• DagwoodIII@piefed.social
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    27 days ago

    Genetics plays a huge part.

    There’s a pretty good science fiction novel, “Methuselah’s Children.”

    A rich man named Howard realizes that he’ll never live to see 65, despite all his efforts. His will creates a Foundation to encourage people with long lived ancestors to marry each other. After a few generations, the ‘Howards’ are living over 150 years…

      • DagwoodIII@piefed.social
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        26 days ago

        On the other hand, Heinlein is the master of the ‘throwaway.’

        There’s an exchange in ‘Space Cadet.’ The youngsters are looking at an early rocket, the “Kilroy Was Here.” Someone asks who Kilroy was and the hero confidently answers “WW2 Admiral. ‘Bull’ Kilroy.” In “The Moon…” the hero says that Dr. Watson wrote the Holmes stories before founding IBM…