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According to the German philosopher Martin Heidegger,death has two defining characteristics. qq[Enf|/y
First, it can't be outsourced - nobody can die your death for you. The second raises more }X^CH2,R
questions. Heidegger says death can happen at any point, so it's randon. But with advances in @w@ `-1
genetics, knowing the date of our decease is becoming a real possibility. And is that good? tY6Qhhu S:
Imagine going about your business with your expiry date stamped invisibly on the back of your @[w.!GW%
hand. You'd probably be spooked by this constant reminder of your mortality. You'd find it W3-g]#\?
impossible to live. You'd pass your days in envy of those your age who are destined to live longer. ]m"6a-,`
Alternatively, you could treat the date-stamp as an end date from which to work back. It would rZ^VKO`~I1
make retirement planning and the gubbins of wills and probate smoother. It would allow you to JzuP A I
take an active part in organising your own funeral. You could even plan your diet: death tomorrow _$BH.I
means an awful lot of jam today. And your loved ones would have the benefit of a steady coming-to- spv'r!*\ed
terms with your passing away. U~Y
jTjbd
But Heidegger's point is, even if geneticists, extrapolating from your current condition(s), gave *K2fp=Ns
you a reliable date of death, they'd fail to account for chance. Just as teenagers can crash their 4+4C0/$Y
cars, so pensioners as dit as a fiddle can still fall down the stairs. So what's the lesson? Imagine "c0Nv8_G
you're programmed to die tomorrow, and live today as if it were your last. nT xN>?l2E
Robert Rowland Smith @8'LI8 \/
