X-Message-Number: 14357
From: Eugene Leitl <>
Date: Tue, 22 Aug 2000 06:04:12 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: slump in the death industry
References: <>

CryoNet writes:

 > From: "Raphael T. Haftka" <>
[...]
 > Even 1% per year is encouraging because that is approximately the rate of 
 > growth of the population, and a constant death rate with an aging 
 > population is a good sign. I am hoping to see substantial gain in life 

A good sign? Maybe. To me it spells a further shift in the population
age histogram towards the "geriatrically gifted" end, with resulting
exacerbation of already prevailing risk aversiveness, furthering of
political gerontocracy and further increasing R&D conservativism.

As long as we can't compensate age-artefacted fossilization of mental
processes, any further skew in the population age distribution (the
trend is universal in all old industrialized countries) is hardly good 
news.

As to increased longevity, we don't yet see the impact of relatively
recent changed lifestyle and exposure to a plethora of new factors
(radioactivity, UV, mutagens, pesticide residues, MDD pathogens, EM
radiation, stress, etc.), nor sustainability of current medical
expenses in face of an aging population. Today's kids and young adults 
may not be as lucky.

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