In a message dated 11/30/2000 10:33:39 AM Eastern Standard Time,
d.broderick@english.unimelb.edu.au writes:
<< Though I admire the depth of vision and imaginative genius on display in
this work I have many problems with its philosophical underpinnings.
Broderick, and the scientists he discusses, seem to have little conception
of old age and death as necessary parts of the human life cycle. This to me
is the major weakness of the book. It is taken as fact that old age and
death are evils to be avoided at all costs, that they are in short
pathologies of the human, diseases, rather than experiences related to
summarising, relinquishment and moving on. True to the philosophy of
materialism, the book's analysis centres upon the physiology of ageing and
death ... >>
Whew! Rather, toxic in my opinion. Or "just lay back and enjoy it!" as the
old, saying went. Wisdom seems to come mostly, from experience, rather then
the pile-up of debri in human cells. The materialist culture comment was a
bit crazy, since the "spirtual" cannot, as such, be detected; if it were,
then the world would appear as something from Larry Niven's "The Magic Goes
Away". So the choice is to do something or do nothing. If death by aging is
so preferable then why work on allieviating Alzheimer's, which is normally
age-related? Let the children die of the disease, Progeria, rather then
attempt to examine genetic therapy.
There are people who may actually disagree with the reviewer, and consider
that some of the tasks ahead, that would help humanity and earth-life
survive, may (as Arthur C. Clarke has often stated) "take the labour of
centuries". Cleanning up the earth, enhancing its plant-life zones, helping
ensure that earthlife survive on terra-formed planets. I understand that many
luddites feel the same way as the reviewer, but I feel I shall dismiss him as
just another 'Granola-Eater'.
If you build the technology, they will come(to paraphrase as movie and a
book). Sounds vaguely pornograhic to me.
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