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According to the German philosopher Martin Heidegger,death has two defining characteristics. "]\sw"zO?
First, it can't be outsourced - nobody can die your death for you. The second raises more )[&'\S OO
questions. Heidegger says death can happen at any point, so it's randon. But with advances in J jRz<T;
genetics, knowing the date of our decease is becoming a real possibility. And is that good? n qSjP5
Imagine going about your business with your expiry date stamped invisibly on the back of your #@s[!4)_I
hand. You'd probably be spooked by this constant reminder of your mortality. You'd find it `yYo Vu*
impossible to live. You'd pass your days in envy of those your age who are destined to live longer. n1+1/
Alternatively, you could treat the date-stamp as an end date from which to work back. It would @X@?jj&
make retirement planning and the gubbins of wills and probate smoother. It would allow you to JDcc`&`M
take an active part in organising your own funeral. You could even plan your diet: death tomorrow ru#,pJ=O(
means an awful lot of jam today. And your loved ones would have the benefit of a steady coming-to- {"T$j V:GB
terms with your passing away. NUBf>~_}
But Heidegger's point is, even if geneticists, extrapolating from your current condition(s), gave qdkhfm2(K
you a reliable date of death, they'd fail to account for chance. Just as teenagers can crash their P;_}n bB
cars, so pensioners as dit as a fiddle can still fall down the stairs. So what's the lesson? Imagine 7e[3Pu_/X
you're programmed to die tomorrow, and live today as if it were your last. \$GM4:R D
Robert Rowland Smith Z<L |WRe
