Who wants to live forever anyway?
James,
Why the cynicism? If one's life has purpose and rewards, why not? He died at 82 years old. That at a time when he was still creative.
For me, being just 75 years old, I look to all the happiness I get each day, just waking up and seeing my wife, looking out the window at a beautiful sky and watching the birds float by on the various patrols.
I walk down my hallway and see inspiring photographs and wonderful art and am amazed that some are made by my own hands.
I look to the future with so much I want to do and each day is rich with challenges, puzzles, surprises, disappointments and a few successes sufficient to keep the engines humming.
It's hard for me to imagine not wanting to live on and on if it can be at least 5% as good as life is now!
So I'd ask you why you don't look forward to longevity as I do?
Even if we knew what the cause of death was it would not change the fact that he is dead.
In a way he is not dead, just as Mozart, Einstein, Darwin or Shakespeare are not dead. But of course it matters. Picasso painted well into his venerable old age! Being able to conserve our once in 100 years gifts like these men, is of value to our society!
What would one less poem make in our lives?
This reminds me of a bad evening with an "anti-Bill Clinton Republican" in thanks for helping out with his son's illness. When someone mentioned that after the Great Lakes were restocked, (following tackling gross toxic industrial pollution), instead of thousands of species, there remained a scant few!
"Why do we need so many species?" I was asked. My wife's eyes met mine and we changed the subject, graciously allowed the evening to go through the planned dinner, but never engaged that couple ever again.
Asher