# What Happens When Humans Outlive Their Optimal Lifespan by Richard H. Thaler > “How will we cope when we are capable of keeping humans alive longer than our optimal life expectancy?” > **— Richard H. Thaler**, *2018 Edge Annual Question, question* ## Sources and Context - **Original Edge response:** [The Last Question — Richard H. Thaler](https://www.edge.org/response-detail/27461) — Richard H. Thaler's question in the 2018 Annual Question collection, posed rather than asserted as a conclusion. The Edge response page is the publication record for this exact question. - **Local archival entry:** [[research/Edge 2018 Full Quotation Curation|Edge 2018 Full Quotation Curation]] (EDGE2018-252). ## Related Articles and Collections - **Collection:** [[collections/Edge|Edge]] - **Collection:** [[collections/Consciousness Continuity|Consciousness Continuity]] - **Article:** [[articles/Uploading Is Imminent|Uploading Is Imminent]] - **Article:** [[articles/Who Pays for Your Heaven|Who Pays for Your Heaven]] - **Article:** [[articles/Mind Uploading and AI — The Host is Reusable and the Person is the Delta|Mind Uploading and AI — The Host is Reusable and the Person is the Delta]] ## Related Topics - [[wiki/Digital Afterlife|Digital Afterlife]] ## Share on Social Media ``` “How will we cope when we are capable of keeping humans alive longer than our optimal life expectancy?” — Richard H. Thaler, 2018 Edge Annual Question https://bryantmcgill.com/simple-reminders-richard-thaler-happens-humans-outlive-their-optimal ```