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According to the German philosopher Martin Heidegger,death has two defining characteristics. 73P=<3
First, it can't be outsourced - nobody can die your death for you. The second raises more 1GN>,Lb: o
questions. Heidegger says death can happen at any point, so it's randon. But with advances in <.CO{L\e
genetics, knowing the date of our decease is becoming a real possibility. And is that good? E D*=8 s2
Imagine going about your business with your expiry date stamped invisibly on the back of your {J%Na&D
hand. You'd probably be spooked by this constant reminder of your mortality. You'd find it +2O('}t
impossible to live. You'd pass your days in envy of those your age who are destined to live longer. >Bq;Z
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Alternatively, you could treat the date-stamp as an end date from which to work back. It would d?Gf T$1
make retirement planning and the gubbins of wills and probate smoother. It would allow you to l <<0:~+q
take an active part in organising your own funeral. You could even plan your diet: death tomorrow JQYIvo1,Q
means an awful lot of jam today. And your loved ones would have the benefit of a steady coming-to- PwQW5,,h0
terms with your passing away. E0$UoP
But Heidegger's point is, even if geneticists, extrapolating from your current condition(s), gave iaQ[}'6!$
you a reliable date of death, they'd fail to account for chance. Just as teenagers can crash their
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cars, so pensioners as dit as a fiddle can still fall down the stairs. So what's the lesson? Imagine K20n355uE
you're programmed to die tomorrow, and live today as if it were your last. p/
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Robert Rowland Smith 3hab51J
