What is life?

All of us can accept the challenge and try our own take on this topic: Is life a biological, or philosophical, theological or paleoarcheological, social scientific or psychological issue, or all of it, and many others? Are the best representations of life presented by artists, are the best explanations by biosemioticians? Is life a process of dying slowly, or a prelude to something else?

The conference theme is What Is Life? Under this title we will explore numerous approaches to the unfathomable depth and mystery - and research object without limits -, called life. President Antje Jackelén gave a start to our reflections: “This “simple” question can be approached from a number of exciting and cutting-edge perspectives. Just imagine the fact that there is no universally agreed-upon definition of what life really is, and yet … So biology will open the floor. What does the study of macroscopic systems add to the perspectives of molecular biology? Where are we on the issue of life in the universe? What is there to be said about artificial life, synthetic life or technological enhancement of existing life? What does philosophy tell us about good life (lives)? Life and sacredness – or what else does theology add to what we can know about life in 2012?These are some of the issues we aim to pursue.”