In article <Pine.SOL.3.91.950227162953.25438B-100000 at corona>,
Patrick O'Neil <patrick at corona> wrote:
>>>On 27 Feb 1995, Rick Abrams wrote:
>>> >
>> >There is no set, hard span but I have read estimates that put maximum
>> >human lifespan at around 120 years, which doesn't bode all too well for
>> >the Frenchwoman, depending on how one views things. If I were a betting
>> >man, I would bet against the woman getting to 125.
>> > The max possible is barring other factors such as cancer, heart
>> >disease, alzheimer's, congenital defects, etc.
>> >Unfortunately for your father, disease got him rather than age-related
>> >degeneration.
>>>>>> Think it through, why is 125 a 'natural death' but 46 not? All I see
>> is you saying is 'words mean what ever I want them to mean.'
>>Actually, I agree that a death is a death is a death and is natural...to
>a point. There has to be some semantic delineations or you could also
>count murder victims as having experienced a natural death. My statement
>concerning what I have read, the 120 year estimate, was simply meant to
>state that if someone ruled out other causes such as cancer, accident,
>illness, etc, and were set up to live for as long as they were
>biologically capable (on average), you might see around 120 years. You
>could then call about 120 years the max of the NATURAL RANGE. Hell,
>spontaneous abortion is as natural as breathing and it leaves a lifespan
>an indeterminant minimum, depending on what you call "life" or
>"human life." Semantics and flexible.
> A genetic predispostion to die at a younger than average age IS natural
>by definition. Cancer death resulting from cigs or natural environmental
>toxins, etc, are natural deaths, though preventable.
> As to words, they DO mean only what people want them to mean. In a
>semantics fight, you could define almost any term to mean almost anything
>you want.
>>Patrick
The problem is what you want 'biologically capable' to
mean. Compare cystis fibrosis to old age, both are congenital
conditions, ie DNA encoded. I feel old age is/will be
a treatable condition just as cystic fibrosis.
Should a 120 year old person be treated for heart failure?
And if ten years later their liver begins to fail should
that condition be treated?
--
rha
