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From: javilk@netcom.com (Javilk)
Subject: Re: THE INCREASING HUMAN LIFE SPAN
Message-ID: <javilkD1KFLC.GK9@netcom.com>
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References: <3dgovo$pp8@tuba.cit.cornell.edu> <1994Dec24.160827.27957@news.media.mit.edu> <CDY$kKlrZk-I070yn@gagme.wwa.com> <vlsi_libD1HIqq.LBH@netcom.com>
Date: Thu, 29 Dec 1994 09:27:12 GMT
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: If biotechnology ultimately succeeds in increasing the human life-
: span tenfold, it would cause socio-economic chaos, as well as a
: great deal off ethical debates. And one doesn't even have to bring
: bionic robots or mind-cloning computers into the picture.

: Shankar Ramakrishnan : shankar@vlibs.com

   Not necessarily.
   First, most countries seem to reduce their birth rates as their life 
spans increase.  Something about an optimal number of kids per family 
(parential overload model,) or an optimal number of people per mile.
   Second, if this were to occur in a series of steps, our society would 
be more likely to become aclimated to it.  After all, we didn't go from 
a 25-30 year to a 76 year life span in a single generation.  (Then again, 
retirement and social security are recent developments...  We use to die 
in the prime of life, and our kids were our retirement plan, in the 
unlikely event we lasted that long.)
   As to the benefits of our living longer, our kids got to listen to us 
recount our mistakes, and so made different ones.  Often less disastrous 
ones.  And occasionally, learned enough to do better.

-J- javilk@netcom.com ------------------------------------------
Laugh at yourself, The Goddess loves company -- and You! -------
After all, we wouldn't want her to cancel the show, would we? --
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A Pagan Scientist -- I am trying to find out HOW She did it!

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