Human mortality: written in the stars?

Abstract

Purpose

This paper seeks to consider certain characteristics of the human mortality table, and the possibility that mortality rates are governed by an underlying natural law.

Design/methodology/approach

After providing a brief overview of the mathematics of the mortality table, explores the reasonableness of using a simple analytic function to model the mortality hazard rate.

Findings

By comparing the perceived accuracy of Makeham's Law in actuarial science with that of the Titius‐Bode Law in astronomy, it is seen that simple mathematical rules are not always as useful as they may appear initially.

Originality/value

The editorial identifies a problem common to all branches of the natural and social sciences: the possibility of “discovering” formal mathematical relationships where none in fact exists.

Citation

Powers, M.R. (2007), "Human mortality: written in the stars?", Journal of Risk Finance, Vol. 8 No. 1, pp. 5-10. https://doi.org/10.1108/15265940710721037