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According to the German philosopher Martin Heidegger,death has two defining characteristics. Q,e*#oK3$
First, it can't be outsourced - nobody can die your death for you. The second raises more i0Pn Z
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questions. Heidegger says death can happen at any point, so it's randon. But with advances in 7
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genetics, knowing the date of our decease is becoming a real possibility. And is that good? v59nw]'
Imagine going about your business with your expiry date stamped invisibly on the back of your ZK dh%8C
hand. You'd probably be spooked by this constant reminder of your mortality. You'd find it N}
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impossible to live. You'd pass your days in envy of those your age who are destined to live longer. [)| +F
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Alternatively, you could treat the date-stamp as an end date from which to work back. It would 5h^[^*A
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make retirement planning and the gubbins of wills and probate smoother. It would allow you to ElR)Gd_ 8
take an active part in organising your own funeral. You could even plan your diet: death tomorrow 0HibY[_PbD
means an awful lot of jam today. And your loved ones would have the benefit of a steady coming-to- bkv/I{C>?
terms with your passing away. ]+%=@mWYs
But Heidegger's point is, even if geneticists, extrapolating from your current condition(s), gave `,#!C`E 9
you a reliable date of death, they'd fail to account for chance. Just as teenagers can crash their k0ItG?Cv
cars, so pensioners as dit as a fiddle can still fall down the stairs. So what's the lesson? Imagine Pes =aw
you're programmed to die tomorrow, and live today as if it were your last. 2R ptxb_@
Robert Rowland Smith ExrY>*v
