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. Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=14357