Daily Archives: December 10, 2021

Hydras are regenerative all-stars.

Scientists have new insights into the workings of hydras, one of the few animals that can, arguably, live forever.

Hydrasare tiny organisms related to jellyfish. They have simple bodies, made up of a cylindrical tube called a body column, with a head structure at the top and a sticky foot on the opposite end (which they use to hold themselves in place). What's remarkable about hydras is that they don't seem to age, thanks to some incredible regenerative powers. Chop off a hydra's head and it just grows right back.

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This process has long been a source of fascination for researchers eager to understand how it works down to the genetic level. A new study published Wednesday in Genome Biology and Evolution digs into how a hydra's genes are regulated -- a field known as epigenetics -- and how this allows the creature to regenerate its own head.

A key finding is that the process for head regeneration is different than the one for reproducing, which happens through an asexual process called "budding." Hydras reproduce by forming "buds" along the body column that eventually develop into new, independent animals with their own heads.

"Even though the result is the same (a hydra head), gene expression is much more variable during regeneration," says Aide Macias-Muoz, a biologist at the University of California, Irvine and the paper's lead author.

The study provides some new insights into the processes behind regeneration, which have been something of a mystery to scientists. It finds that hydras use sequences of DNA called "enhancers" that regulate regeneration on the genetic level.

Macias-Muoz says this suggests some of the mechanisms hydras use were passed down through evolution, and may even have made it all the way down to mammals, including humans.

This prompts some fascinating questions: If some of the same genetic programming that allows hydras to regenerate was passed down to humans, then is the fountain of youth present in the guts of our own cells, just waiting to be tapped?

Unfortunately, we're still far off from being able to answer such massively consequential questions, but Macias-Muoz and colleagues believe digging deep into the genomes of hydras and other species is an important step down that road.

Originally posted here:

Hydras can live forever, and the key to their immortality is in the genes - CNET

I read an article on The Guardian newspaper about how the rich are investing in science and technology to enable them to live forever.

This article is well-written by a respected British journalist, who is named as John Harris. It seems to me that this article maybe his best work.

He argued that the billions being blown in anti-ageing techniques by billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezoswho else could afford these projects?would be better spent on community projects like education centres for mature students, housing units for poor people and retirement facilities for the old.

I think he is right; the money could have much more productive uses than immortality. His reference of Andrew Carnegie brought back memories of the countless self-help and personal finance books that I have read right next to grandmas open fireplace.

Religion has a historical monopoly on the question of immortality and according to the Abrahamic faiths immortality is possible only by humans when we die: either in hell or heaven. So is there any chance of living here forever or until the end of time? The answer is certainly not if the rabbi, imam and the priest are to be believed.

And again I would agree that there is no reason to think humans can live forever, folks may disagree with whether there is an eternal life waiting for humans after we dieand atheists, agnostics and scientists regularly dobut I think the scientific consensus is that much the Philosophers stone, a human incapable of dying is another mythic concept that has no reality apart from the imagination of some tech-types whose minds have lost their rationality from excessive video-games and computer coding.

I hate to admit it, but human nature is still the same: in the past we wanted to live forever and in the present the billionaires are actually trying to live forever! The tech-guys are even less rational than the ones from past despite years of coding experience!

Why is greed greater today than in the past?

I suspect the simple truth is that the billionaires of today have far more money than any of the rich of the past and with much more fun gadgets to play with. And so they want to live forever to play with their toys and enjoy their money. The equation is really more money equals more machines and more greed. So to add all of that up we get rich guys with machines who want to make more machines and need more time to do that.

From my own experience humans want a share of everything: they want a share of all pleasure, health, happiness, wealth, life and anything that can be valued and considered with something of worth. And this instinct whether survival or simply modern greedI cannot fully make up my mind. I suspect it is a combination of both and this insatiable desire for more is responsible for family problems, health problems, toxic-office politics and all manner of ailments. Surely these negative things adversely impact the longevity of any person more than any potential positives derived fromto use the technical termbio-hacking.

In the end I am inclined to the view that it is far better to enjoy whatever we have in our limited time without too much bickering and fighting. There is no such thing as immortality for the rich and death for the poor, though the health-care is superior for a better-off person. And the Quran makes clear the claim that, Every soul has to taste death. It is on the Day of Judgement that you shall be paid your rewards in full. So, whoever has been kept away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise has really succeeded. The worldly life is nothing but an illusionary enjoyment.

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Can the rich really live forever? - Dunya News

One Florida Olympic champion says she's glad the upcoming games will not be a repeat of the boycott she experienced four decades ago.What athletes are really going for in the Olympic movement is not tons of money. It's immortality, Olympic swimming champion Nancy Hogshead-Makar said. Being able to do something that nobody has ever done before. It is having a place in history! Hogshead-Makar had that shot at history in 1980. The world's top-ranked female swimmer preparing to go for gold in Moscow.The entire Olympic team was energized by the "Miracle on Ice" at the Winter Games when the U.S. ice hockey team defeated the dominant Soviets. But the USSR's invasion of Afghanistan two months earlier changed everything."The United States Olympic Committee voted to boycott the Summer Olympic Games in Moscow, Jane Pauley said on national television. "I have notified the International Olympic Committee that with the Soviet invading forces in Afghanistan, neither the American people nor I will support sending an Olympic team to Moscow."You had people saying which was really tough for me being really excited about being an American that was representing our country in international competition that they were no longer proud to be an American, Hogshead-Makar said.Eight hundred athletes were grounded and Nancy's Olympic dreams faded. Moscow hosted the least-attended games in modern times and boycotted the 1984 games in Los Angeles.But Hogshead-Makar says the only ones who suffered were the athletes.What we all learned was that the United States and other countries you know boycotting the Olympics, did nothing, Hogshead-Makar said. The Soviets invaded Afghanistan, and it didn't get them out, did not save a single life, did not do anything.Hogshead-Makar finally reigned supreme in Los Angeles four years later, winning three golds and a silver, making her the most decorated athlete of those games.Fast forward to President Joe Biden's announcement this week of a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing games in opposition to human rights atrocities in China. Nancy supports the decision not to keep athletes at home and says athletes will now have a global stage to speak against China's treatment of its people.Yeah, I would want to go to those Olympics and use those Olympics as a platform to be able to highlight those abuses, Hogshead-Makar said. Dont waste the moment! Use it! To have a magnifying glass come on to all of the problems, she added. Nancy fully blames the International Olympic Committee for allowing the games to be played in Beijing and wants more U.S. pressure on the IOC to select host countries that respect human life, diversity and dignity.

One Florida Olympic champion says she's glad the upcoming games will not be a repeat of the boycott she experienced four decades ago.

What athletes are really going for in the Olympic movement is not tons of money. It's immortality, Olympic swimming champion Nancy Hogshead-Makar said. Being able to do something that nobody has ever done before. It is having a place in history!

Hogshead-Makar had that shot at history in 1980. The world's top-ranked female swimmer preparing to go for gold in Moscow.

The entire Olympic team was energized by the "Miracle on Ice" at the Winter Games when the U.S. ice hockey team defeated the dominant Soviets.

But the USSR's invasion of Afghanistan two months earlier changed everything.

"The United States Olympic Committee voted to boycott the Summer Olympic Games in Moscow, Jane Pauley said on national television. "I have notified the International Olympic Committee that with the Soviet invading forces in Afghanistan, neither the American people nor I will support sending an Olympic team to Moscow."

You had people saying which was really tough for me being really excited about being an American that was representing our country in international competition that they were no longer proud to be an American, Hogshead-Makar said.

Eight hundred athletes were grounded and Nancy's Olympic dreams faded.

Moscow hosted the least-attended games in modern times and boycotted the 1984 games in Los Angeles.

But Hogshead-Makar says the only ones who suffered were the athletes.

What we all learned was that the United States and other countries you know boycotting the Olympics, did nothing, Hogshead-Makar said. The Soviets invaded Afghanistan, and it didn't get them out, did not save a single life, did not do anything.

Hogshead-Makar finally reigned supreme in Los Angeles four years later, winning three golds and a silver, making her the most decorated athlete of those games.

Fast forward to President Joe Biden's announcement this week of a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing games in opposition to human rights atrocities in China.

Nancy supports the decision not to keep athletes at home and says athletes will now have a global stage to speak against China's treatment of its people.

Yeah, I would want to go to those Olympics and use those Olympics as a platform to be able to highlight those abuses, Hogshead-Makar said. Dont waste the moment! Use it!

To have a magnifying glass come on to all of the problems, she added.

Nancy fully blames the International Olympic Committee for allowing the games to be played in Beijing and wants more U.S. pressure on the IOC to select host countries that respect human life, diversity and dignity.

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'Don't waste the moment': Florida Olympic champion supports US diplomatic boycott of Beijing Winter Olympics - WESH 2 Orlando

Laurent Simons took a year to complete his undergraduate degree in Quantum Physics after he had dropped out from Eindhoven University in 2019. Simons, whos only 11, says he wants to use his extraordinary ability to make humans immortal.

Simons, who hails from the Belgian city of Ostend, entered school at the age of 4, and finished elementary school at the age of six, before most kids even start. He enrolled at a private high school in Amsterdam, but it wasnt smooth sailing he complained that other students were learning too slowly, while the other students complained that Simons was a know-it-all. So he then moved to a grammar school in the Belgian city of Brugge, which organized one-on-one lessons for him.

From a young age, Simons appeared to have the ability to instantly memorize everything he read. After attending several special courses for gifted people, he enrolled in Eindhoven University, in a course in electrical engineering. However, much to his parents disappointment, who were hoping he would become the first university graduate under 10, Eindhoven University rejected this possibility. The university argued there were too many exams he couldnt take, so he dropped out of that university and enrolled in the University of Antwerp, in a quantum physics course.

Now, Simons, 11, is already a graduate with distinction and he has big plans for the future.

I dont really care if Im the youngest [] its all about getting knowledge for me, said Simons in a report from the Dutch newspaperDe Telegraf. This is the first puzzle piece in my goal of replacing body parts with mechanical parts. Immortality is my goal. I want to be able to replace as many body parts as possible with mechanical parts. Ive mapped out a path to get there. You can see it as a big puzzle. Quantum physics the study of the smallest particles is the first piece of the puzzle.

Until that happens, Simons needs to learn a few more things and hes already started. He took a few courses from a masters degree already and is enrolling in a special, international, tailor-made masters course in Antwerp, in cooperation with universities from Israel, Great Britain, and the USA.

Its still early days for Simons, and child prodigies dont always enjoy adult success, but so far, the young man shows incredible talent and appears to have lofty goals. It remains to be seen whether he actually delivers on his promise, but hes clearly well on his way.

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An 11-year-old graduated from university with a bachelors in physics. He wants to make humans immortal - ZME Science

Fit and healthy John Eyers died of Covid after refusing to get the vaccine (Picture: Jenny Mccann)

A heartbroken sister has revealed the final text message her fit and healthy brother sent before dying from Covid after refusing the vaccine.

Bodybuilder John Eyers, 42, thought he would only suffer from a mild illness if he caught the virus and had a belief in his own immortality, his twin Jenny McCann said.

The construction expert from Southport, Merseyside, died within a month of testing positive after suffering from an infection and organ failure, leaving behind a daughter aged 19.

Jenny spoke to him on the phone before he was induced into a coma and told him she loved him.

She said he was not well enough to reply but sent her a text afterwards which read: Dont let them give up on me.

Tragically, that was the last message she received from John.

He died on July 27, moments before his family arrived at his bedside.

Jenny said that in his final days, John expressed his regret that he didnt get the Covid vaccine.

She said her brother was the was the fittest, healthiest person she knew and believed he would be ok if he caught the virus.

He was climbing Welsh mountains and wild camping four weeks before his death, she wrote in a series of tweets.

The only pre-existing health condition he had was the belief in his own immortality.

He thought if he contracted Covid-19 he would be OK. He thought he would have a mild illness. He didnt want to put a vaccine on his body. His was pumped full of every drug in the hospital.

They threw everything at him. But eventually the bedfellow of Covid-19, infection and organ failure, claimed his life.

Before he was ventilated he told his consultant that he wished he had been vaccinated. That he wished he had listened. His death is a tragedy.

Jenny said she wanted to share Johns story in the hope it would save another life.

Speaking to The Guardian, she described John as a staunch anti-vaxxer and said the family had all fallen out with him over his stance.

She said even when he was presented with the facts that vaccines are safe and effective, there was no reasoning with him.

Jenny said: John started saying really crazy things that didnt make senseabout how people were only getting the vaccine for free McDonalds, and there was formaldehyde in it.

The rest of the family remonstrated with him, pulling out their phones to factcheck what he was saying. But John was unmoving.

He kept saying: I wont be a guinea pig.

Jenny described her bother as a fun uncle and much loved and much needed dad.

Tributes poured in for the fitness fanatic following his death.

Johns daughter, Macey May Curran, 19, paid tribute back in August.

Macey said: RIP my real-life superhero, my best friend, my dad.

Please, please, please get your vaccine, I was one of them young girls who only got the vaccine to go on holidays but now Ive seen the reality of what Covid actually does to us.

Standing beside a hospital bed watching my dad and him not knowing Im by his side kills me.

RIP my hero, I love and miss you always dad.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us atwebnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this,check our news page.

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Heartbreaking final text from dad who died of Covid after refusing vaccine - Metro.co.uk

The Ancient Manuscripts of a Toxic Wizard Family by Daisan is based on a nail-biting storyline and will take the reader on a roller coaster journey of extraordinary, thrilling climax.

Thrilling novels are both a treat and a fantastic escape. The Ancient Manuscripts of a Toxic Wizard Family is a page-turning book in which author Daisan investigates the notion of creation through the perspective of a few individuals who are awarded immortality in a new world.

These immortals, each with their distinct personalities, must assert the evolution of life in a more fantasy-driven narrative after a magical professor who considers himself to be a god grants his most favored student the freedom to make life in an alternate version of a young Earth. When confronted with the implications of her deeds and her morals, each decision she takes, as well as the actions of the other immortals she meets, will determine the fate of the planet.

This is unquestionably a one-of-a-kind and remarkable fantasy-driven story with an ungodly dose of familial tension. Theres no better way to satisfy that suspenseful itch with a grand narrative than with this book. This novel will never fail to have readers hearts pounding, pushing them to turn the pages at breakneck speed while providing a strangely delightful uneasiness about whats to follow. The author had wonderfully matched the construction of new mythology before the readers eyes and character-driven plot with a combination of magic, sci-fi, and an aura that seemed like being in a 90s acid-punk rock video.

What impressed out as each chapters distinct point of view, which used journals, written records, and personal recollections from various persons throughout this worlds history to answer for the planets growth. The author appeared to enable the reader to observe the world expand nearly in real-time as the narrative unfolded, and protagonists Gavin and Angela and their place in the universe seemed both witty and demanding at the same time.

This is an incredible piece for anybody who likes twisted and entertaining fantasy-driven narratives with a mature edge. While the storys vocabulary and tone are aimed at adults, the world-building and mythology underlying this tale are extremely sci-fi and fantasy-oriented, making this a well-rounded work. Daisan has been making up strange stories since he was in kindergarten, and he now dabbles in almost every creative genre. His style is characterized by a warped sense of humor and a hefty dosage of underlying existential dread.

The Ancient Manuscripts of a Toxic Wizard Family by author Daisan the Coward is a must-read tale that is memorable, smart, and amusing. The plot is unique and felt alive as it descended into this new fantasy realm, and the mystery behind the gods and the formation of this parallel earth was both thought-provoking and captivating.

Media ContactCompany Name: Great Writers MediaContact Person: Media RelationsEmail: Send EmailCountry: United KingdomWebsite: https://www.daisanthecowardliterature.com/

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The Ancient Manuscripts of A Toxic Wizard Family A Must Read Book For A Route Towards Thrill - Digital Journal

One of the biggest mysteries in Halo Infinite is who the Endless are and what happened to cause them to be imprisoned on Zeta Halo. The Harbinger, a foe that is working with the Banished, is trying to revive the Endless. Obviously, if the Endless are released, bad things will happen, but why?

Unfortunately, we dont get a real answer to the question of who the Endless are in Halo Infinite. Just before the fight with the Harbinger at the end of the game, they state, We stood. Silent. Unable to speak as they passed judgment, and Our return is their reckoning and it is yours as well, Reclaimer! This phrasing seems to indicate that they are an Endless. However, they reveal very little about their history, so its hard to verify their claims.

All we know about the Endless is that Cortana and Zeta Halos monitor considered them to be worse than the flood. We also know from the Legendary post-credits scene that the Endless are unaffected by the firing of the Halo array. It could be that the Forerunners imprisoned the Endless due to their immunity to Halo, but the tone we get throughout the story implies something much more sinister than that.

At the end of the game, we access the Silent Auditorium, and its explained to be a courtroom, prison, and place of execution rolled into one. According to the Harbinger, the Endless were tried here, and that the Forerunners passed Judgment on them.

With the info we have, we can make some speculations. Despite obviously having execution facilities, the Forerunners contained the Endless deep inside of Zeta Halo instead of killing them. Perhaps this is because Endless is a reference to their immortality and not their numbers. The one race we know to have a potentially infinite lifespan is the Precursors, the source of the Flood and sentient life in the Milky Way Galaxy. Its possible that some of the survivors of the Forerunners betrayal were locked away so that their secrets could be studied.

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Halo Infinite: Who are The Endless and is The Harbinger one of them? - Game Revolution

Stan Szeto|2021 Dec 4

Already a basketball legend, Stephen Curry stands 15 3-pointers away from NBA immortality. Entering Wednesday nights game against Portland in the Chase Center, Curry has hit 2,958 3-pointers in his career. When asked earlier this week if it would be possible for him to reach Ray Allens 2,973 record in one night, Curry grinned at the podium.

Crazier things have happened the two-time MVP said.

If Curry were to break the all-time record against the Blazers, hed also take Klay Thompsons spot as the record-holder for most 3s in a single game a fact hes well aware of.

If youve seen the way Ive played, especially recently, Im not shy about shooting the ball, so the game will dictate what that looks like, Curry said. Im not coming out with that as the true goal of how I play, but crazier things have happened.

Regardless of when Curry becomes the NBAs all-time 3-point leader, his place on the pantheon of Bay Area sports is already secure. Duane Kuiper, whos been part of the fabric of Bay Area sports since he joined the Giants as a player in the early 1980s, knows this as well as anyone.

Joining KNBRs Murph & Mac on Wednesday, the broadcaster reflected on Currys place in Bay sports history.

Hes such a prize to this area, Kuiper said of Curry. He and Buster Posey and all these great athletes that have come through. You really have to enjoy them while theyre here because of what happened two months ago when Buster decided to retire. Because all of the sudden, in the blink of an eye, theyre gone. And then you have to start thinking about when the next ones going to come through here. Well, who knows? Could be with the Giants or Niners or Warriors. It just doesnt happen all the time. Were really lucky. We really are.

The similarities between Posey and Curry, as highlighted by The Athletics Tim Kawakami last August, are striking. Each have brought three championships to the Bay Area, and each have at least so far spent their entire careers here. Theyre both singular stars who debuted in 2009, overcame injuries and rejuvenated their respective franchises.

When you start thinking about Mt. Rushmore, theres got to be more than four in the Bay Area, Kuiper said. But those two, youve really got to start thinking about it if youre just going to pick four. Its really impossible to pick fourWhen you have the likes of Mays and Jerry Rice, Rick Barry. So its probably a waste of energy to really think about it. But what they have meant, they being Curry and Buster over the last 10 years, has really been amazing. For people who just love watching their teams, and if their teams happen to be the Giants and the Warriors, how fortunate have we been to be able to witness those two guys lead their teams every night? Baseball, its 162. Basketball, its 82. With basketball, it just doesnt feel like 82 is enough.

Joe Montana, Barry Bonds, Rickey Henderson and others make the Mt. Rushmore exercise as tough for the Bay as any other sports city. But the legacy Curry and Posey specifically are leaving for a generation of fans is special.

I know, because Ive got a son thats 33, and hes got friends that have grown up with Buster Posey, Kuiper said. Hearing stories now, on that day he was announced that he was going to retire, grown men cried. Not nine or 10 year olds. Were talking about adults that were that severely affected by Busters decision. Thats the impact that athletes like Curry and Buster Posey have had on this community. It truly is amazing. Weve all been blessed to watch these two. And it is a void. When Curry decides to take a hike, its going to be a huge void.

Kuiper thinks its more likely Curry breaks the record on Friday in Philadelphia than Wednesday.

For the full conversation with Duane Kuiper, including when he thinks Curry will break the record and his thoughts on the Veterans Committee Hall of Fame inductees, check out the Murph & Mac Podcast here or wherever you get your podcasts.

Catch Murph & Mac weekdays from 6 10 a.m. on KNBR 104.5 / 680 and streaming live onKNBR.com.

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With Curry on the cusp of history, Duane Kuiper reflects on his place in Bay Area sports history - KNBR

Ann Turner Cook may not be a household name, but her face has been found in nearly every Amercian household for almost all of the 95-year-olds life. (She celebrated her birthday late last month.)

Ann was the inspiration for the Gerber Baby.

You must have been a beautiful baby, an old song once said. And little Ann certainly was lovely. So lovely, in fact, that when she was just a few months old a neighbor decided to sketch her.

Dorothy Hope Smith was a noted commercial artist. Among her many artistic accomplishments was drawing a series of famous Ivory Soap Baby illustrations for Procter & Gamble.

Dorothy appreciated the twinkle in little Anns eyes and set about rendering her likeness in charcoal. Everyone in the neighborhood agreed it was a lovely sketch.

And so it might have remained until some unknown advertising genius came up with a bright idea in 1928. Gerber was preparing to launch a new line of baby foods. It held a competition to find the Gerber Baby.

Friends told Dorothy she should submit her sketch of baby Ann. The artist argued it was just a preliminary drawing and wasnt finished. But she apparently thought, What have I got to lose? and mailed off the etching along with a letter asking what age baby they wanted and how big the ad would be. She said she would finish the sketch later if it was chosen.

The company was flooded with thousands of entries showing little darlings of shapes, ages, and sizes. And Gerber picked Anns portrait from them all. Dorothy was flattered and promised to complete the drawing. Dont touch it! the Gerber folks told her. They loved the drawings simplicity and directness.

Dorothy received a $300 prize (about $5,000 today) and Ann gained advertising immortality. Her face graced millions of jars of food that fed her peers, their children, their grandchildren, their great-grandchildren, and now their great-great-grandchildren.

With her infant modeling days behind her, Ann went on to earn several college degrees, including a masters in education. She taught English at elementary, middle, and high schools in Florida for many years, and even found time to write a series of mystery novels set on Floridas Gulf Coast. While her early claim to fame was always fun to talk about, she never traded on it well, except perhaps for a featured guest appearance in a 1990 episode of To Tell the Truth.

On a related note, a persistent Urban Myth surrounds the famous face on the baby food bottle. It says 1940s movie tough guy Humphrey Bogart posed for the drawing as an infant. You know, the star who portrayed cynical Rick Blaine in Casablanca, shady detective Sam Spade in The Maltese Falcon, and grizzled Charlie Allnut in The African Queen. Not the kind of image that appeals to moms buying food for babies.

But its easy to see how the mix-up started. Bogarts mother Maud Humphrey was a well-known commercial illustrator in the early 1900s. She was so successful, her artwork earned more money than her husband, a cardiopulmonary surgeon, made! And she did, in fact, use a drawing of her young son in a Mellins Baby Food advertising campaign. But Bogart was not the Gerber Baby.

So, a belated happy 95th birthday, Ann. As Bogie would have said, Heres looking at you, kid.

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Holy Cow! History: Meet the Real Gerber Baby InsideSources - InsideSources

Bill Sheehan

THE WASHINGTON POST For more than 30 years, Britains Kim Newman has been producing thoroughly entertaining, startlingly original fiction. He has remained something of a cult figure on both sides of the Atlantic, but that situation could and should change with the publication of his immersive new horror thriller, Something More Than Night.

For readers unfamiliar with Newmans work, here are some points worth noting. First, much of that work takes place within a coherent fictional universe in which a large cast of revolving characters moves freely from one story to another. Something More Than Night is a wholly independent narrative, but it, too, contains echoes and reflections of the authors earlier fiction.

Second, Newmans narratives are steeped in the large and small details of popular culture the books, TV shows and movies that have influenced us all. His magnum opus is the multivolume Anno Dracula series, which takes Bram Stokers original novel and turns it on its head, positing a world in which Stokers vampire-hunting heroes failed to destroy Count Dracula, ushering in a bizarre new future in which vampirism runs rampant.

The series is both ingenious and utterly addictive.

Youve never read anything quite like it.

The same can be said of Newmans latest. Though smaller in scale than the Anno Dracula novels, it is equally clever and equally indebted to popular culture. The story takes place in Los Angeles in the late 30s.

The protagonists are an unlikely pair who came to prominence during that era: RT (mystery novelist Raymond Chandler) and Billy (aka William Pratt, better known as Frankenstein actor Boris Karloff). In Newmans version, these men who never met in real life share a common history. Both are English public school men who met on the cricket pitch at Dulwich College.

Both, in their youth, were touched by an agent of the supernatural. That touch marked them for life and precipitated a series of paranormal adventures only hinted at here. The latest of these adventures forms the substance of Something More Than Night.

The story begins with a phone call in the middle of the night, as Chandler and Karloff are summoned to an apparent homicide at the Santa Monica Pier. The scene has been staged to resemble a similar murder from Chandlers debut novel, The Big Sleep. But this victims face has been obliterated with a shotgun, making this a far grislier murder than anything Chandler ever devised. The crime, Karloff notes, brings the separate worlds of Mystery and Horror together. As the narrative proceeds, Horror will soon become the dominant element.

The victim is quickly identified as Joh Devlin, private investigator, pulp fiction writer and partial model for Chandlers iconic detective, Philip Marlowe. Three years earlier, the trio had investigated a sensational incident that came to be known as The Home House mystery: Ward Home Jr, wealthy head of Pyramid Pictures, was seen running from his home engulfed in flames, then disappeared into the night. The case became the focus of intense public scrutiny, but the details of what happened were never revealed.

What Chandler discovers in the basement of Home House takes him far from Marlowes familiar world of cheap hoods, crooked cops and dangerous dames, and into a world that Karloff might call home.

Following the trail of the burning man back to its source, the three detectives encounter a literal mad scientists lab that bears a distinct resemblance to the one in which the Frankenstein monster came to life in James Whales classic film.

Suspended within electrified devices mounted on the wall are four people only one of them still living.

All were participants in a Promethean experiment aimed at extending the human life span.

That mad quest for immortality is only one thread in an intricate narrative that encompasses witchcraft, impossible transformations, hairbreadth escapes, killer clowns and an assortment of innovative murders.

My favourite: death by means of a poisoned pie-in-the-face. Slapstick comedy and supernatural terror are a hard combination to bring off. Newman makes it look easy.

Beneath the Gothic extravagance of its plot, the books success rests on a foundation of seamlessly integrated research and convincing, empathetic characterisations. Newmans Karloff is a vulnerable, thoroughly decent figure who will go through many changes and emerge more human than before.

Chandler, our narrator and reluctant hero, is a man with a history of hard drinking and a penchant for womanising. He has been shaped, in large part, by his experience as an English public school man and is haunted by indelible memories of the Great War. In a clear, level voice, he guides us through a midnight world that is darker and infinitely stranger than his own literary imaginings. It is a journey well worth taking.

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Pop-culture icons team up to fight crimes Borneo Bulletin Online - Borneo Bulletin Online