Category Archives: Immortality

Nightcrawler looks upon the garden of Eden, and sees only weeds among its flowers.Image: Bob Quinn and Java Tartaglia/Marvel Comics

Mutantkind has changed. No longer societal outcasts but a global, independent power of their own, the Dawn of X at Marvel Comics has seen the X-Men and other mutants rise as a new kind of societybut one among them is starting to wonder what the spiritual cost of their collective rebirth really is: Nightcrawler.

The bold re-alignment of mutantkinds place in the Marvel Comics oeuvre underneath the guidance of Jonathan Hickman since House of X and Powers of X has dramatically flipped the lid on what it means to be a mutant. Since the arrival of Krakoa as a sovereign nation, the mutant peoples of Earth have come together in a form of unity unseen in eons. Its more than just a new home, a new government, a new approach to the outside world both amicable yet isolationist in equal measure. Krakoa has brought with it the seeming antidote to decades of persecution and decimation that has driven X-books for years: Mutants have defeated death itself, and through the powers of Krakoan resurrection, they are ascendant.

In the years since HoXPoX, there have been series across the X-catalog that touch on the fact that the X-Men and their fellow mutants ability to just cheat death is pushing their new society down dark, disturbing paths. But this week, the first issue of Way of Xby Si Spurrier, Bob Quinn, Java Tartaglia, Clayton Cowles, and X-Team designer Tom Mulleris the first time one of these books of this hopeful new era has really taken a step back and to question if there is something deeply rotten in the state of Krakoa.

Deep down, it comes to a singular question: what is faith when you live in Edens garden?

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Way of X centers this question on perhaps the most spiritual of the X-Men, Kurt Wagner, the Nightcrawler. On Krakoa, Kurt has been an important figurenot just an operative on the X-Team but one of its leading council. Hes the one who helped establish Krakoan societys core tenants, forged the founding of it as a nation with one simple rule: Make More Mutants. But he is also naturally the perfect lens to frame the concept of mutant spirituality through; a former man of the cloth and a devout Catholic, faith has been at the core of who Kurt is as a person for much of his Marvel comics lifea life that has seen him face cosmic gods, confront his hellish upbringing, and face death and rebirth even before Krakoa made that a mundanity of a new, blessed kind of life. His faith has never left him, a choice to believe in a life of the unbelievable.

But Krakoa has begun to test it.

Way of X sees Kurt more isolated from his fellow mutants than seemingly ever, as questions claw at his consciousness, questions whose voices grow only louder when he begins to see cracks in his society that we as readers have been speculating about ever since the early days of House and Powers. Even having experienced it himself, Kurt has become fascinated and haunted by mutants new approach to resurrectionand what the belief that death is just a momentary status, an annoyance rather than the ultimate arbiter of a persons being, has done to every single mutant who calls Krakoa home.

Surrounded by young people who see death not as something to be feared, but to be chased and experiencedtheir lives thrown away with a casualness that, to them, reads as confidence but to Kurt reads as something chillingthe X-Mens usually chipper teleporting trapeze artist finds himself in a crisis of faith hes not seen in years. Krakoan Resurrection, Kurt believes, has already fundamentally changed mutants as we know it, and not entirely for the better. Death by death, rebirth by rebirth, the very soul of Mutantkind is being chipped away to leave something much darker in its stead.

Whether its watching fellow teammate Pixie gleefully embrace a shotgun-blast to the face from an anti-mutant terrorist to the cheers and glee of her allies, or even pondering the role his own faitha human faithhas in a distinctly mutant society, Kurt finds himself seeing a coolness behind his companions seeming joy at making death an impossibility. Without death as a factor, he sees a society that is more than just alien from a biological standpoint, but almost alien from a spiritual, moralistic standpoint. What does it mean to sacrifice, if you know it is only for a moment? What does judgment mean when taking a life is not the ultimate act, but a crucible for rebirth? Can mutants be, as people say of Kurt throughout Way of X #1, the kindly ones, when immortality has slowly begun to rob them of a moral core?

These questions dont just plague Kurt on a personal level as he contrasts his faith with his new life on Krakoa, they also allow Way of X to begin answering another question readers have been dying to see answered since House and Powers of X founded this nation in the first place. Watching nation-making happening is fascinating, sure enough, but whats its actually like to live in the nation you have made for yourself?

Part of life in any society is some kind of belief system. Connecting an entirely new society of the size of Krakoa bleeds into theoretical concepts like Dunbars numberthe belief that after a certain limit, the number of cognitive connections an individual can make with other people can only increase on abstract rather than personal levels, through ideas like law, faith, and mythologies. Its a concept namechecked in the issue itself, when an angst-ridden Kurt crosses paths with kooky mutant scientist/occasional megalomaniac Doctor Nemesis (whos taken to growing Krakoan fungi out of his own head as an experiment).

As it turns out, Krakoa isnt exactly lacking in those ideas, even as were repeatedly reminded in this issue by those around him that Kurt has been trying, and mostly failing, to create some kind of new mutant-based faith system. While Kurt has not managed to do so yet, certain kinds of rituals and mythologies have already begun to crop up in paradise... and theyre not exactly quite so comforting as whatever system he had hoped to conceive.

When Kurt first crosses paths with Nemesis, for example, hes watching over a campfire gathering of young children, being told tales of the Great Pretender, a boogeyman-like term adopted for Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch, after her decimation of Mutantkind in House of M. The children in turn counter with another dark myth of their own, a thread interwoven throughout the background of Way of X: the Patchwork Man, a shadowy figure that apparently stalks Krakoa psychically suggesting dark acts or mutilating people. Then theres the ritual Kurt seemingly hates most of all in paradise: the Crucible, a trial-by-combat that allows Mutants depowered by Wandas chaos magic to be reborn with their abilities restored.

We get to see a particularly horrifying example of it in action, in fact. A mutant wed seen earlier begging Kurt for help, as one of those aforementioned kindly ones (he brushed them off thinking they simply needed directions) ends up facing the Crucibles most ardent defender, Magneto. The mutant, named only as Lost, was instead begging for Kurt to be her Crucible opponent, it turns out. It also turns out opponent is not exactly the right word. Crucible participants are choosing an executioner, as crowds whoop and wail that their brutal death at a fellow mutants hands is actually joyous, the indicator that one of their kind once taken from them is about to return to the fold.

Kurt is horrified, as likewise we are intended to be, but it all comes back to that central question: what do faith and morality look like in a world of abundance, what are ethics in a world where death is no longer one of lifes constants? They look like this: cold, cruel, calculated, and distant. They look wrong. And maybe it is, as an unseen narrator opens the issue (one heavily suggested to be Kurt, writing the beginning of what could become his Krakoan faith), an anxiety arisen from outdated modes of thought rooted in the outside world. We are, after all, aliens looking into the window of this new society and what it is meant to bebut the factthat Kurt feels as we as an audience are meant to shows just where cracks are starting to appear in Krakoas bountiful paradise.

Nightcrawler doesnt have all the answers just yet but hes trying to find some semblance of them. With the Dawn of X having laid the foundations of this new mutant world, watching one of their own wrestle with the heady idea of how to live in its imperfect perfection is already proving to be one of the most fascinating X-series on shelves.

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The X-Men Are Losing Their Soul, and Nightcrawler Wants to Find It - Gizmodo

Heart disease kills more people than anything else in the United States. According to the CDC, almost 660,000 people lost their lives to heart disease in 2019. But what about heart transplants, you might ask? Well, organ donors are in extremely short supply, and 17 people die every single day waiting for an organ transplant. And, of course, many do not have insurance that covers the procedure, and not everyone with heart disease is a good candidate for a transplant.

So, its a pretty slow process. And generally, the longer a patient waits for a transplant, the lower the life expectancy after surgery. So, why can't we just make a new heart? It turns out we can thanks to artificial heart technology.

Artificial hearts arent new to medicine, theyve been in use in patients for several decades. They are usually used as a short-to-medium-term solution with very sick patients who waiting for a heart transplant or those who are ineligible for a transplant. And although the technology isnt quite at a sci-fi level yet, were getting closer to a self-sustaining, fully artificial heart each day.

An artificial heart is an electronic device capable of maintaining the circulation of blood in the body. Broadly speaking, there are two main kinds of artificial hearts the mechanical heart and the heart-lung machine.

As you could probably guess the mechanical heart functions as a regular heart it simply pumps blood. The heart-lung machine on the other hand also oxygenates the blood in addition to pumping it for circulation. This type of machine is typically used when a patient is undergoing heart surgery.

Under non-surgical situations, however, the kind of artificial heart prescribed to patients is the mechanical heart. Interestingly, there are also two main groups of mechanical hearts ventricular assist devices (VADs) and total artificial heart (TAH).

Now, heres the thing the left and right ventricles are the hardest working parts of the heat.The rightventriclepumps the oxygen-poor blood to the lungs. The left atrium receives oxygen-rich blood from the lungs and pumps it to the leftventricle. The leftventriclethen pumps the oxygen-rich blood through the aortic valve out to the rest of the body.

Because it is the left ventricle that is responsible for pumping blood to the body, it is the strongest of the chambers. So, in the case of heart failure, the left ventricle is often the most likely part of the heart to need extra help. If this is the case, doctors will typically insert a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) if other efforts to manage the condition have failed.

On the flip side, there are times when an LVAD alone wont do the trick, so the patient will need a total artificial heart (TAH). Currently, TAHs are a last resort that are only used with patients who cant benefit from LVADs or are waiting for a heart transplant.

So, who invented the artificial heart? Well, its not that simple, because no one person can take all the credit. That said, the idea of mechanical circulatory support was first introduced by Julien LeGallois way back in 1812. But this remained a theory until 1937 when Vladimir P. Demikhov developed the first total artificial heart and conducted the worlds first coronary artery bypass surgery.

The earliest version of LVADs was developed in the 1960s and they were big machines the patients were hooked up to. In 1982, Dr. Robert Jarvik created the worlds first permanent artificial heart, which was successfully transplanted into patient Barney Clark, who went on to live for 112 days.

Although these early artificial hearts werent exactly user-friendly, many scientists and engineers across the globe made it their lifes work to create more efficient designs small enough to fit into a mans chest and strong enough to beat 35 million times per year. And although were not quite there yet, were not that far away either.

These days, artificial hearts are typically small devices that are implanted into the patient and connected to a portable external controller through tubes that exit the skin. That said, the technology and operating mechanisms of artificial hearts can vary widely. For instance, in 2017, a group of Chinese researchers created an artificial heart based on rocket technology. The heart utilizes magnetic and fluid levitation to minimize friction. This allows it to boost its operational efficiency and help the power generator last longer.

Later in the same year, a group of Swiz engineers developed a soft total artificial heart that actually beats. The coolest part is that they utilized 3-D-printing technology, using silicone as the base material. In the end, the heart weighed only 13.8 ounces and was able to pump fluid with pretty much the same rhythm as a human heart. However, the prototype only beats for about 30 minutes, so its going to take a while before it goes mainstream.

In 2018, researchers at the Oregon Health and Science University announced they were developing an artificial heart which contains a single moving piece with no valves. They believe it could be the first TAH that could last the rest of a persons life.The OHSU artificial heart replaces both ventricles with a titanium tube containing a hollow rod that moves back and forth, pushing blood to the lungs and then through the rest of the body.

More recently, Carmat announced its latest artificial heart that can control blood flow in real-time. How does that work? Well, its equipped with sensors that help detect the users blood pressure based on their activity level and in response, the devices algorithm regulates blood flow. The entire device weighs about 2 pounds and contains batteries that can last about 4 hours.

Currently, the average life expectancy of a patient on the artificial heart is one year. But patients have been reported to live up to 4 years on these devices. Despite all these exciting advancements, there are still a few major hurdles to scale before we arrive at a permanent solution for a failing heart.

In a recent article, Tchantchaleishvili and Philips shared some insight on the limitations currently facing artificial heart technology. And one of them is getting an implantable energy source powerful enough to sustain the device for a lifetime and thats a lot of power! Because of the current limitations in battery technology, the authors argue that the only way to generate this much power is through Plutonium238. But perhaps due to terrorism fears, and fears of accidental exposure, artificial hearts wont be going nuclear anytime soon. So, the possibility of a fully implantable artificial heart may not be on the horizon for a few more years at least

Biocompatibility is another very important challenge. For instance, blood clots are one of the possible complications of artificial hearts. And this can lead to stroke if not quickly managed. That said, the chances of blood clots are much lower these days, thanks to the tremendous development in anti-clotting medications and materials science.

The road to immortality may start with an invulnerable heart, but its going to take a lot more than that for humans to live forever the human body is just too complex. At the very least, were going to need a technology that allows our cells to regenerate infinitely. And it may not be so far away. Researchers at Northwestern University have already figured out a way of turning off the genetic switch responsible for aging in worms so, fingers crossed.

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Artificial Hearts: Could They Be the Key to Immortality? - Interesting Engineering

New research suggests that people who dont believe in the existence of a literal afterlife are more likely to strive for symbolic immortality by fusing their identity with their nation. The findings, which appear in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, shed light on the ways that people psychologically manage the terror of death.

At first, we really just set out to test what seemed at the time an intuitive and somewhat simple hypothesis derived from terror management theory: If cultures are or contain our immortality projects, people should be motivated to perceive them as long-lasting, especially when death is salient, said study author Andy Scott of the University of Alberta.

As is often the case with psychological research, it turned out to be more complicated and interesting than we expected. The project ended up being instead about the interplay between incongruent immortality projects.

An initial study of 90 Canadian undergraduate students found evidence that people who strongly identified with their nation increased how long they believed their nation would last after being reminded of death.

Half of the participants were randomly assigned to write about their own death, while the other half wrote about experiencing dental pain. After completing some other psychological assessments, the participants then indicated how long they believed Canada would continue to exist on a continuous scale that ranged from 0 years to 10,000 or more years.

Canadians who strongly identified with their nation increased their cultural longevity estimates by 2,382 years on average after being reminded of their own death.

But when the researchers tried to replicate the findings in a second study with another 116 Canadian undergraduate students, they found no evidence that reminders of death were associated national longevity. This failure prompted exploratory analyses that ultimately led to the critical addition of afterlife belief as a moderator variable in the subsequent studies, the researchers explained.

In four subsequent studies, which included 1,012 American citizens in total, Scott and his colleagues found that the link between reminders of death and beliefs about the longevity of ones nation was dependent on two factors: highly identifying with American culture and not holding strong beliefs in the existence of an afterlife.

In addition, the researchers found that, among those who did not believe in an afterlife, the perceived longevity of the United States was associated with decreased levels of death anxiety.

The main takeaway in my view is that we all seem to have the same need to overcome the finality of death but we meet this need in many different and interesting ways, Scott told PsyPost. Moreover, it appears that people who have a route to literal immortality (a belief in an afterlife) have less motivation to pursue and maintain secular-symbolic avenues to immortality, possibly because they already feel like they have all the immortality they need.

Another (not incompatible) reason this might occur is that many religions teach their adherents that earthly pursuits (i.e., things that will grant you symbolic immortality) dont align with living a religious, sin free life, Scott explained.

But the study like all research includes some caveats.

We only looked at this phenomenon in a North American context and this could (and should, according to the theory) matter in interesting ways; we have little idea what would happen if we ran similar studies in cultures with less separation of church and state, or in cultures with less of a focus on national pride, for example, Scott said.

There is also important work to be done in figuring out whether it is better for ourselves and those around us to strongly cling to one immortality project or to curate a multipronged approach to living on after death. Another related question that has been taken up recently by several labs is what the transition from religious to secular systems of belief involves and how people and societies manage existential concerns during this transition period.

The new research was based on terror management theory, which holds that attempts to manage feelings evoked by the awareness of our own mortality is a strong motivator behind a variety of beliefs and behaviors.

I always appreciate when people point to stuff I can read to learn more about a topic, so Ill end by recommending a couple of books for anyone who found this research intriguing, Scott added. If youre interested in the varieties and history of immortality projects, the bookImmortalityby Stephen Cave (2012) is a great place to start. If you want to learn more about terror management theory, check outThe Worm at the Coreby the originators of the theory (Sheldon Solomon, Jeff Greenberg and Tom Pyszczynski; 2015).

The study, Long live A(me)rica! An examination of the interplay between nationalistic-symbolic immortality striving and belief in life after death, was authored by Andy Scott, Jeff Schimel, and Michael Sharp.

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New study sheds light on the interplay between belief in an afterlife and secular-symbolic avenues to immortality - PsyPost

People throughout history have sought the key to immortality. A multitude of paths and dead ends have been explored ranging from the possible to the fanciful. Some have looked for the fountain of youth, the Holy Grail or a secret potion while others have looked to science, surgery, and supplements to prolong life. Religions and worldviews have put forth competing beliefs about what happens to people after death and how to prepare for it. The quest for answers is strong and primal an eternal longing in our hearts, a yearning for a life that never ends.

The quest for immortality would not be relevant unless death was a common ailment of humanity. It is. All have contributed to sin which results in death for all. All will die and life will end even for the smart, wealthy, good, and famous. Every person needs to come to terms with this sobering fact and find the key to eternal life before the hearts last beat.

Jesus to the rescue

Jesus came to earth and talked about the key to the death problem. He talked about another Kingdom, one that was different than the Kingdom of this world; a Kingdom that would never end, a Kingdom where death, pain, and suffering were no more. He said that we must be born again in order to see and enter the Kingdom of God (John 3). Furthermore, death and resurrection were necessary to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

According to Jesus, the key to the death problem is resurrection from the dead. This poses another problem, how are we resurrected? Certainly we cannot resurrect ourselves. We simply dont have the power and skill to do it. We are utterly dependent upon someone with the power, wisdom, and authority to resurrect us.

Only God can resurrect a dead person. Sure, medical personnel can resuscitate people with assisted breathing and a jolt of electricity. But, only God can resurrect a life when the blood has stopped circulating for days, the organs no longer function, and the cells have turned to mush.

Jesus not only talked about the death problem but he solved the death problem. Jesus predicted that he must die and rise again to conquer death once and for all. He made good on his prediction and to the amazement of his followers, He physically rose from the dead never to die again. He showed himself alive to hundreds of witnesses after his death this was no fairy tale or figment of the imagination he walked, talked, and ate with them and let them touch him. He showed us that resurrection was possible.

All invited few enter

This possibility of resurrection to eternal life is available to all but only a few find it (Matthew 7:13-14). It is surprising that few find it despite widespread invitation and access to the truth. Those that know, believe, and place their faith in Jesus, are welcomed to heaven and those that do not, dont. Followers of Jesus can have full confidence that they have eternal life (1 John 5:11-13) and those that seek him will find him.

It is not necessary to search for the fountain of youth, the Holy Grail, or scientific discovery to overcome mortality these have never and will never work. Jesus proved that death could be conquered through the power of resurrection and was the first among many to take this path. Resurrection is the only mechanism by which death is defeated and eternal life is entered. Death does not have to have the final word or victory.

The good news is that God invites everyone to inherit eternal life through the power of resurrection. Jesus is the resurrection and eternal life and belief in him is the path to immortality. God desires everyone to receive eternal life and he spared no expense to pay for the gift of eternal life for all people. How will you respond to Gods invitation to eternal life?

Todd Pearsons, Ph.D., is a minister with Increase International Christian Church.

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Messages of Faith: Resurrection is the answer for immortality - Daily Record-News

published : 15 Apr 2021 at 04:00

Cautionary tales of the human pursuit of immortality -- be it animating a lifeless corpse or inventing new species -- have been passed down for generations. However, rarely does anyone recount the story of Chinese explorer Xu Fu, known as Seobok in Korean. In those days, Chinese Emperor Qin Shi Huang had ordered Xu Fu to sail east in search of the elixir of life. The legend has now inspired the new sci-fi action blockbuster Seobok, which features an all-star cast with over 250 million baht invested in its production.

In the movie, Ki Heon (Gong Yoo), an ex-intelligence agent who is terminally ill, is sent on a mission to protect and transport Seobok (Park Bo-gum), a genetically modified human clone who grows up two times faster and holds the secret to eternal life, to a safe place. However, they come under attack from those who want to lay hands on this specimen.

There are emotional scenes because Ki Heon quarrels with Seobok who sees the real world for the first time. Gong Yoo said the director told him to use Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise's relationship in Rain Man for reference. The trailer shows the coming of age of the 10-year-old human clone who leads a cloistered life in a laboratory where he is subject to experiments. He learns about the outside world through books. When he is with his guardian Ki Heon, he gets the chance to wear colourful clothes, eat instant noodles and meet real people.

"Living a life is beautiful," he says while looking at a field in sunlight.

Director Lee Yong-joo, the mastermind behind Living Death (2009) and Architecture 101 (2012), breaks new ground with two male protagonists. When he drafted the plot, Lee considered creating a female clone but he changed his mind because if there is a romantic relationship, it will be a clich. He believes that human cloning will happen very soon, but the only problem is its breach of ethics.

The film comes a decade after the dystopian predecessor Never Let Me Go (2010) explored the fate of Hailsham students who were cloned for organ harvest. It is an adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's eponymous novel. His recent work Klara And The Sun also touches on the relationship between robots and humans.

Mongkol Cinema is the local distributor of Seobok. It had postponed the release date from Dec 30 last year. It was premiered in special rounds on Monday and will be on general release from today.

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Exploring immortality and the value of life - Bangkok Post - Bangkok Post

The April 15 Overwatch patch brought in a slew of changes to multiple heroes, and the player base is not pleased with the direction the developers are taking the game.

Currently, Overwatch is in a rush-down meta, which consists of brawly heroes such as Reinhardt, Mei, and Reaper being speed boosted into the enemy team to assassinate targets.

One big problem with this meta stems from Baptistes Immortality Field being able to save teammates with ease something the developers tried to address by rebalancing the supports kit.

Sadly, the changes are leaving a lot to be desired, as Immortality Field will still be able to keep players alive just with a little less health than before. As streamer Warn pointed out, this doesnt really change things.

Im sorry, this doesnt change the fundamental value of an ability that keeps an entire team alive through every ultimate of every fight off cooldown! the Ashe main exclaimed. Please PlayOverwatch consider damage reduction over immortality.

Additionally, to compensate for the Immortality Field nerf, the devs increased Baptistes healing when landing direct shots. This, too, has players annoyed.

140 healing directs through Bap window Im sad, remarked OWL pro Charlie Nero Zwarg, referring to how much healing Baptiste can do now when firing through Amplification Matrix.

Why [do] they always give broken heroes redeeming buffs that end up being better than the nerf? asked Dante Danteh Cruz, who was a bit baffled by the changes made to the hero.

Elsewhere, Contenders Korea pro Sang-hoon Kaiser Ryu called the patch probably the worst hes seen.

Rein comps are rarely seen in KR competitive and monkey comps are used more, he said, remarking on how Reinhardt had his health nerfed a touch.

This was echoed by popular Twitch streamer Flats, who believes that the meta was changing from Reinhardt anyway and moving towards double bubble consisting of Winston and Zarya.

However, with the buffs to Orisa and Roadhog, it seems like Winston may not even have much time to shine.

Finally, players are already calling for Moiras huge Orb buff to be reverted. In a clip posted on Twitter, a player showed how they were able to constantly stay alive against a Winston and even a Brigitte by constantly spamming the Biotic Orb.

Nerf Moira, the player captioned the clip.

Of course, because these changes are still on the Experimental Card, theres a chance not all of them hit the live servers but very rarely does Blizzard ever hold back on changes once theyve been approved for testing.

In any case, well have to see if the Overwatch devs listen up or if were headed towards a bizarre and even more controversial meta.

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Overwatch players are furious at the worst Experimental patch yet - Dexerto

Its 10:15 PM on Saturday, March 27th. Ive just finished watchingTina, the HBO documentary about the incomparable Tina Turner. The two-hour doc was filled with stunning footage and stories from Turners remarkable career, but it was the films ending that is really staying with me.

Tinacomes to a close with Turner and her husband,Erwin Bach, traveling from their home in Switzerland to New York City in November 2019 for the Broadway opening ofTINA: The Tina Turner Musical. Over footage from the star-studded event, Bach says the following:

She said, Im going to America, and Im going to say goodbye to my American fans and wrap it up. And I think this documentary and the play, this is it. Its a closure. A closure.

Tina Turner doesnt have to perform a single note ever again. She doesnt owe any of us a thing more. But shes still owed one more thing in order for this closure to be complete with me and likely countless other fans the world over: She needs to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist in the 2021 class.

While she was inducted into the Rock Hall in 1991 as part of Ike & Tina Turner, Tina the solo artist has been eligible for induction since 1999. It would have been a nice touch to see her inducted in her first year of eligibility: her final studio album, Twenty Four Seven, was released that year.(Although many regard 1984s Private Dancer as her debut solo album, she has been putting out solo albums since 1974s Tina Turns the Country On!) It also goes without saying that she was more successful and impactful as a solo artist than she was with Ike Turner.

Plenty has been written by myself and countless others about the Rock Halls lack of women inductees; women account for less thaneight percentof artist inductees. The fact that it took until 2019, when Stevie Nicks became the first double-inductee, is ridiculous. Over twenty men have been inducted twice; Eric Clapton has been inducted three times. While Nicks solo honor was more than deserved, she shouldnt have been the Rock Halls first woman double-inductee.

It should have been Tina. AndTina, the documentary, makes the case that Turners solo career is more than worthy of induction. From the cotton fields of Tennessee to selling out the biggest stadiums in the world, shes done it all while simultaneously overcoming at times horrific odds. She paved the way forBeyonc, Taylor and any other musician recognized by just one name to become superstars. They all owe a debt to Tina, someone who achieved that worldwide stardom in her mid-40s, which is a staggering feat that also doesnt get enough attention. Becoming a headliner as an up-and-coming artist is one thing, but to do so while battling ageism AND crossing over multiple musical genres is another.

The figures and the powers-that-be at the Rock Hall both past and present cant go back in time and induct Tina as a solo artist two decades ago, but they can right one major wrong by inducting her this year, which is also somehow the first time she has been nominated as a solo artist.

Rock Hall voters have about a month left to submit their ballots for the 2021 class. Every single voter would have to be a fool not to mark Tina as one of their five selections.

And if they are somehowstillon the fence, just watchTina.

Erica Banas is a rock/classic rock news blogger who's well versed in etiquette and extraordinarily nice.

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'Tina': The Ultimate Thesis of Why She Deserves Rock Hall Immortality - wmgk.com

The 2021 Indian Derby will be the 79th running of the prestigious event on the Indian racing calendar and the sixth consecutive year Kingfisher Ultra will be associated with the RWITC. However, this year it will be a closed-door affair, with only a limited number of people allowed at the Mahalaxmi racecourse.

Seventeen races have been framed for the Derby weekend (March 27 and 28) with the total prize money for Indian Derby being 1.52 crore and the winners purse worth 91.5 lakh.

According to the present form and record among the 13 contestants vying for premier honours, the three contenders to watch out are Lagarde, Immortality and Forest Flame.

Bengaluru-based trainer Suleiman Attaollahi, who has not yet tasted the success of winning this blue riband event, has two prime contenders in Lagarde and Forest Flame.

Top colt Lagarde stands tall with five wins out of six races in his career, including the Bangalore Derby & 2000 Guineas, Indian 2000 Guineas, and the Ruia Cup over 2000m here.

Attaollahis queen filly Forest Flame, who has won 5 out of her 7 starts, was beaten by stablemate Lagarde in the Bangalore Derby and was pipped at the post by Immortality in the Indian Oaks. She maintains her form, and having gone over the 2,400m trip twice, is capable of avenging the above defeats.

Trainer Pesi Shroffs champion filly Immortality, who ran last in her debut as a two-year-old, has shown a vast improvement this year by winning a Class 4 race over a mile, the Golconda Oaks, and the Indian Oaks over 2,400m. She is in great heart as evidenced by her track performances and may add another feather to her hat.

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Three top contenders in the fray for Indian Derby - The Hindu

Nature is full of crazy creatures that defy all logic, and nothing is more astonishing than animals that can live to be older than humans. Some of the oldest animals in the world have lived since the time of Charles Darwin, and some survivors that may have been around during the time of the last mammoths.

It's important to study these rare creatures as they (longest-lived animals) can teach us a lot about the aging process. Sometimes estimates are exaggerated, but age testing in these animals is very complex and relatively accurate.These ancient animals are believed to be some of the world's oldest things and, as technologies improve, we get a better understanding of them.

(Photo : Getty Images)

In 2007, researchers examining a dead clam discovered that they may have accidentally killed one of the oldest creatures in the world. The Ming clam, which was later named, is one of 200 clams collected from a glacial shelf in Iceland. It died after freezing and was taken to a research laboratory.

Age: 405 Years

This little jellyfish is no bigger than your pink claw, but hidden inside that little body is the key to immortality. When faced with a threat, a long-immortal jellyfish can return to its larval stage and start life again.

This process, called transdifferentiation, can be triggered by starvation, injury, and other pre-existing threats. This process could theoretically allow these jellies to live forever, although verifying the age of any individual would be difficult.

Age: Infinity Years

Estimates for the age of this animal are surprising but, if true, it is probably the oldest living organism on the planet. Some scientists believe that giant Arctic sponges could live for thousands of years.

These sponges, which belong to the Hexactinellida group, may owe their length to their slow growth rate and the frigid waters of the deep ocean. Some estimates place the age of individuals as high as 23,000 years old, but most agree that the number is probably inaccurate.

Age: 15,000 Years

Also Read:Ancient Foxes Relied On Human Leftover Foods for 42 Millennia

These amazing living sharks are native to the icy waters of the Arctic, and a female specimen is estimated at nearly 400. Biologists have used carbon dating in proteins found in the lenses of shark eyes when the animal is old. Their discovery completely changed the view of scientists on this animal.

Age: 392 Years

Reptiles can only be seen in New Zealand, where one member of the species has managed to breed 11 healthy babies at the impressive age of 111. Some estimates claim that the tuataras can live upto 250, an impressive number for a small animal.

Age: 250 Years

The oldest mammal in the world, bowhead whales, can live to be over 200 years old. Researchers came up with this after finding traditional stone harpists made by native Alaskans stuck to the skins of living whales. The researchers ran tests on tissue samples from multiple bowheads and found four individuals over 100 years old.

Age: 211 Years

A 2003 study on the lifespan of red sea urchins concluded that these amazing invertebrates can live more than 200 years without any significant signs of aging. Scientists believe that a 100-year-old female can reproduce as easily as an urchin 1/10 of that age. Two different dating methods work to determine their age, and both offer the same conclusion.

Age: Over 200 Years

(Photo : Getty Images)

Tu'i Malila lived to be one of the oldest recorded turtles of all time, having spent most of his life at the Royal Palace of Tonga. Although the turtle died in 1965 at the estimated age of 188, Tu'i Malila remains a legend to this day.

Age: 188 Years

Related Article:Ancient Dog Fact You Didn't Know That Scientists Found Out Today

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Immortal Jellyfish, Radiated Tortoise, and More: 11 Ancient Animals Older Than Every Human on Earth - Nature World News

Keanu Reeves always wanted to play Wolverine on screen, and now with Netflix's BRZRKR film on the way, fans can see what he would have been like.

Keanu Reeves BRZRKR comic is being adapted as both a live-action film and anime series at Netflix, providing a fun look at what the John Wick star could look like as the MCUs Wolverine. In the wake of Hugh Jackmans retirement from the iconic role and Disneys acquisition of Fox, many theories have circulated as to how mutants will be introduced to the MCU, and who could play the new versions of the X-Men. Though Keanu Reeves is likely too old at this point to be in the running for the part of Wolverine, BRZRKR will show what his version of the character may have been like.

BRZRKR follows the story of B, an immortal warrior, half-god and half-man, cursed to wander the Earth for eternity in a chain of violent battles. The character lives for 80,000 years, eventually becoming a secret weapon of the U.S. government. Reeves created the character of B and the story of BRZRKR with writer Matt Kindt, both of which will be fleshed out in the upcoming adaptations from Netflix.

Related:Everything We Know About Keanu Reeves' Netflix Movie & Show BRZRKR

In past interviews, Reeves has said how badly he wanted to play Wolverine in the X-Menfilms.Though hes a longshot to play the character at this point in time, he can show how perfect he would have been in the role through his performance in BRZRKR. Hes starred in numerous action films since The Matrix and has experienced something of a renaissance in the genre in the wake of John Wick, but no character Keanu has played before comes as close to Wolverine as B. From his curse-like immortality to his penchant for violence and his use as a weapon by covert government programs, B is essentially an elseworlds version of X-Mens Logan.

Of course, there are plenty of reasons why Reeves is better suited to an independent property like BRZRKR than actually being part of the MCU. The hyperviolent style of BRZRKR similar to that which helped make Logan so distinct in the superhero genre wouldnt fly as part of Marvels family-friendly brand. Plus, Reeves particular style of action hero is a bit too grizzled for the tone of the MCU, even without the extra blood and gore.

Still, in another world, Reeves could be a perfect Wolverine. While fans will likely never see that hypothetical version of the character, they can get a glimpse at what it would be like when Netflixs BRZRKR film releases. Marvel still hasnt announced plans to bring the X-Men into the MCU, so BRZRKR may actually be the closest thing to a new Wolverine movie fans can expect for some time.

Next:How Nobody's Action Scenes Compare To John Wick

Mark Hamill & Logan Director Boycott Georgia Filming Over Voter Laws

Rick Stevenson is a writer, editor and performer based in Brooklyn, NY. He's written on TV, film and games for over six years, in addition to assorted stints in bookselling, carpentry, and TV production. Rick studied writing at the College of William & Mary and Oxford University, and can report with some authority that they are both old. A comedian and improviser when not writing, he currently performs with Socially Distant Improv on Instagram, and is a founding member of the Oxford University House of Improv. He lives and dies for Avatar: The Last Airbender.

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Keanu Reeves' BRZRKR Can Show Why He'd Be The Perfect MCU Wolverine - Screen Rant