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According to the German philosopher Martin Heidegger,death has two defining characteristics. Pg\ !\5
First, it can't be outsourced - nobody can die your death for you. The second raises more S<nf"oy_K
questions. Heidegger says death can happen at any point, so it's randon. But with advances in g;mX {p_@
genetics, knowing the date of our decease is becoming a real possibility. And is that good? ` 5lW
Imagine going about your business with your expiry date stamped invisibly on the back of your +pG[
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hand. You'd probably be spooked by this constant reminder of your mortality. You'd find it o<Y[GW1pg
impossible to live. You'd pass your days in envy of those your age who are destined to live longer. cf`g.9pjlx
Alternatively, you could treat the date-stamp as an end date from which to work back. It would & @rXt!
make retirement planning and the gubbins of wills and probate smoother. It would allow you to PPMAj@B}V
take an active part in organising your own funeral. You could even plan your diet: death tomorrow R+b~m!5 8
means an awful lot of jam today. And your loved ones would have the benefit of a steady coming-to- On*pI37(\
terms with your passing away. &8x
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But Heidegger's point is, even if geneticists, extrapolating from your current condition(s), gave 5R}K8"d
you a reliable date of death, they'd fail to account for chance. Just as teenagers can crash their Um2RLM%
cars, so pensioners as dit as a fiddle can still fall down the stairs. So what's the lesson? Imagine Tky P_*
you're programmed to die tomorrow, and live today as if it were your last. T;`2t;
Robert Rowland Smith v-ZTl4j$
