>>>Science cannot answer the questions, "What is life?

Science has a very specific definition of what life is. Are you unhappy with this "answer" to the extent that you think it's invalid? How so?

>>>What attributes and abilities in biocreatures or electro-mechanical creatures would be required for self-consciousness [self-awareness] to exist?

We are working on this issue from two different angles: 1) biologists and psychologists are studying how the brain/mind actually works, 2) computer scientists are studying how best to make a machine that functions like a human's mind/brain. Why do you assert that their efforts must fail?

>>>When can a machine be considered genuinely "intelligent"?

Well, Turing tests are a good place to start. I expect this to be refined as we go along. We are a long way from needing this, though, since we don't have any machine close to "intellegent" enough to waste the tests on. Give them time. Again, why don't you think science is capable of answering this question?

>>>Since IBM is intent on building a mchine to 'mimic' and possibly surpass the human brain in core functions,
Will that machine, if it is ever built, be considered "intelligent"?
Will that machine have "self awareness"? [Descarte's dictum: "I think, therefore I am."]...Perhaps I'm beating around the bush:
Will that machine be considered ALIVE? A living thing?

A few comments:

1) Building a machine that has processing power similar to a human brain is possible with today's technology. You just have to string enough parallel processers together. Processing power does not equal sentience. You have to have the right software.

I expect that to mimic the human brain you will have to have some large multiple of the processing power of the brain. This is because our "brain" software will be nowhere as efficient as the bio-programming we carry around above our shoulders.

2) I don't think anyone is really trying to build a brain right now. What you see in the newspapers are "baby steps". A real brain mimic is many decades in the future. Right now we are mainly trying to build bigger computers to run ever more sophisticated models on. I wouldn't worry about this yet.

3) I think we will develop sentient computers, some day. Frankly, I don't see the harm. In the process, we will learn so much!