Yes but I suppose life by its simplest definition could also be described as an effect from a reaction, rather than a thing, making the living object (the thing) simply a vessel for the reaction. So I suppose the whole fire system would be "the thing" in this scenario.
That's gorgeous! looks a bit like some kind of flying insect.
boiling water is the only method I know of that doesn't leave any contaminants, though I never found a need to bake them.
I just plop my substrate in a bucket with boiling water in it, then give it a quick stir before spreading it thinly on a mat allowing the hot water to evaporate off, leaving the substrate dry.
If you flip it upside down, placing soil in the lid with the container resting on top, you can make a mini terrarium like setup for micro greens. Then you can drill wholes in the lid to allow for draining and place it on a saucer. (I have done this for a couple containers and it works)
Sorry for the late reply and thanks for the question,
The Australian 2024 national defence strategy says this: "Our Alliance with the US remains fundamental to Australia's national security. We will continue to deepen and expand our defence engagement with the US, including by pursuing greater scientific, technological and industrial cooperation, as well as enhancing our cooperation under force posture initiatives"
US has these military facilities in Australia (and more secret ones):
"Australian Defence Satellite Communications Station – located near Kojarena 30 km east of Geraldton, Western Australia. Other U.S. bases in Australia are present and this list does not include ADF bases with U.S. access. The U.S. military has access to many ADF training areas, northern Australian RAAF airfields, port facilities in Darwin, Fremantle, Stirling naval base in Perth, and the airfield on the Cocos Islands in the Indian Ocean." Wikipedia
US also has a Rotational U.S. Army, Navy Presence where they bring their submarines and provide financial benefits to many military services they can use (RAAF bases and the assisting in manufacturing of missiles and other weapons). There are 2500 US marines on permanent rotation
According to US gov "The United States is Australia’s defense goods and services partner of choice" and "The U.S. has over $27 billion in active government-to-government sales cases with Australia" most of Australias military equipment comes from the US including their nuclear submarines
Also most aggregiously
"As documented by CIA whistleblower Christopher John Boyce and several authors, including John Pilger,[7][4][6] as well as some Australian politicians,[8] the CIA allegedly backed Governor-General and representative of Queen Elizabeth II in Australia, Kerr, to dismiss Whitlam, due to Whitlam's perceived left-wing policies[3] including Australian withdrawal from the Vietnam War, as well as his views on Australian sovereignty.[3] His conflict with the CIA is alleged[3] to have come to a head when he discovered several CIA-led operations occurring in Australia and overseas conducted by ASIO and ASIS, leading him to threaten cancellation of the lease on the Pine Gap facility, ending the US-led (nominally joint) operation, which was integral to the CIA's signals interception operations in the southern hemisphere"
"In a statement to parliament on 3 April 1974, Whitlam said: "The Australian government takes the attitude that there should not be foreign military bases, stations, installations in Australia."
He was then sacked and replaced by a more agreeing pm by the CIA Wikipedia
There are also numerous traid agreements that leads to Australia relying on US for a lot of its financial security (though it relies on China and Japan as well). And also many Australian companys are US owned/funded
This is all the research I have time to do but there are many, many more examples of American interference and control.
Edit: also America controls most of Australian media including News Corp Australia (owns most newspapers and News Corp is also the controlling shareholder of Foxtel and it owns Sky News in Australia. And much more)
also the American controlled ABC is the most visited site In Australia. And controls a lot of other media
What a cute little vacuum cleaner
I mean if you chose a bamboo variety that loves it outside but hates it inside then it will be a big challenge to keep them alive inside (most bamboos you see growing outside won't like it inside)
My Earina Autumnalis orchid flowered 
I have also got lots of other plants Im proud of, but I'm away from home so this is the only photo I've got.
Your terrarium is looking beautiful! I'm planning on making a large cooled terrarium for alpine plants sometime. All my current tereriums are small so it will be quite a challenge.
Wdym Australia last, they are practically controlled by the US already
Very difficult to know with it being so small and not in flower, as it may grow bigger. However as the leaves are so thin and silvery I'm leaning towards the genus Tillisandia (Air plants). Unfortunately Tillisandia is generally identified by its flowers (influorecence)
"[tillisandia] is distinguished from other genera by inflorescence with one or more spikes with distichous arrangement (distichous flower arrangement), or rarely reduced to a spike with polystichous arrangement, or even isolated flowers" source
And to identify its species is also almost always done by flowers, though I find if you are familiar with a plant you often can identify them based on other features. It doesn't look like any of the tillasandia I know so that's not much good.
Tillisandia is the largest bromeliad genus and I really don't know more sorry.
I can tell you it's not an orchid like the bot thought tho :). (though you already knew that)
Ideally yes, but in the real world this would be infeasible. Things can't be tailored to one person specifically. there are so many countless factors that could lead to a headstart and it would be impossible to account for all of them.
Instead we find the ones that are the biggest factors and focus on them. Race is a big factor. But race is not the only big factor, and ideally all the biggest factors should be accounted for.
MRS GREEN would still exclude viruses as being alive. As viruses can neither respirate nor reproduce without a host cell and they can also not grow.
I'm weird and think a virus in a system of virus + host cell, is a part of the living cell, even if its a detrimental self-serving part.