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According to the German philosopher Martin Heidegger,death has two defining characteristics. 3=V &K-
First, it can't be outsourced - nobody can die your death for you. The second raises more |k00Z+O(
questions. Heidegger says death can happen at any point, so it's randon. But with advances in F,CT Z~
genetics, knowing the date of our decease is becoming a real possibility. And is that good? j_j]"ew)
Imagine going about your business with your expiry date stamped invisibly on the back of your e]$s
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hand. You'd probably be spooked by this constant reminder of your mortality. You'd find it >+T)#.wo&
impossible to live. You'd pass your days in envy of those your age who are destined to live longer. >=w)x,0yX
Alternatively, you could treat the date-stamp as an end date from which to work back. It would tfWS)y7
make retirement planning and the gubbins of wills and probate smoother. It would allow you to fI|$K )K
take an active part in organising your own funeral. You could even plan your diet: death tomorrow :[d9tm
means an awful lot of jam today. And your loved ones would have the benefit of a steady coming-to- dqcL]e
terms with your passing away. bW +:C5'
But Heidegger's point is, even if geneticists, extrapolating from your current condition(s), gave |JsZJ9W+J
you a reliable date of death, they'd fail to account for chance. Just as teenagers can crash their ` ">=
cars, so pensioners as dit as a fiddle can still fall down the stairs. So what's the lesson? Imagine ;< 4a*;IO
you're programmed to die tomorrow, and live today as if it were your last. `kSZX:=};
Robert Rowland Smith
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