Is Death Natural?
Many of the most beautiful and meaningful facets of life are the way they are£¬ because they are ephemeral.
I know that death is natural; Life runs its course before coming around again. Something present in or produced by nature is natural, such as an earthquake or typhoon, or a poisonous mushroom. Death is natural in the sense that to die is to conform to the ordinary course of living things in nature.
Death has been modeled as an exponential increase in the rate of illnesses with age.
Even with no micro-organisms attacking, the body is not well enough designed to function indefinitely. Something always breaks down eventually. What breakdowns, how many, and when they happen, is randomly distributed among individuals, except for conformance to average delays which may have been sculpted by evolution.
Some of those functions our medicine can't re-establish or substitute for and some of those are necessary for life.
In general, death is an unremarkable event in nature. To die of "natural causes" is not to expire in old age, as is the case in modern human societies, but to typically die young.
Average human life spans between 20 and 30 years for most of our species history. Most people today are thus living highly unnaturally long lives. Because of the high incidence of infectious disease, accidents, starvation, and violent death among our ancestors, very few of them lived much beyond 60 or 70. There was therefore little selection pressure to evolve the cellular repair mechanisms (and pay their metabolic costs). As a result of these circumstances in the distant past, we now suffer the inevitable decline of old age: damage accumulates at a faster pace than it can be repaired; tissues and organs begin to malfunction; and then we die.
It may turn out to be impossible to live forever, strictly speaking, even for those who are lucky enough to survive to such a time when technology has been perfected, and even under ideal conditions. The amount of matter and energy that our civilization can lay its hands on before they recede forever beyond our reach is finite in the current most favored cosmological models.
As for age and death, one of the biggest factors actually has to do with cell replication. Most of our cells are not meant to live forever ¡. We are meant to die. Your cells divide and divide and divide and their daughter cells do the same, so one and such forth.
In conclusion, by temporarily removing himself from society and thrusting himself into nature, we are better able to understand how Thoreau conveys his attitude towards life. He believes that in order to enjoy it one must free himself or herself from the high-tempo nature of society, live life more simplistically, and experience the reality that is hidden by all the things that are irrelevant in our
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Common sense seems to dictate that we are all going to die one day. As we all get older we crave to keep our youth, and to stay young forever is the ultimate dream. The thought of a possible immortality is just an added benefit. Even though we have strived towards this goal for centuries, have we obtained advances in successfully staying young forever? In Bill Gifford’s book “Spring Chicken: Stay Young Forever (Or Die Trying)” he explores these ideas of life and aging further. In this novel, he goes on a journey to try and debunk the mysteries and questions behind the new science of aging. He gathers information from tests and scientists from around the country to discover what really works to prevent or delay aging and what is just a hopeful hoax. He helps us figure out why we age and why aging
Emerson believed that “each person contained a spark of divinity” and it should be found through nature or through you. Thoreau on the other hand, believed that its individual lifestyle, thought that one can be happy if you live as who you truly you are. It’s true indeed that the nature provides the basic needs, the desire for the delight and the understanding...
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Imagine working tirelessly in a factory all day with the constant pressure of trying to support your family. This is the reality for millions of Mexican workers employed in maquiladoras. Maquiladoras are factories of foreign companies, mostly American, that use Mexican natives to build their products. The problem is many believe work for these improvised people is a good thing. However, the conditions of the factories are dangerous and the many implications of having these foreign factories in Mexico do not benefit the people in the long run. Maquiladoras ignore the well-being of workers proving that they should be banned.
By using eloquent and lengthy sentences mixed with various strong words, he utilizes rhetorical strategies that force the reader to stay focused while promoting his belief that quality novels should be held in a very high regard. By incorporating various symbols, Thoreau draws the reader in and emphasizes his message of spiritual fulfillment from nature. As Thoreau wrote about immortality, he implies that the best novels make words and concepts seem timeless, and therefore immortal. Perhaps that was what Thoreau wanted- a timeless novel that could carry the message of straying away from materialism and working towards simplistic self-progression through generations of novels. If that was Thoreau’s goal, then he succeeded. Walden is one of the most influential and well-known novels, even in the modern 20th century, and his message is one that many people today need to
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After reading all the biological theories of aging, I think the “Wear and Tear Theory” makes the most sense to me. The theory posits that there is a limit to the human life expectancy and that little can be done to push the figure upward. I do believe it’s true in my opinion. The wear and tear theory believes the effect of aging are caused by damage done to cells and body systems over time. Even though body cells die and replaced every day except the nerve cells of the brain, a range of things can damage the body such as exposure to radiation, toxins and ultraviolet light. And when the body metabolizes oxygen, free radicals are produce and can cause damage to cell and body tissue. The more the body sustains damage the more those new cells function
Aging is a progression of organic changes that take after a characteristic movement from birth through development to seniority and passing. For the vast majority, propelling age is described by turning gray or diminishing hair, loss of stature, wrinkling of the skin, and diminished solid quality. Still, a dynamic way of life, including both practice and sound nourishment, can contribute enormously to accomplishing a long and gainful life. Hereditary qualities (acquired physical attributes) likewise seems to assume a part during the time spent maturing and demise. Individuals whose parents or grandparents live to maturity appear to have a superior shot of living long lives themselves. Each species has an alternate typical life range. The purpose
In Walden, one can see the influence Emerson’s beliefs had on Thoreau. Thoreau was living out the idea of self – reliance in its truest form. He built a small cabin in the woods near Walden Pond more than a mile from the nearest town. The cabin was nothing more than necessary, and was not luxurious in any way. Which perfectly coincides with Emerson’s writings that one should cherish oneself not the property he owns. Many people look at material objects and judge a person by those, instead of judging the person by who they really are. His humble dwelling contained a minimum amount of furniture; which in and of itself even followed the guidelines of self – reliance. Emerson wrote when he has company, he does not try to please and entertain them. He feels as if his company should be attempting to please him. Thoreau has a simple living style because he does not need to impress anyone as long as he is content.
“It is death that gives urgency to life. It drives us to discovery, to cross oceans and reach into the emptiness of space” says the Herald Tribune columnist Rich Brooks (Thompson). The thought of being immortal is extremely alluring. To live in an ageless body, have all the time in the world to basically do whatever is something that every person has thought of. Immortality has always been a myth, but with technology continuing to advance everyday with alarming speed, it might soon be possible. Scientist Ray Kurzweil and many others have even predicted that this goal could be reach in the next twenty years. However, if sometime in the future scientists do discover a way to enable humans to live forever, behind all of the sugar coating, they will discover that immortality is actually a curse.
Death is something that causes fear in many peoples lives. People will typically try to avoid the conversation of death at all cost. The word itself tends to freak people out. The thought of death is far beyond any living person’s grasp. When people that are living think about the concept of death, their minds go to many different places. Death is a thing that causes pain in peoples lives, but can also be a blessing.
Technology in terms of medicine has also increased the life expectancy of the average person. With new technological advancements in surgeries, medicines and treatments the average life expectancy is still on the increase. A recent study shows that the average life span for 2004 of a United States Citizen is 77.4 years old. This has increased significantly from 1900 where the average lifespan for a male was 48.2 and for the female 51.5. Thanks to technology we can now live longer.