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As someone with a biology background I find the conclusions a little too general. Mortality curves are not only species specific, but particular for that enviro
by ozborn 11y ago
As someone with a biology background I find the conclusions a little too general. Mortality curves are not only species specific, but particular for that environment. A curve using saltwater crocodiles or lobsters would look quite different with very high mortality for the young and limited mortality for the very old.
The curve for humans can (and has) been adjusted by human action to give it a better shape - especially at extreme ages. So I think it should be emphasized that the curve is not some mathematical unalterable fact of life.
- mrcactu5 11y agomodels from engineering tend to make wildly unrealistic assumptions to get to a reasonable conclusion, e.g. the spherical cow this seems frowned upon in Biology, but then at least you are invited to fix your analogy later on. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spherical_cow https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spherical_cow
- wyager 11y agoLobsters are biologically immortal, I.e. their expected remaining lifetime does not decrease with age. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_immortality#Lobsters http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_immortality#Lobsters
- deleted 11y ago[deleted]
- comex 11y agoThe text at your link contradicts your statement.
- robot22 11y agoNo it does not. Lobsters do not die from the effects of ageing. They die due to a lack of energy to keep moulting. Straight from the text.
- arsenide 11y ago"their expected remaining lifetime does not decrease with age." (emph REMAINING) implies that two lobsters, at 1 and 10 years, each have the same probability to live for some number X years in the future for some fixed X. This seems to me a certainly false statement, where you claim otherwise. Can you elaborate?
- robot22 11y agoI think we agree, I replied to the wrong comment