Arnold Kling

Will Kurzweil live Forever?

Arnold Kling, Great Questions of Economics
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An article by Joel Garreau in the Style section of Sunday's Washington Post interviews several technology optimists who believe that medical advances will enable people to stave off aging and death. One of those interviewed is Ray Kurzweil, who also gave this recent interview to EE Times. In the Post story, Kurzweil says

"If I look at my kids--kids in their teens, twenties or even thirties...they will be young...The oblivious generation is my own. The vast majority are going to get sick and die in the old-fashioned way. They don't have to do that.

"...I really envision living through this century and beyond..."

Also quoted in the article is biotech entrepreneur William Haseltine, who says that people now in their fifites may live "to 110 or 120 in reasonably good health."

Discussion Question. What does this imply for social security?

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