# There's A Mr. Reaper at the Door **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 2, 2000, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-mr-reaper-at-the-door/24370 "2000-07-02T15:07:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2000, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-mr-reaper-at-the-door/24370/21 "2000-07-03T04:39:39Z")
I think i wouldn’t read the note, but i would get tested for the disease. I think that it would just to be so that I could prepare my friends and family for the inevitable if I had it. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2000, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-mr-reaper-at-the-door/24370/22 "2000-07-03T04:45:30Z")
Nanook–Huntington’s Disease generally sets on sometime after age 40, usually in the 50s I think. It is a dominant gene, so if you have a parent with Huntington’s, you have a 50-50 chance of having the gene yourself. I’m not sure about the penetrance–that is, the likelihood you will get the disese if you have the gene–but it’s pretty high if not 100%. As for the envelope–no way in hell do I open it. I don’t fear death half as much as I fear anticipating death. My best-case scenario is that I live a long time, then suddenly fall over dead. I would probaby want to know if I had the Huntington’s gene, though, because otherwise I would spend far too much time worrying about it. Dr. J ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2000, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-mr-reaper-at-the-door/24370/23 "2000-07-03T06:07:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\* > Oh, yeah, like any court would believe that somebody was going around handing out slips of paper that accurately give the exact time and date of death. 🙂 > \*\* I _know_ that, David. What I meant was, assuming the believeability of the means of the insured’s foreknowledge, would the fact of that knowledge be enough to get the insurer out of paying up? I think that if you have a disease and don’t disclose it, they don’t pay. This situation, of course, would be different. See what I mean, jelly bean? 🙂 Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2000, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-mr-reaper-at-the-door/24370/24 "2000-07-03T09:36:43Z")
I’d refuse to believe it was accurate. I’d need a hell of a lot of evidence first. Thus, to read or not to read becomes irrelevant. Just trying to be honest. ---
**Author:** ![Gilligan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Gilligan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gilligan)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2000, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-mr-reaper-at-the-door/24370/25 "2000-07-03T13:56:04Z")
Accurate date and time? I guess, open it and read the time but not the date. And don’t tell anyone else. That way, every day they’ll see you getting very nervous around 4:30 (or whenever) and then suddenly relieved a minute later, but have no idea why. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2000, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-mr-reaper-at-the-door/24370/26 "2000-07-03T21:22:27Z")
Danielinthewolvesden said: > [@](#): > > Umm, Heinline did a SF Novelette based on this idea. Stay tuned for upcoming threads on solar power, private enterprises exploiting outer space, cities stretching out along the main roads linking them, and other crazy futuristic ideas. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![David\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@David\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_B)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2000, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-mr-reaper-at-the-door/24370/27 "2000-07-03T23:10:04Z")
Nanook said: > [@](#): > > It is inevitbaly fatal by the age of 40(bio and doctor type people feel free to correct me on the details). There’s a possibility you have it, a possibility you don’t. Would you get tested for it? Hell, yes. For one, I’d want to know if my kids were in danger. For another, I’d want to know if I should go back to college and study how to treat the disease. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2000, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-mr-reaper-at-the-door/24370/28 "2000-07-04T00:55:12Z")
because my birth certificate has an expiration date" Steven Wright ---
**Author:** ![Nanook\_of\_the\_North\_Shore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc8723/32.png) [@Nanook\_of\_the\_North\_Shore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanook_of_the_North_Shore)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2000, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-mr-reaper-at-the-door/24370/29 "2000-07-04T03:14:49Z")
I’m sure DoctorJ will come to my rescue with the details on this again(thanks Doc 😉 ) but didn’t one of the pioneers in Huntington’s research’s parents have the disease? I swear I remember reading that, and I also remember reading that she choose NOT to get tested for it, on the basis that she wanted to live her life her way, without this disease forcing her to change things. On the other hand, she also choose not to have kids since she didn’t want to inflict the same possibility on them. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2000, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-mr-reaper-at-the-door/24370/30 "2000-07-04T08:37:40Z")
I heard that too, **Nanook**. It was her father, I believe. FWIW. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2000, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-mr-reaper-at-the-door/24370/31 "2000-07-04T09:48:19Z")
I would take my envelope and pass it to **Spiny Norman** , who would then read my date of death to me. We’d both laugh really hard and go out for a few beers afterwards. In other words: I’m in the “Master of your own destiny” group 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Spiny\_Norman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Spiny\_Norman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiny_Norman)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2000, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-mr-reaper-at-the-door/24370/32 "2000-07-04T14:57:55Z")
Right on, Coldfire - mine’s a Weizenbier. Score one for European rationality. Oh, and here’s my envelope - the longest-living picks up the bar tab, okay ? Apologies to Tretiak for applying flamethrower logic to a question that obviously shouldn’t be taken as literally as I did. Glad to see I didn’t kill off the thread. S. Norman ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2000, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-mr-reaper-at-the-door/24370/33 "2000-07-04T15:03:49Z")
No, the **shortest** living picks up the tab. Sheesh, Norman, where’s your logic? The shortest living has a lot less to spend on beer, health care, loose women, and petrol. And a lot more things, I’m sure. It’s only fair that HE pays the damage. Having said that: **Let’s hear it for European Rationality!** ---
**Author:** ![Tretiak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a88e57/32.png) [@Tretiak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tretiak)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2000, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-mr-reaper-at-the-door/24370/34 "2000-07-04T17:54:52Z")
SPiny Norman, Hey no problem there. I cried all my frustration out that same day. Not really. I’m not so serious. BTW, how logical is your logic. A final destination may be reached by more then one road. ---
**Author:** ![ticker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@ticker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ticker)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2000, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-mr-reaper-at-the-door/24370/35 "2000-07-05T12:22:24Z")
I would read it, probably get real depressed and commit suicide - thus proving you wrong! ---
**Author:** ![Ptahlis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a8b319/32.png) [@Ptahlis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ptahlis)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2000, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-mr-reaper-at-the-door/24370/36 "2000-07-05T21:04:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ticker \* > \*\*I would read it, probably get real depressed and commit suicide - thus proving you wrong! \*\* …and the attempt would be botched badly, leaving you in a lingering coma for years until the fateful date! [Cue Rod Serling voiceover] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-mr-reaper-at-the-door/24370.md?page=1)