Short essay - Pick one of the following three questions to answer, being sure to indicate which you are writing about. One page or less, written legibly in the space provided or typed and attached.
A. Assume that life arose independently on some planet elsewhere in the uinverse. Write a brief essay in which you consider the likelihood that it would be similar or identical to life on earth, and discuss the reasons for your conclusions.
B. "Autonomy" was one of a list of fundamental characteristics of living organisms discussed in class, but doesn't appear on a similar list in the textbook. Write a brief essay specifying what is meant by this characteristic and discussing why it ought or ought not to be included in such a list.
C. Briefly describe what is meant by "life", in the context of discussing what aspects of life currently seem to you most understandable in terms of atoms and molecules, what aspects seem least understandable, and why.