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According to the German philosopher Martin Heidegger,death has two defining characteristics. 2bOl `{x
First, it can't be outsourced - nobody can die your death for you. The second raises more /}/GK| tj
questions. Heidegger says death can happen at any point, so it's randon. But with advances in v\@pZw=x
genetics, knowing the date of our decease is becoming a real possibility. And is that good? QHxo
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7
Imagine going about your business with your expiry date stamped invisibly on the back of your F`La_]f?b\
hand. You'd probably be spooked by this constant reminder of your mortality. You'd find it (tyky&$!
impossible to live. You'd pass your days in envy of those your age who are destined to live longer. \.'[!GE *c
Alternatively, you could treat the date-stamp as an end date from which to work back. It would T`bUBrK6g`
make retirement planning and the gubbins of wills and probate smoother. It would allow you to kl1/ (
take an active part in organising your own funeral. You could even plan your diet: death tomorrow F9"Xu-g
means an awful lot of jam today. And your loved ones would have the benefit of a steady coming-to- naM~>N
terms with your passing away. I7W`\d)
But Heidegger's point is, even if geneticists, extrapolating from your current condition(s), gave Wecxx^vtv6
you a reliable date of death, they'd fail to account for chance. Just as teenagers can crash their aL*}@|JL"
cars, so pensioners as dit as a fiddle can still fall down the stairs. So what's the lesson? Imagine W&k@p9
you're programmed to die tomorrow, and live today as if it were your last. R^mkQb>m.
Robert Rowland Smith R.?PD$;_M
