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According to the German philosopher Martin Heidegger,death has two defining characteristics. 3SARr>HRyI
First, it can't be outsourced - nobody can die your death for you. The second raises more "]t>ZT:OJ
questions. Heidegger says death can happen at any point, so it's randon. But with advances in WwW^[k (X
genetics, knowing the date of our decease is becoming a real possibility. And is that good? V+w u
Imagine going about your business with your expiry date stamped invisibly on the back of your ~F#A
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hand. You'd probably be spooked by this constant reminder of your mortality. You'd find it *(*+`qZL{(
impossible to live. You'd pass your days in envy of those your age who are destined to live longer. mjE s5XCC"
Alternatively, you could treat the date-stamp as an end date from which to work back. It would I}v]Z m9
make retirement planning and the gubbins of wills and probate smoother. It would allow you to w}M3x^9@
take an active part in organising your own funeral. You could even plan your diet: death tomorrow hteOh#0{
means an awful lot of jam today. And your loved ones would have the benefit of a steady coming-to- 9DEh* %q
terms with your passing away. G5{Ot>;*%
But Heidegger's point is, even if geneticists, extrapolating from your current condition(s), gave =Mhg
you a reliable date of death, they'd fail to account for chance. Just as teenagers can crash their 3ViM ?p
cars, so pensioners as dit as a fiddle can still fall down the stairs. So what's the lesson? Imagine `W[+%b
you're programmed to die tomorrow, and live today as if it were your last. !%mi&ak(Rn
Robert Rowland Smith k|O,1
