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According to the German philosopher Martin Heidegger,death has two defining characteristics. pWK7B`t
First, it can't be outsourced - nobody can die your death for you. The second raises more ^~( @QfY
questions. Heidegger says death can happen at any point, so it's randon. But with advances in I6zKvP8pb
genetics, knowing the date of our decease is becoming a real possibility. And is that good? jDOB
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Imagine going about your business with your expiry date stamped invisibly on the back of your 1iig0l6\m
hand. You'd probably be spooked by this constant reminder of your mortality. You'd find it &*A7{76x
impossible to live. You'd pass your days in envy of those your age who are destined to live longer. FG'F]f c%
Alternatively, you could treat the date-stamp as an end date from which to work back. It would D&: ,,Dp
make retirement planning and the gubbins of wills and probate smoother. It would allow you to A6pPx1 -&
take an active part in organising your own funeral. You could even plan your diet: death tomorrow .kyp5CD}4
means an awful lot of jam today. And your loved ones would have the benefit of a steady coming-to- 6-j><'
terms with your passing away. %^kBcId
But Heidegger's point is, even if geneticists, extrapolating from your current condition(s), gave w}X <]u
you a reliable date of death, they'd fail to account for chance. Just as teenagers can crash their W(Xb]t=19
cars, so pensioners as dit as a fiddle can still fall down the stairs. So what's the lesson? Imagine c |IH | y
you're programmed to die tomorrow, and live today as if it were your last. FUi
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Robert Rowland Smith w%KU@ $
