X-Message-Number: 8488
Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 09:04:59 -0700
From: "Joseph J. Strout" <>
Subject: Re: betting your life on catching the wave

In Message #8484,  wrote:

>Although I am not a surfer, I really like that term, as it describes
>perfectly the way I feel about my personal assessment on how to reach an
>indefinite lifespan.	...
>
>I am now 63 years old of excellent health and in better physical
>shape than many a 40 year old....
>By this conjecture I have 42 more years to live and anti-aging
>medicine has 42 years to come up with solutions to keep me alive
>an additional 8 to 28 years after that (the last 'wave'?), or
>until I am somewhere between 113 and 133 years old.  :)
>
>Okay, so I am dreaming, but is there anybody in this group who
>will declare this scenario as outright impossible?

I wouldn't say it's outright impossible.  But I might say it's highly
unlikely, and that you'd be foolish to bet your life on it.  I'm 25 and in
excellent health, with no family history of medical problems, but I'm not
betting my life on this strategy; I'm in the process of signing up for
cryonics.  For all I know, I will be shot on the street tomorrow, as one of
my coworkers was last year.  Or I will catch some disease that kills me in
a week.  Or, despite all appearance of health, there may be some cancer
quietly developing in my body.

The grim reaper comes in innumerable guises, and often when you don't
expect him.  While I admire your optimism, and admit the slim chance that
what you're suggesting will work, I strongly suggest that you have a backup
plan in case one of the many things that can go wrong, does go wrong.

Regards,
-- Joe

,------------------------------------------------------------------.
|    Joseph J. Strout           Department of Neuroscience, UCSD   |
|               http://www-acs.ucsd.edu/~jstrout/  |
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