which have the ability to carry the earths genetic footprint as a whole. So is that not reproducing itself?

If my body created a bacteria, would it know that I'm real? If that bacteria then crawled of off me over thousands of generations, and started a new bacteria based off my genetic makeup, would that prove it was all because of the bacterias being alive and not because of me?

Posted by Koni

Well if you think about it, plants grow out of the ground and live, so it must be alive

No

The plants are alive

Posted by TheRabbit

JFC

Our education system really HAS failed us.

I agree 100%

Kids don't get the opportunity to think outside the box anymore.

If more people actually had deep scientific or ideas of philosophy the world would be a more i intelligent place.

Nowadays teachers are forced to make kids stay inside a box. To never imagine anything outside the specific curriculum, which more times then not is either wrong or useless.

So glad you aren't aftaid to admit it, and agree with me. I knew we had a ton in common rabbit. I feel we are like the same person sometimes lol.

😊

Posted by enfant_terrible

Posted by Koni

Well if you think about it, plants grow out of the ground and live, so it must be alive

No

The plants are alive

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And life = life.

Posted by Black-Mamba

I think you and your friends are idiots and obviously uneducated

Does it make up of atoms

There's your answer

What makes you think that though?

If you really thought that you would have just said nothing.

All you said was "Does it make up of atoms"

Thats not really an answer to anything though. A rock is made up of atoms, along with all matter. That has nothing to do with it being alive or not though.

I basically wanted to see what people consider alive.

How do you define a living organism?

Posted by Sagicorn

According to your hypothesis you would be that lifeless rock without bacteria. Yet you're not, you're an organism and so are they. So if Earth has "parasites" it means it's alive? But other planets who don't have them are dead corpses? Aren't you forgeting then that there are organisms that feed on dead corpses too? But corpses are still dead, having living organisms on them doesn't make those corpses alive. And so it doesn't make Earth alive either. It's a planet like any other. It's not alive and it's not dead either cause it isn't an organism. Now you can proceed with what you consider alive but that isn't the same meaning then, it's a whole another story and pretty much an individual impression.

Read the second part.

Also keep in mind we never prove any life on any other planet except earth at this point, so nothing is feeding off of anything outside pf earth. No alien bacteria has been found on mars yet. Its assumed to be there.

Posted by Sagicorn

According to your hypothesis you would be that lifeless rock without bacteria. Yet you're not, you're an organism and so are they. So if Earth has "parasites" it means it's alive? But other planets who don't have them are dead corpses? Aren't you forgeting then that there are organisms that feed on dead corpses too? But corpses are still dead, having living organisms on them doesn't make those corpses alive. And so it doesn't make Earth alive either. It's a planet like any other. It's not alive and it's not dead either cause it isn't an organism. Now you can proceed with what you consider alive but that isn't the same meaning then, it's a whole another story and pretty much an individual impression.

What you could have used to counter my post however would be the fact mars has a somewhat active molten core like earth. Though its cooling off, its still molten.

Posted by Sagicorn

Posted by Soul

Posted by Sagicorn

According to your hypothesis you would be that lifeless rock without bacteria. Yet you're not, you're an organism and so are they. So if Earth has "parasites" it means it's alive? But other planets who don't have them are dead corpses? Aren't you forgeting then that there are organisms that feed on dead corpses too? But corpses are still dead, having living organisms on them doesn't make those corpses alive. And so it doesn't make Earth alive either. It's a planet like any other. It's not alive and it's not dead either cause it isn't an organism. Now you can proceed with what you consider alive but that isn't the same meaning then, it's a whole another story and pretty much an individual impression.

Read the second part.

Also keep in mind we never prove any life on any other planet except earth at this point, so nothing is feeding off of anything outside pf earth. No alien bacteria has been found on mars yet. Its assumed to be there.

Well lets say other planets are irrelevant in this discussion. Can you really consider dead body alive just because worms live on it still or bacteria, whatever...it has no life functions anymore but it does give life to those organisms causecthey feed on it...So is it still alive then? Or is it as dead as it can be? You can appy same thing to Earth. It doesn't reproduce or feed or breathe but it feeds other organisms that live on it. Well evrn the feeding part is debatable cause again you can narrow it down to simplest of organisms and something feeds on something but nothing exactly eats the planet, everything eats other organisms or particles that again Earth didn't create or reproduce in any form by itself. So it does nothing but provide habitat that isn't a living organism

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No, dead is dead.

The earth does feed, and reproduce though. Breathe air? Thats kind of up in the air, but without it the earth wouldn't be alive.

If my body created a bacteria, would it know that I'm real? If that bacteria then crawled of off me over thousands of generations, and started a new bacteria based off my genetic makeup, would that prove it was all because of the bacterias being alive and not because of me?

That was my main point. We see the earth the exact same way bacteria would see us. When something is so tiny it cant even see the giant things happening around it anymore. It's all theory, and wont pretended like it isn't. But there is much more evidence that proves it as alive and kicking. Maybe not as a living creature, but as alive. To say its not alive is reaching hard to think you know everything as a human lol. Which is common with egotistical humans. Many tend to think they are as big as it gets, and nothing more is in the story.

you do not want the earth to be alive.

Because if it's alive

what will happen when it dies?.......

and if it's alive

what does it eat——..........................

Posted by Sagicorn

everything eats other organisms or particles that again Earth didn't create or reproduce in any form by itself. So it does nothing but provide habitat that isn't a living organism

Exactly & thank you.

We can close this thread now so I don't have to read more posts by flowerpower children the education system has failed. I feel stupider by the letter

Posted by enfant_terrible

Posted by Sagicorn

everything eats other organisms or particles that again Earth didn't create or reproduce in any form by itself. So it does nothing but provide habitat that isn't a living organism

Exactly & thank you.

We can close this thread now so I don't have to read more posts by flowerpower children the education system has failed. I feel stupider by the letter

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You shouldn't. If anything you should be more open. Willing to admit you don't know as much as you think you do.

On the grand scale of things you know as much about the earth as a fly knows about a small town.

And actually the thread is far from over. You feel the earth isn't alive, but can't even describe what being alive is in the first place.

Thats where the flaw in what you think you know is.

Posted by hydorah

you do not want the earth to be alive.

Because if it's alive

what will happen when it dies?.......

and if it's alive

what does it eat——..........................

Lol creepy.

But on a scientific level it eats anything thats absorbed into the soil. Like any of the flora and fauna within in. Then the biodegradation makes more life sustainable for both plants an animals. Similar to how a plant can convert carbon dioxide into oxygen.

Most people are so used to the idea of being alive only exclusive to things like vertebrates and plants.

Its so hard for something so small to ever imagine that something so large could possibly be alive. Its quite fascinating to see in people.

Posted by Soul

Posted by enfant_terrible

Posted by Sagicorn

everything eats other organisms or particles that again Earth didn't create or reproduce in any form by itself. So it does nothing but provide habitat that isn't a living organism

Exactly & thank you.

We can close this thread now so I don't have to read more posts by flowerpower children the education system has failed. I feel stupider by the letter

You shouldn't. If anything you should be more open. Willing to admit you don't know as much as you think you do.

On the grand scale of things you know as much about the earth as a fly knows about a small town.

And actually the thread is far from over. You feel the earth isn't alive, but can't even describe what being alive is in the first place.

Thats where the flaw in what you think you know is.

click to expand

- Cellular organization

- Reproduction

- Metabolism

- Homeostasis

- Heredity

- Response to stimuli

- Growth and development

- Adaptation through evolution

There. Any idiot can google it. Please amuse me with your knowledge - oh right you don't actually know shit, you're just more "openminded" than I am which might aswell translate to idiot -- but please do explain how the Earth qualifies as a living organism by the requirements posted above.

Bottom line When y'all talk about the Earth being alive you're really talking about a system that maintains conditions for life... which is a whole seperate thing.

An ecosystem is not a living thing.

Posted by enfant_terrible

Posted by Soul

Posted by enfant_terrible

Posted by Sagicorn

everything eats other organisms or particles that again Earth didn't create or reproduce in any form by itself. So it does nothing but provide habitat that isn't a living organism

Exactly & thank you.

We can close this thread now so I don't have to read more posts by flowerpower children the education system has failed. I feel stupider by the letter

You shouldn't. If anything you should be more open. Willing to admit you don't know as much as you think you do.

On the grand scale of things you know as much about the earth as a fly knows about a small town.

And actually the thread is far from over. You feel the earth isn't alive, but can't even describe what being alive is in the first place.

Thats where the flaw in what you think you know is.

- Cellular organization

- Reproduction

- Metabolism

- Homeostasis

- Heredity

- Response to stimuli

- Growth and development

- Adaptation through evolution

There. Any idiot can google it. Please amuse me with your knowledge - oh right you don't actually know shit, you're just more "openminded" than I am which might aswell translate to idiot -- but please do explain how the Earth qualifies as a living organism by the requirements posted above.

Bottom line When y'all talk about the Earth being alive you're really talking about a system that maintains conditions for life... which is a whole seperate thing.

An ecosystem is not a living thing.

click to expand

I don't want to argue, but the idea of you Google searching the definition of life to call me an idiot is quite humorous. But since you really want an explanation, I'll do it for you. Who knows, you might actually learn something for yourself for once rather then depending on Google to do it for you.



-Cellular organization

This one is easy. The way a cell functions is almost identical to the way the earth functions. Its also identical to the way our galexy functions, and perhaps the entire universe functions. You could pretty much call the earth a cell itself.

- Reproduction

The earth reproduces by creating life that can carry on its genetic footprint. For example, humans. We are a pice of the earth, just as its a piece of our sun. To reproduce you need life. Life + life = life. To say the earth isn't living would be saying it doesn't have the ability to harbor life. The fact it can sustain life inside of it means it can create more life as a result. Thus, reproducing.

- Metabolism

Everything the earth absorbs into its soil gives it energy in order to sustain life. Exactly like every plant and animal within it. It feeds or biodegrades material the exact same way we digest it.

- Homeostasis

The more humans destroy the earth, the worst weather gets. Its scientific fact humans are changing the earth. I have no need to debate this topic, because majority find it false thought its been proven time after time. The earth has health, can be sick, and regenerate itself.

- Heredity

Everything in the universe has heredity. Every aspect from the earth comes from our sun, solar system, galaxy, and universe. Humans will eventually have the ability to pass on the genetic footprint we gained from the earth to other places as well.

- Response to stimuli

If the earth was placed anywhere else in the solar system, it would lose it life properties. Its developed a perfect amount of ozone to block out solar winds, and some radiation from the sun, which it would have no need to do of it didn't feel any type of stimuli from its surroundings.

- Growth and development

Every aspect of the earth is growing and developing. I really dont have to describe it because ots obvious.

- Adaptation through evolution

The earth has been adapting though its entire evolution. Creating major weather and storms to wash the parts of it doing the most damage, and changing itself with time. Thats why every single creature has the ability to evolve as the earth evolves.

Didn't need google for all that though. Its just common knowledge.

Opinions are nice and all but when you and your friends are interested in facts let us know.

Lol that was a joke. Trump supporters don’t like facts we already know 😏

Posted by LadyNeptune

Opinions are nice and all but when you and your friends are interested in facts let us know.

Lol that was a joke. Trump supporters don’t like facts we already know 😏

I didn't see you post any facts. I didn't vote for trump either, but glad to see the problems you have with facts are paying off lol!

You're like the most opinionated person I know. So much you would change the definition of a word to conform to it.

Posted by Soul

Posted by LadyNeptune

Opinions are nice and all but when you and your friends are interested in facts let us know.

Lol that was a joke. Trump supporters don’t like facts we already know 😏

I didn't see you post any facts. I didn't vote for trump either, but glad to see the problems you have with facts are paying off lol!

You're like the most opinionated person I know. So much you would change the definition of a word to conform to it.

click to expand

Sure thing! Tell us moar about science trump lover

Posted by LadyNeptune

Posted by Soul

Posted by LadyNeptune

Opinions are nice and all but when you and your friends are interested in facts let us know.

Lol that was a joke. Trump supporters don’t like facts we already know 😏

I didn't see you post any facts. I didn't vote for trump either, but glad to see the problems you have with facts are paying off lol!

You're like the most opinionated person I know. So much you would change the definition of a word to conform to it.

Sure thing! Tell us moar about science trump lover

click to expand

In today's era, the best worker bees are much less likely to work for a malfunctioning hive and queen with no facts.