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According to the German philosopher Martin Heidegger,death has two defining characteristics. :X.b}^ Z(
First, it can't be outsourced - nobody can die your death for you. The second raises more "i U}]e0
questions. Heidegger says death can happen at any point, so it's randon. But with advances in MP_'D+LS
genetics, knowing the date of our decease is becoming a real possibility. And is that good? #>%X_o-o23
Imagine going about your business with your expiry date stamped invisibly on the back of your 0|$ v-`P$
hand. You'd probably be spooked by this constant reminder of your mortality. You'd find it )Z(TCJ~~!
impossible to live. You'd pass your days in envy of those your age who are destined to live longer. RT) d ]u
Alternatively, you could treat the date-stamp as an end date from which to work back. It would lz"OC<D}(
make retirement planning and the gubbins of wills and probate smoother. It would allow you to -sw
.
take an active part in organising your own funeral. You could even plan your diet: death tomorrow 6xWe=QGE
means an awful lot of jam today. And your loved ones would have the benefit of a steady coming-to- }RmU%IYc
terms with your passing away. Fe]B &n
But Heidegger's point is, even if geneticists, extrapolating from your current condition(s), gave '<rZm=48
you a reliable date of death, they'd fail to account for chance. Just as teenagers can crash their VCn{mp*h
cars, so pensioners as dit as a fiddle can still fall down the stairs. So what's the lesson? Imagine ( >VX-Y/
you're programmed to die tomorrow, and live today as if it were your last. {P{bOe
Robert Rowland Smith `|,`QqDQ
