When Does Life Exist?

No, I'm not trying to increase hits on my blog by opening up the abortion = murder, pro life v pro choice debate (although it is murder if somebody else kills an unborn baby...so why wouldn't it be?) I'm more interested in understanding what will happen if I throw my computer off my roof onto the concrete below...

The question is: what are the conditions required for life? For example, free will. My computer displays significant capacity for free will - like for example yesterday it decided that it didn't like the changes I had made to my assignment over the period of an entire day, so it happily reverted to an earlier version. Is this evidence of life and therefore moral culpability that would justify an extreme reaction from me? Another example, not realising that the document had reverted I then proceeded to wipe out my back up completely unknowing - now is the computer culpable in this case? Standing by while something bad happens to someone - again a very human response and therefore indicative of life. I also think my computer lies to me - this is a very strong indicator of intelligence because it signals the presence of ego with a drive towards self-preservation/advancement. When it came time to locate the missing version the computer steadfastly refused to yield up its secrets. We both know its there but she refuses to tell me where...

All this to say I am seriously weighing the consequences of completing a physical search of my computer's innards in my quest for the document and the answers to life's deeper questions...

For those of you who like to know: 3200 words - I know its not much progress but ask my computer how many of those it stole...

Homocidal Kiwi