jbark said:
Well, at the risk of mincing words:
"A parasite is an organism that grows, feeds, and is sheltered on or in a different organism while contributing nothing to the survival of its host."
A) The earth does not live "on" or "in" the sun
B) The sun does not grow, feed or shelter the earth in the way that is meant in the definition; in fact, the sun's resources would be used up at exactly the same rate if the earth did not exist; we just happen to be in the path of a lot of energy it gives off into space.
Basking in the glow of the sun, to me, is not the same as an organism that lives off another and uses its resources and actually jeopardizes the survival of its host.
But back to paradoxes...
JBArk
Personally i consider being within the gravitational orbit of the sun to be essentially the same as living on or in it. Without that gravitational field, the earth absolutely would not be here. that gravitational field is our foundation, walls and ceiling to me.
I would also argue that the sun does feed the earth. It gives solar radiation and warmth, which feed the vast majority of producers on earth, and grows them. You put the sun's energy and chemical nutrients into different categories it seems, where i do not. I view them all as equally important to the photosynthetic organisms.
I also didn't see anything in that definition about changing the hosts output of resources. Basking in the warmth of the sun does not seem the same too you because you are not a plant. but if you were feeding from the light and warmth your basking in, it might be a different story.
Though you do have me on the organism in an organism part, since my thinking involves an ecosystem and a non living star. The main difference seems to be in our disagreement about what counts as shelter. which i am happy to agree to disagree on with you
.... yes the paradoxes await.