Fear of death prompted us to develop technology that helps people live longer. But those same technological advances have condemned us to fear of infirmity and dementia, since so many of us will live to an advanced age. So as to eliminate this new fear, once we have reached old age we should be assisted to die if we choose death over a sad decline. According to current estimates, dementia affects almost 50 per cent of people by the age of 85, and bodily infirmity is guaranteed to develop further the older we get. There is no cure for old age.