Are pine cones "alive"; will they grow?

pine cones are alive in the sense that they contain life=the seeds. yes the seeds will grow. place them in the sun until they dry out and open up. then look between the scales for the seeds=a papery wing with a seed. soak them and place in moist soil.

No. Pine cones are the pod that hold the seeds. If the pine cone is open and you do not see seeds inside the wind has blown them away. Did you ever see the little helicopter seeds flying in the wind. These came out of the pine cone.

If you pick a cone up from the ground, it is likely that the seeds contained in the scales of the cone have already been dispersed. If you look closely you can tell if all the seeds have gone.

Pine cones are kind of like flowers, they shrivel up and just die after you pick them. They only grow when they are attached to the pine tree. And no sorry, pine cones aren't what create the pine tree. They smell good though, so enjoy them while you can. =)