Do you want to know your death date?

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According to the German philosopher Martin Heidegger,death has two defining characteristics. I(5sKU3<  
First, it can't be outsourced - nobody can die your death for you. The second raises more u3G.xlHH[  
questions. Heidegger says death can happen at any point, so it's randon. But with advances in ` P,-NVB  
genetics, knowing the date of our decease is becoming a real possibility. And is that good?
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  Imagine going about your business with your expiry date stamped invisibly on the back of your B-1Kfc  
hand. You'd probably be spooked by this constant reminder of your mortality. You'd find it x+Ws lN2a  
impossible to live. You'd pass your days in envy of those your age who are destined to live longer. wni^qs.i@3  
  Alternatively, you could treat the date-stamp as an end date from which to work back. It would Qo5yfdR  
make retirement planning and the gubbins of wills and probate smoother. It would allow you to 1(diG&  
take an active part in organising your own funeral. You could even plan your diet: death tomorrow ZL7#44  
means an awful lot of jam today. And your loved ones would have the benefit of a steady coming-to- 4#Bzq3,|  
terms with your passing away. _;!$1lM[  
  But Heidegger's point is, even if geneticists, extrapolating from your current condition(s), gave >d 9b"T  
you a reliable date of death, they'd fail to account for chance. Just as teenagers can crash their O30eq 7(  
cars, so pensioners as dit as a fiddle can still fall down the stairs. So what's the lesson? Imagine pXhN?joe  
you're programmed to die tomorrow, and live today as if it were your last. 9OS~;9YR  
Robert Rowland Smith >53Hqzm&