I’m reading over old “Ask Me Anything” threads to prepare for my own reddit event next week, and have looked in on the discussions that Steve Pinker and Dawkins had with the group. (Oy—Pinker answers questions in perfectly formed and disgustingly cogent paragraphs!).

But at Steve’s discussion, one commenter said something interesting:

“True Story — I had dinner with Pinker and asked him this question as he got up to go: ‘If you could live forever would you do it?’, he paused am moment then said ‘Yes’. I asked him if he worried that his mind would reach some capacity, if he might become trapped in an endless cycle. He said ‘that’s what Iphones are for’.”

That’s typical Pinker humor, but I suspect he really does crave immortality. So do I. I’m glad to find a kindred spirit here, because, as I recall, few readers on this site have said they’d want to live forever. But I would—at least until the Earth burns up in a few billion years. I reckon I have about two more decades, and that’s just not long enough. I want to see Australia and Antarctica, I want to pet a baby tiger—and think of all those books to read and noms to eat!

Clearly it wouldn’t do to live forever as an old broken-down wreck, so there would have to be some stopping of the aging process (mine would be at about age 35). But given that, yes, let me live on!

(I can’t also help but suspect that many of those who say that they don’t want eternal life on Earth are making a virtue of necessity.)