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Why People Don't Live Past 114

kkleiner writes "Average life expectancy has nearly doubled in developed countries over the 20th century. But a puzzling part to the equation has emerged. While humans are in fact living longer lives on average, the oldest age that the oldest people reach seems to be stubbornly and oddly precisely cemented right at 114. What will it take for humans to live beyond this limit?"

19 of 916 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Genesis 6:3 by dintech · · Score: 5, Funny

    Boring, wake me up when there's begetting and pause it for me if you can see tits.

  2. Because, as we all know, the answer to life by Rooked_One · · Score: 5, Funny

    is 42. And 114 is 42 backwards if you add the 1's together. The opposite of life is death - metaphysically speaking of course.

    Look a bunny!

    what?

    1. Re:Because, as we all know, the answer to life by Jason+Levine · · Score: 5, Funny

      If you factor out 114, you get 19, 3, and 2. (19 * 3 * 2 = 114)
      If you add these up, you get 24.
      Flip the numbers (since death is the opposite of life) and you get 42.
      Thus, the answer to life, the universe and everything is 42.

      --
      My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
    2. Re:Because, as we all know, the answer to life by g0bshiTe · · Score: 5, Funny

      I'm sorry I couldn't follow your logic, I was distracted looking for the bunny.

      --
      I am Bennett Haselton! I am Bennett Haselton!
  3. Re:Genesis 6:3 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    So he owes us each six years? Can I choose which ones? I want 21-27 again. Thanks.

  4. Time travel by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny
    From TFA:

    A person born in the US at the turn of the 20th century could expect to live 49.2 years. Their ancestor born in 2003 could reasonably expect to see their 77th birthday.

    The emphasis is mine.

  5. Re:Genesis 6:3 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    No, it's 5% tax

  6. Contractual? by Senior+Frac · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm betting there is some warranty clause that kicks in at 115.

  7. Re:yet more biblical contradictions by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Lifespans gradually decreased post-flood.

  8. Re:yet more biblical contradictions by Gideon+Wells · · Score: 5, Funny

    It is a little known fact that Methuselah exploited the life span mechanics of the Real Life MMO. That and other bugs, hackers, gimmicks, etc. got so bad that God had to nearly completely revamp the game. The new mechanics were firmly put in place after The Flood patch.

    --
    by Anonymous Coward: I, for one, welcome the shift from car analogies to pizza analogies. um.. overlords?
  9. Re:Genesis 6:3 by Sponge+Bath · · Score: 5, Funny

    But if you have a Christian loyalty card (sold at participating Churches), the tax is rebated with eternal afterlife! What a bargain.

  10. Re:Genesis 6:3 by captainpanic · · Score: 5, Funny

    The earth must have rotated faster around the sun 6000 years ago. I guess the earth was more streamlined when it was still flat.

  11. Re:Time for a ethics of dying by JWSmythe · · Score: 5, Funny

    cat /dev/null > /dev/world

    In the beginning, there was nothingness.

    dd bs=1024 count=1 if=/dev/random of=/dev/world

    Then he brought something from nothingness.

    mke2fs -j /dev/world

    Then he brought order from the chaos.

    mount /dev/world /mnt/world

    And he looked upon it, and saw that it was good.

    --
    Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
  12. Re:yet more biblical contradictions by Lumpy · · Score: 5, Funny

    He traded immortality for sex. Pretty much every man would do this if given the choice.

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  13. Re:Genesis 6:3 by Anomalyst · · Score: 5, Funny

    Maybe he doesn't have a job, you insensitive clod.

    --
    There is no right to feel safe thru security vaudeville at the expense of everyone's freedom, privacy and tax money.
  14. Re:Genesis 6:3 by SuricouRaven · · Score: 5, Funny

    Or Eze 23:20, if you swing the other way.

    The chances of a woman on slashdot seem slim :>

  15. Re:Mod parent up by Hognoxious · · Score: 5, Funny

    The movie will, of course, be a disappointment.

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  16. I can see the job ads on monster ..... by Cutting_Crew · · Score: 5, Funny

    ..."must have 435 years of experience with C++, Objective-C and XML. At LEAST 145 years of scripting and linux experience...." "... please forward your resume with work history, titles, salaries and referrals "

  17. Re:yet more biblical contradictions by geminidomino · · Score: 5, Funny

    A Man said to god "What's a million years to you?"
    God said "A second."
    Then the man said to god "what's a million dollars to you?"
    God said "A penny."
    So the man said to god, "Would you give me a penny?"
    God said "Of course I will. Just a second..."