Immortal

It leaves us in a state of uncertainty, said Pliny. As to the hats.

It does, I agreed. I wish I had something in writing.

It doesn't matter, said Pliny. We have learned something about the nature of evidence.

I suppose we have, I said. What is it?

It can't be trusted, said Pliny.

Sometimes it can, I said. I saw a film last night about Immortality. There is evidence that we might all be able to live longer.

What sort of evidence?

Scientific evidence. We have telomeres at the ends of our DNA, and every time our cells replicate they get shorter. When they get too short we start to unravel.

That is not evidence that we may all live longer.

No, wait. The people who live longer are people with longer telomeres, and the way to grow longer telomeres is to reduce stress and eat the right food.

There seems little point in knowing about the telomeres, since we've known for a long time that the way to live longer is to reduce stress and eat the right food.

I hadn't thought of that. Still it's better to know about telomeres than not, don't you think?

Of course, I was merely pointing out the obvious. I myself have no interest in living longer. I know I shall die in 79AD. I have it in writing.