Do you want to know your death date?

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According to the German philosopher Martin Heidegger,death has two defining characteristics.  FLZ9Rg  
First, it can't be outsourced - nobody can die your death for you. The second raises more [e_<UF@A*  
questions. Heidegger says death can happen at any point, so it's randon. But with advances in ,Vl2U"   
genetics, knowing the date of our decease is becoming a real possibility. And is that good? &M tF  
  Imagine going about your business with your expiry date stamped invisibly on the back of your g}IOHE  
hand. You'd probably be spooked by this constant reminder of your mortality. You'd find it =$%-RX7  
impossible to live. You'd pass your days in envy of those your age who are destined to live longer. cB_9@0r[S  
  Alternatively, you could treat the date-stamp as an end date from which to work back. It would Qn~{TZz  
make retirement planning and the gubbins of wills and probate smoother. It would allow you to  ^6b5}{>  
take an active part in organising your own funeral. You could even plan your diet: death tomorrow DliDBArxZ  
means an awful lot of jam today. And your loved ones would have the benefit of a steady coming-to- 2 6 >9$S  
terms with your passing away. 9g# 6
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  But Heidegger's point is, even if geneticists, extrapolating from your current condition(s), gave IwOL1\'T4  
you a reliable date of death, they'd fail to account for chance. Just as teenagers can crash their p8"C`bCf  
cars, so pensioners as dit as a fiddle can still fall down the stairs. So what's the lesson? Imagine k!G{#(++&6  
you're programmed to die tomorrow, and live today as if it were your last. ?NvE9+n  
Robert Rowland Smith 6pt|Crvu