h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

If the good die young, then are ALL old people bad?????

Yes.

Well, it's not only good people who die young.
Trust me on this one.
You see, I'm a diver and I used to work in the Red Sea, more specifically in Dahab, and you see, in Dahab there's a fabled place called the 'Blue Hole'. It's called that because it's a big ole' hole in the reef that goes down from the surface to 130 meters (roughly 420 feet) and down at 57 meters there's a passage through the reef.
And mind you, that deep you use up your air 7 times as fast as you do on the surface. Plus, you have the additional fun of being under serious nitrogen narcosis from the pressure (same effect as getting 'laughing gas' in the hospital).
Diving there is the equivalent of getting in the car after drinking a whole bottle of vodka. And driving 150 mph.
The Blue Hole is generally accepted as the only dive site in the world that has tombstones next to it. You see, on an average year around 7-8 people kill themselves there.

So it's not only the good who die young. It's also the stupid.

I once heard someone suggest it should be re-phrased as 'The good die young at heart'. This is much more reassuring for those of us who would no longer be described as young, but don't feel we are bad.

Oh, I do like that, very nice
Of course, it could be a reincarnation thing. They were really bad in a former life and are being punished in this one by having to become old and decrepit, watch all of their friends die and gradually lose touch with modern living. They may have lead perfectly decent lives this time round and will therefore have the pleasure of dying young next time. Therefore, only the good die young.

I can't help but feel that if you are THAT stupid, then you deserve to die young!!!!

Not all old people can be bad, Mother Theresa for example comes across as rather nice!!!

"Young at heart" could also mean that lots of old people don't actually want to admit that they are old but try and kid themselves that they are still 21. (Not an opinion that I subscribe too)

I think whether you are good or evil, doesnt have an effect if you are going to die young. Maybe the young people who die dont have a chance to go wrong.

It's only a silly phrase, perhaps to comfort those who have lost someone before three score years and ten.
Unfortunately good people die when they are young and when they are old and bad people also die young or old.
As humans we try to make some sense of the world by putting patterns on to it or making up explanations such as reincarnation, etc.
Fact is there is no explanation, no sense, all is arbitary chaos, but mostly we can't accept that and need help and comfort to get through life so we invent explanations, religions, etc.

I've noticed that astronomers seem to reach a ripe old age...any exceptions out there?

On the whole you seem to be right, there are some very aged astronomers, probably something to do with only those wealthy enough to spend time star-gazing in previous times, along with better nutrition and less stress?

Some exceptions:
Johannes Kepler (59)
Tycho Brahe (55)
Joseph von Fraunhofer (39)
Wilhelm Beer (53)
Thomas Henderson (46)
Henry Draper (45)

Depends what you call old, of course, which depends on how close you are to their ages!