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According to the German philosopher Martin Heidegger,death has two defining characteristics. 3_C|z,\:
First, it can't be outsourced - nobody can die your death for you. The second raises more @g|v;B|{
questions. Heidegger says death can happen at any point, so it's randon. But with advances in hl;u' _AB
genetics, knowing the date of our decease is becoming a real possibility. And is that good? o m !!Sl 3
Imagine going about your business with your expiry date stamped invisibly on the back of your W}nlRbN?
hand. You'd probably be spooked by this constant reminder of your mortality. You'd find it CYt?,qk-r
impossible to live. You'd pass your days in envy of those your age who are destined to live longer. Ah1]Y}sy
Alternatively, you could treat the date-stamp as an end date from which to work back. It would |a8iZ9/D6
make retirement planning and the gubbins of wills and probate smoother. It would allow you to W= ig.-
take an active part in organising your own funeral. You could even plan your diet: death tomorrow 3t.l5m
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means an awful lot of jam today. And your loved ones would have the benefit of a steady coming-to- y3vdUauOn
terms with your passing away. m\;R2"H%
But Heidegger's point is, even if geneticists, extrapolating from your current condition(s), gave #^#PPO
you a reliable date of death, they'd fail to account for chance. Just as teenagers can crash their 3 D6RLu
cars, so pensioners as dit as a fiddle can still fall down the stairs. So what's the lesson? Imagine Y`KqEjsC*
you're programmed to die tomorrow, and live today as if it were your last. pLl(iNf]
Robert Rowland Smith _PPy44r2
