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According to the German philosopher Martin Heidegger,death has two defining characteristics. ). <-X^@
First, it can't be outsourced - nobody can die your death for you. The second raises more U>YAdrx 2a
questions. Heidegger says death can happen at any point, so it's randon. But with advances in F^WP <0C
genetics, knowing the date of our decease is becoming a real possibility. And is that good? &*##bA"!B
Imagine going about your business with your expiry date stamped invisibly on the back of your _GV:HOBi
hand. You'd probably be spooked by this constant reminder of your mortality. You'd find it fY{1F
impossible to live. You'd pass your days in envy of those your age who are destined to live longer. H3z: ZTI
Alternatively, you could treat the date-stamp as an end date from which to work back. It would H= <S 9M
make retirement planning and the gubbins of wills and probate smoother. It would allow you to `.E [}W
take an active part in organising your own funeral. You could even plan your diet: death tomorrow :0Bq^G"ge
means an awful lot of jam today. And your loved ones would have the benefit of a steady coming-to- BL0 {HV!
terms with your passing away. yQ U{ zY
But Heidegger's point is, even if geneticists, extrapolating from your current condition(s), gave 6c}h(TkB
you a reliable date of death, they'd fail to account for chance. Just as teenagers can crash their C^O
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cars, so pensioners as dit as a fiddle can still fall down the stairs. So what's the lesson? Imagine Q A<
Rhv,
you're programmed to die tomorrow, and live today as if it were your last. sZjQ3*<-r
Robert Rowland Smith $mu^G t
