Opinion Page
Who wants to live forever? Well, I wouldn't mind living an additional few years. Of course, there a lot of things to be considered. But scientists now think that within 100 years we might be able to turn the average life expectancy to around 5,000 years.
Now, what could the fine print be? Well, organs might still fail. So, they're developing special pigs that would grow organs for you with your own DNA. Gee, I wonder if the Orthodox Jews will change their views towards pigs if that's the only place they can get a new heart. Of course, I haven't seen pig-grown hearts discussed in the Talmud, so we might have to get a new ruling or two.
In case you want to discuss the technology with friends at social gatherings (if you want to get them leave or something), the name of these things are telomeres. When cells divide, they lose one telomere from the chromosome. When the cell runs out of telomeres, it can't divide any more. Therefore, the cell dies. If you could make cells divide forever, you could keep generating new cells, so that you could live on and on for centuries. The limit on how many times cells can divide is called the Hayflick limit. One type of cells most people are familiar don't have a Hayflick limit - cancer cells reproduce endlessly.
Just think of how much we could learn in our lifetime if we could live 5,000 years. Einstein could have figured out how to cross the Universe by now. And how sacred would marriage be if you knew that "forever" meant a 5,000-year commitment. Just think of how many ex-husbands Liz Taylor could have! And how tolerant would you be of your neighbor when you know that you have to spend another 1,000 years next door. It would certainly change diplomacy.
The RIAA just plain sucks monkey nuts. There's no other words for it (that I can use in a family setting). The Recording Industry has been crying about losing money to Internet downloads for some time. Now they're taking college kids to court because they downloaded Brittney Spears songs. They should, but only for exercising poor taste. They claim it cheats the artists, but that just isn't true. The people that cheat the artists most are the RIAA, which uses contract restrictions to restrict artists from receiving Congressionally-mandated minimums for royalties. If the RIAA wants to help artists, it can start by treating them fairly. Aside from a few big names, most artists don't make alot of money as a recording artist. Most sign contracts that give their rights to the record companies, and even let the companies prevent the artist from having access to their OWN songs. If you think that the artists don't like Internet downloading, just read this article from Janis Ian. Most artists favor downloads as a way to increase their exposure (Metallica notably excluded).
That's Hedy Lamarr. No, I'm not mis-quoting a Mel Brooks movie, I'm taking about the real Hedy Lamarr. The actress credited for first appearing nude in a Hollywood feature film. That one. This beautiful brunette from Austria (who used the phrase "I just want to give back" - the same as Arnold used last week in his bid to run for Governor of California) was also a patent holder. Yes, she and someone else came up with the idea for spread-spectrum transmission as a means of keeping the Nazis from being able to jam U.S. radio-controlled torpedoes. Yes, she originally was associated with the Nazis, and her husband sold bombs to Hitler. But she escaped and came to the U.S. and "gave something back" - in a big way. Her patent is part of what makes this very web page possible. You see, I am working on a laptop with a wireless connection to the Internet. That 802.11b connection owes its roots to the very technology she patented in 1942. She didn't try to get rich in the private sector - she gave it to our Country to use in time of war against evil. So, let's remember that even Austrians who were far more involved with Nazis than Arnold Schwarzeneggar's father (Arnold wasn't even born until AFTER World War II) still had plenty to offer and give our Country. Perhaps those who would slander the would-be next Governor of California should look into their own hearts and see what they've given their state - aside from pollution, traffic, power outtages, over-crowding, bugdet shortfalls, Charles Manson, John Walker Lindh, and cities where the cops aren't allowed to stop bums from peeing on the streets.
If you have ideas, comments, or criticisms, please let me know.
