For example, what would constitute "a full life," as in "Boy, he's had a full life!" Would society have to establish parameters?
"A fair share version might say 70 years is a fair allocation of life and that people should be supported in their attempts and desires up to 70 years," Harris said, "but after that threshold is reached, they should be considered to have had their complete life."
Then what do you do? Harris asks. If people live thousands of years, would there come a point where society would necessarily have to cull the burgeoning masses? Is there a moral obligation to introduce new generations to the world?
"There are advantages of fresh people, fresh ideas and the possibility of continued development," Harris said. "If these reasons are powerful, and I believe they are, and if the generational turnover proved too slow for regeneration of youth and ideas, we might face a future in which the fairest and most ethical source might be to contemplate a sort of 'generational cleansing.'"
You can download a free PDF version of "Intimations of Immortality" at ilcusa.org, the Web site of the International Longevity Center-USA.
MEDTRONICA
Toll-free health numbers
health.gov/nhic/pubs/tollfree.htm
A selected list of toll-free numbers for organizations that provide health-related information, education and support (but not diagnosis or recommended treatments). Compiled by the federal National Health Information Center.
STORIES FOR THE WAITING ROOM
A North Carolina woman gave birth last month to twins. The first child arrived at 1:32 a.m., the second at 1:06 a.m. - after daylight saving time had ended.
Fingernails grow nearly four times faster than toenails. The thumbnail is the slowest.
BEST MEDICINE
A man accidentally cut off all of his fingers with a power saw. When he got to the hospital, the doctor said, "Thank goodness for microsurgery. Give me the fingers and I'll sew them back on."
The man said, "I wasn't able to pick them up."
NEVER SAY DIET
The world's speed record for eating conch fritters is 45 in six minutes, held by Joe Menchetti.
DOC TALK
Anhidrosis - the abnormal absence of sweat
PHOBIA OF THE WEEK
Chirophobia - fear of hands
GET ME THAT. STAT!
It's everyone's worst dental nightmare, but thanks to specialization, root canals might not be so bad after all. In a survey of patients who have had the procedure with an endodontist (a root canal specialist), 89% said they would return to the specialist for future operations - but only, presumably, if necessary.
OBSERVATION
Smoking kills. If you're killed, you've lost a very important part of your life.
- Actress Brooke Shields, during an anti-smoking campaign
EPITAPHS
Etched on New Hampshire tombstone, from a husband to his dead and apparently not-much-loved wife: "Tears cannot restore her, therefore I weep."
AVOID THE WEDGE
It's no wonder a couple pieces of pizza can blow your diet. We often misjudge serving sizes of wedge-shaped foods, a Tennessee State University study says. Researchers found that when people tried to estimate the size of a wedge portion of pizza, cake or pie, they miscalculated by 10% to 25%. More symmetrical food portions are easier to estimate, so go for square pieces of pizza and desserts in single-serving bakeware.
WASH THOSE SHEETS
It may be possible to wash away some allergies caused by the dust mites living in your bedsheets. A South Korean study found that laundering cotton sheets at 140 degrees Fahrenheit killed 100% of dust mites, while a warm 104 degrees wash destroyed just 6.5%. A machine's "sanitize" setting will probably be hot enough to do the job. Check your machine's manual, since you may need to boost your water heater's temperature setting.
