How can you tell if something is alive or was ever alive?

To determine if something is alive or was ever alive, you can look for key characteristics of life, such as growth, reproduction, response to stimuli, metabolism, and cellular organization. If the object exhibits signs of these traits, it may be considered alive. Additionally, fossil evidence or biological remnants, like DNA or organic material, can indicate that something was once living. Observing decay or decomposition can also suggest a previous life state.