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Category Archives: Immortality

Mark Patinkin’s mom celebrates 73rd Mother’s Day as center of family – The Providence Journal

Posted: May 14, 2023 at 12:12 am

Not long ago, my mother turned 94, but theres a more impressive milestone.

Its her 73rd Mothers Day.

Thats a lot of years being the mom of five sons. I still say five although she lost her eldest, because once you have them, you always do.

God knows how she survived us this long. When I tell people Im one of five boys, the response is the same.

Your poor mother.

It's really six boys, because our old man was a handful, too. At dinner, if you asked him to pass a roll, hed toss it across the table to teach us to catch.

My mom still says, I used to be a nice girl before I came into this family.

But I can attest that in her wheelchair in assisted living, she remains quite the lady.

Despite us.

Including the many times my brother Douglas melted Jell-O in his mouth during meals and gargled it for attention.

When I was 13, we figured out that my eldest brother was born seven months after our parents wedding. Being a brat, I asked my mom if she was a virgin when she was married.

I never had anything to do with any man besides your father, she said.

At which point I repeated the question.

What am I going to do with you?" she said.

What she really wanted was a daughter, and she kept trying after each miss, which is how she ended up with five sons. That led to the kind of life where, on her birthday, we'd give her a bag of Army soldiers, then ask if we could borrow them.

A mother's love: A mother waits 50 years to hear 'I love you, Mom.'

But she didnt seem to mind. To her, it was always about her sons. And being a mom. At the beach, shed spend the whole time on the sand counting, One, two, three, four, five, and repeat.

If you asked me the most important thing she did, Id say this: After mornings of doing the things boys do outside, wed come in, and lunch was always ready, and, most important, she was there.

And there making dinner, too, and though she was no threat to Julia Child, she did it ably, except for the salmon loaf incident of 1966. The less said about that the better.

On the other hand, shell live in immortality for her signature dish, called cheese puffs, arduous to make, but she did it perfectly melted leopard-spotted Cheddar on toasted bread squares. When she served it, even in recent years to her 16 grandkids, it was like tossing food to seagulls, with drive-by thefts off plates.

Take mom out: RI institution Wright's Farm brings fresh ice cream to Providence with new creamery

She was raised a girly-girl but stepped up to things like family camping trips. As we headed out to explore and fish, she stayed on duty at the tent to keep everyone going. During the long drives home, she tried to lead us in a catchy Aussie ballad called Waltzing Matilda. Being brats, we rarely joined in, and if any child is reading this, I suggest that when your own mother tries the same, sing, because if you dont, once you approach Social Security age you will feel guilty about it, as I now do.

We brothers saw her as a mild-mannered contrast to our roughhousing selves, but then came a day at the weekend farm my dad had bought for the family. A 6-six-foot snake crawled from a storage room into the kitchen while she was there alone.

We allegedly bold boys would have gotten the heck out of Dodge, but mindful that her youngest was a baby, and the snake heading God knows where, Mom got a garden hoe and clamped onto its neck while it thrashed, later holding up her kill for a famous family photo. Our dad often said that mama cows may seem timid, but get between one and its calf and it will be fiercer than a bull. Indeed.

Later, during our dating years, when we acted like barbarians, shed say, No girl will ever want you.

But all bets were off if girls werent nice to us.

That rotten Karen hurt my Douglas, didn't she? my mom once asked. I assured her Douglas would survive, but I have no doubt Mom, still today, remains angry at that rotten Karen.

And no one was more present to me during my divorce. Thats when, despite her European Jewish roots, I began to wonder if my mom was part Sicilian.

More Patinkin: With a stifled cry, a father and son have a poignant parting

Admittedly, she can at times be too honest.

Recently, after taking up guitar, I played for her in her assisted living apartment, assuming she would gush, as she always did when I showed her my grammar school artwork. Not exactly.

Mark, she said from her wheelchair, youll get better.

I cannot deny that at 94, my mother is at a challenging life stage. But all who have such a matriarch would doubtless attest that still, despite infirmity, they do a powerful thing.

They remain the center that families gather around.

Thats what Im thinking about on her 73rd Mothers Day the same thing I thought when we came in from a morning of play as kids.

Mom is there.

mpatinki@providencejournal.com

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Mark Patinkin's mom celebrates 73rd Mother's Day as center of family - The Providence Journal

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Deadpool 3 Has A Hilarious Way To Tie Into The MCU Infinity Saga – Screen Rant

Posted: at 12:12 am

One major villain from the MCU's Infinity Saga can return in Deadpool 3 to provide the Merc with a Mouth with the perfect Marvel joke. Deadpool coming to the MCU creates the perfect opportunity for all sorts of jokes at the expense of its existing heroes. Of course, this kind of humor is nothing new for Reynolds' Wade Wilson, but his jokes could now have much deeper MCU connections.

During his career in Fox's superhero franchise, Deadpool made several jabs at the events of the MCU, but his new movie grants access to a wider range of comedic material. Deadpool 3 screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick revealed to Den of Geek that they were excited to be able to mine the MCU for new comedy gold for Ryan Reynolds to bring to life, implying it may be no holds barred for Deadpool's official MCU debut. With decades of Marvel Comics gags to sift through, it's possible that Deadpool 3 could also feature the surprising return of one major Infinity Saga villain, the Mad Titan himself.

For the MCU's Infinity Saga, Marvel Studios changed Thanos' motivation for collecting the Infinity Stones and wiping out half the population of the universe, as his reason in the comics was about love. Thanos' scheme in the comics was all to impress Mistress Death, the embodiment of death itself, whom the villain had become infatuated with. However, Thanos isn't the only character to have a connection to Mistress Death, as Deadpool is also often seen conversing with the entity, falling in love with her after a multitude of near-death-experiences grant him almost unlimited access to Death, who seems to reciprocate his feelings.

This hilarious storyline comes to a head when a jealous Thanos curses Deadpool with immortality, stopping him from dying and making his visits with Mistress Death impossible. This would be a fantastic story to see play out in Deadpool 3, not least because Mistress Death was curiously missing from the MCU's Infinity Saga despite having a major role in the Marvel Comics storyline. Also, this could enable Marvel to bring back Thanos. Though this would probably be only a temporary return, perhaps via a Thanos variant, his appearance alongside Deadpool would provide some excellent material for Wade Wilson to work with.

Related: Infinity War: Why The Original Thanos Lady Death Plan Changed

While Deadpool 3's placement in the MCU means that more Marvel properties can be explored in Deadpool's signature comedic style, that hasn't stopped the antihero from poking fun at the MCU in previous films. In fact, Deadpool and Deadpool 2 in Fox's franchise made jokes about the likes of Hawkeye, the Winter Soldier, and Black Panther, but it was Thanos who got the most attention in Deadpool 2. Josh Brolin helped to bridge this gap, as he portrayed both Thanos in the MCU and Cable in Deadpool 2, leading to an array of brilliant jokes. This trend can continue even further now that Deadpool will actually be in the MCU.

Making the move from Fox to Marvel Studios will surely be a culture shock for Deadpool, especially since the MCU already has over a decade-and-a-half of adventures under its belt, with hundreds of established characters and a rich history. Coming into such a massive franchise as late as Phase 6 must be daunting, particularly since the MCU's Deadpool will be the same as that from Fox. This change can be helped if Deadpool 3 really takes advantage of its new MCU setting, which potentially means established characters could cameo, past stories can be referenced, and a lot of fun can be had in the MCU's Phase 6.

Seeing Thanos return in Deadpool 3 would be a suitable way to establish this direct connection to the wider world of the MCU. It's long been speculated that Marvel would eventually find a way to use Thanos again,with the leading theory being that he would appear in the Multiverse Saga's Avengers: Secret Wars. Even so, his appearance, no matter how brief, alongside Deadpool in Phase 6 would make for a hilarious sequence, especially if Mistress Death is finally introduced to the MCU after being absent for so long. And with other Deadpool characters coming back, it's not outside the realm of possibility that Brolin could play Thanos and Cable in the same Deadpool 3 scene.

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WATCH: Exclusive Clip from Cartoon Network’s We Baby Bears … – GLAAD

Posted: at 12:12 am

Dominique Jackson has taken on an out of this world new role. Premiering Saturday, May 13that 10 a.m. ET/PT on Cartoon Network, Jackson will guest star on a special episode of We Baby Bears titled Little Fallen Star.

Jackson is an author, model, and actress best known for her roles in the Emmy, Golden Globe, and GLAAD Media Award winning series Pose and the GLAAD Media Award nominated series The Book of Queer.

This episode will follow the bears as they travel up into space to uncover the origin of their mysterious magic box. Along the way, they are introduced to none other than the queen of the galaxy and her power-hungry sister, Cassi, who is voiced by Jackson. While on this mission, they find themselves entangled in a cosmic struggle for the universe.

In the clip, Jackson plays a fabulous villain with hopes of ensuring immortality. After noticing some crows feet in her selfie, Cassi reveals she must drain every star in order to maintain her smooth skin.

That lady aint right, one of the bears exclaims. Shes seeking eternal life at the cost of others. Another bear shakes their head and replies, Classic villainy.

"My role as Cassi was really fun, but was also a reminder that everyone could tell stories despite their gender identification or sexual orientation!" Jackson said about her experience on the show."Im very fortunate to have had this experience, especially when many are pushing for my communitys eradication by saying we are dangerous. Throughout the whole experience, I wasnt really thinking that I was a person of trans identification telling a story to children Im just me! I saw myself providing entertainment and a message that love and care are very important guides to being good human beings, knowing that we should respect everyone and show compassion for those in need of support."

Tune in to Cartoon Network on Saturday, May 13th to find out what happens next!

Another LGBTQ inclusive episode ofWe Baby Bears called "Polly's New Crew"is set to release during Pride Month. The show's creative team shared that, "During the production of We Baby Bears, a few crew members came out with they/them pronouns, and we felt that it was important to reflect that in the show. Our show team values representation because it's something everybody on the show deeply cares about, and thats why we aim to cast LGBTQ talent like Alok Vaid-Menon, Harvey Guilln, and Dominique Jackson."

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Frightening and fascinating facets of a deathless world – The New Indian Express

Posted: May 2, 2023 at 7:33 pm

By Anand Neelakantan| Published: 30th April 2023 05:00 AMImage used for representational purpose only. (Express Illustrations)

I was thinking of ranting about current affairs for this column again, but the statement of the former Google engineer and prominent futurist, Ray Kurzweil, that humans will achieve immortality in the next seven years made me sit up and take notice. He is not the first one to make this stunning claim. At the Dubai Future Forum last year, Dr Jose Luis Corderio, the futurist, claimed that death will become optional soon. He has written books like The Death of Death, and his assertion is not a fantasy. We are tantalisingly close to immortality. Many scientists say it would soon become an engineering problem rather than a medical one. The scenario may be unthinkable now, but so was flying once upon a time. Nano-robots controlled by artificial intelligence will be capable of repairing and reversing the ageing of our cells ata microscopic level in less than a decade. Other kindsof immortality are being sought using cryogenics, cell engineering, copying cell information and so on.

While we have been busy writing and rewriting history in textbooks and WhatsApp universities, and cooking up fantastic tales about our past, the world is advancing ata blitzkrieg speed. Amazon boss Jeff Bezos has backed Altos Labs, which has raised 200 million for immortality research, and more fund is flowing in from billionaires. Google co-founder Sergey Brin has invested over 600 million in a longevity lab called Calico. Paypal founder Peter Thiel has pledged 2 million to SENS Research Foundation. Russian billionaires are also moving in for anti-ageing and immortality research. China is in the game too, and it is heating up.

It would be interesting to see how the new era of immortality will be. Many of us will be alive to enter a deathless world if it happens in the next decade or two. The prospect of immortality is frightening and fascinating at the same time. Where would the resources to feed so many mouths come from? Would immortality extend to other creatures? If nothing dies, how will you eat chicken or beef? Or plants, for that matter? The 18th-century Malayalam poet, Kunjan Nambiar, had described this situation with his characteristic black humour in his poem. Lord Shiva killed Yama, the God of Death, making death impossible for anyone or anything.

There is no space on earth as everyone has his grandparents and their great-grandparents, and so on for thousands of generations living in the same home without even a space to breathe. The earth is overrun by creatures that cant die. There is nothing to eat, but even starving to death is not an option. Every creature suffers from insatiable, unbearable hunger pangs with no end to the suffering. Are we marching towards that era that Kunjan had so vividly described? Maybe science will finda solution by eliminating the need for food. Who knows, maybe every creature will be able to do photosynthesis soon. Since there is no need to pass on the genes, sex and reproduction will lose relevance. Thus, the difference between living and non-living things will blur.

How will immortality change our morality and even laws? What will lifes purpose be when death is taken out of the equation? Modern life is accelerating at a crazy speed, and everyone is terribly busy doing nothing. What are we going to do with the endless time that stretches infinitely?

I dont know about you, buta life watching more Tiktok videos and Insta-reels, arguing on social media or WhatsApp groups with perfect strangers dont appear much fun to me. Nor does fighting with close friends about issues that we can scarcely influence or change or browsing inane television programmes, finding nothing remotely exciting.

Another interesting question is the effect of immortality on religions. Fundamentally, all religions are death cults. In the Yaksha Prashna of Mahabharata, Yaksha asks Yudhishtra which is the biggest wonder. Yudhishtra says every moment many creatures die and go to the abode of kaal (time), but each creature lives as if it is immortal. What could be more wonderful than that? What will happen to life if the fear of death is taken away? Would life cease to be wonderful?

The fear and what happens after death have driven religions since humans invented those. It will render the talks about souls and transmigration of souls in Indian religions or the long wait in the grave for judgement day in the Abrahamic faiths irrelevant when humans become immortal. If there is no death, what is the relevance of heaven or hell or the next life? The immortality of humans may kill God.

Humans have proved more resilient than many religions and gods. All the present religions are hardly a few thousand years old, while modern humans are at least two lakh years old. Human history is a graveyard of extinct religions and gods that lost their relevance when new gods and cults replaced them. A possibility is that the age of immortality may give rise to newer religions and newer gods whose greatest attribute could be their mortality.

AnandNeelakantan

Author of Asura, Ajaya series,Vanara andBahubali trilogy

mail@asura.co.in

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A Timeless Tale of Immortality and the Battle between Light and Dark – Digital Journal

Posted: at 7:33 pm

PRESS RELEASE

Published May 2, 2023

May 2nd, 2023 - Author J.A. Muller released his latest book, "NEMESIS," a riveting fictional story that takes readers through history thousands of years ago. The book follows the journey of two men, Michael and Nathan, as they are chosen and guided by the gods to control good and evil.

"How would you live your life if you were a god? Would you be on the side of good or evil?" asks the author. These are the questions that Michael and Nathan are forced to confront as they struggle with the gift of immortality and the curse it becomes for them.

As long as both men are alive, the scales of good and evil remain in balance. But if one were to die, the world would be on a completely different path. The story takes readers on a wild ride as Michael and Nathan command vast armies and kingdoms, sacrificing everyone's lives for the greater good or ill of humanity.

Throughout the book, the characters test each other's will and strengths to gain the upper hand for the control of the world. Readers will feel for both of these men as their struggles and battles with one another test their wills and even yours.

"NEMESIS" is not just a story about gods and immortality. It's a story about the human condition and the choices we make that ultimately determine the course of our lives. This book is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a thought-provoking story that will keep them on the edge of their seat.

A Note from the Author

I hope you will open your mind, allow yourself to relax, and become a part of the story. The first-person and narrator rendition of the story will immerse you into the minds of the main characters. Traditional book writing always bored me, and I could never find a book to keep me interested so I wrote this. This is my first book, so I hope you'll enjoy it, or it'll at least keep your mind away from the drama of real life, just for a little bit. I want to hear your thoughts on my book; please reach out anytime at [emailprotected]

Book Name: NEMESISAuthor Name: J.A. MullerISBN Number: 979-8375818689Ebook Version: Click HerePaperback Version: Click Here

Media ContactCompany Name: Amazon Publishing ProsEmail: Send EmailPhone: +1-877-992-7638Country: United StatesWebsite: https://www.amazonpublishingpros.com

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The keys to longevity are hidden in the microbes that give us beer and wine – EL PAS USA

Posted: at 7:33 pm

More than three decades ago, Thomas Johnson demonstrated that modifying a single gene called age-1 increased the lifespan of C. elegans worms by up to 60%. Despite the enormous evolutionary distance that separates us from these creatures, useful mechanisms for survival jump from branch to branch of the tree of life theyre conserved in the genomes of many species, including humans. What works on a worm or a mouse or even on a species of yeast need not work on us as well. But the results stemming from manipulating the life expectancy of these remote relatives encourages the search for genetic modifications.

Three years ago, a group of researchers from the University of California at San Diego (UCSD) found an essential mechanism in the aging process of a unicellular fungus that has been with us since the beginning of civilization. The species of yeast called Saccharomyces cerevisiae with which bread, beer and wine is made follows one of two directions on its way to death. Half of its cells age when their DNA loses stability; the other half, with the deterioration of the mitochondria, a structure that provides energy to the cell.

The same UCSD researchers led by Nan Hao have now published an article in the academic journal Science. They explain how they have created a kind of switch that by manipulating two regulators of gene activity reverses cell aging. From DNA to mitochondria decay, a brewer uses a mechanism to keep yeast cells in balance. In a way similar to that of a thermostat where when a higher temperature is reached the refrigerator amps up and when a lower temperature is reached, a heating system kicks in synthetic biology is being applied to introduce a similar system. With what is known as a genetic oscillator, cells change the way they age when they have gone too far in one of two directions. With this game of balances, the scientists have prolonged the existence of the yeast by up to 80% a new world record in biology. The researchers suggest that this type of oscillator could also serve to slow down the path to death that begins every time a cell appears within the human body.

The authors intend to identify the regulatory genetic circuits [beneath] aging in various types of human cells and apply this engineering strategy to modify them and slow down their aging, explains Nan Hao, lead author of the study and co-director of the Institute of Synthetic Biology at UCSD. If it works, well try to do the same thing in cells inside living animals, like mice, he adds.

Hao acknowledges that genetic engineering requires more time in human cells and the circuits that regulate genes are often more complicated. Well need more time and resources to test these ideas and strategies, but I dont think theres anything fundamental that prevents us from doing it, he concludes.

Carlos Lpez Otn a researcher at the University of Oviedo (Spain) and an expert in aging recognizes the value of the study by these researchers who, like others before them, have used simple models to try to understand the colossal and fascinating complexity of life.

It may seem strange that, from a single-celled organism, we can learn lessons about the effect of time on our bodies made up of many trillions of cells. But we shouldnt forget a legendary line from the great Jacques Monod (Nobel Laureate in Medicine) for discovering the first keys to gene regulation in bacteria: What is valid for a bacterium is also valid for an elephant. [That being said], its extrapolation to human cells and our daily lives still seems far away.

This could contribute to improving our health something that seems to be a more sensible and affordable goal than aspiring to improbable dreams of immortality

Unicellular organisms [like the yeast used in this experiment] are naturally selfish: their main objective is to divide. The dream of a bacterium or a yeast is to create others just like them, Lpez Otn explains. This cellular selfishness is a purpose that our altruistic and supportive cells reject and only adopt it if by accumulating molecular damage they transform and become tumorous.

For this reason, in humans, its not enough to prevent cells from aging at all costs and to extend longevity. The price of these strategies so publicized and longed for by some can be the development of serious pathologies, including malignant tumors, capable of reducing human longevity considerably, Lpez Otn cautions.

For the scientist, the question that arises from these results is: if evolution could have created an oscillator similar to the one created by these authors by modifying only two genes, why hasnt this happened since the appearance of life more than 3.5 billion years ago?

In order to understand the reason for this gap while also understanding the costs of extending longevity Lpez Otn proposes carrying out an experiment in which yeasts carrying the modified genes are allowed to compete with the corresponding normal yeasts to analyze if any of the [modified] strains [influence the untouched ones] over time under different conditions. In addition, he proposes creating other types of oscillators, not to unnecessarily extend longevity, but in an effort to maintain homeostasis our essential internal balance. This could contribute to improving our health something that seems to be a more sensible and affordable goal than aspiring to improbable dreams of immortality, he concludes.

For Jordi Garca Ojalvo a researcher at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona and a collaborator of Michael Elowitz, creator of the first synthetic genetic oscillator he believes that beyond the applications that the results of this study may have [many years from now], the interesting thing is that it shows how synthetic biology can be used to understand how organisms work and how they age. It helps us push the limits of that knowledge.

Aging in human cells or in a whole organism is very complicated. But all cells on Earth have 20 amino acids and the same four nucleic acids, he adds. What we learn from these cells may be useful to search for applications.

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Ding Liren Wins 2023 FIDE World Championship In Rapid Tiebreaks – Chess.com

Posted: at 7:33 pm

GM Ding Liren is the new world champion after beating GM Ian Nepomniachtchi in the final rapid tiebreak game of the 2023 FIDE World Championship. Following a 7-7 tie in a thrilling 14-game classical match, it all came down to the final rapid game, which Ding won with Black in sensational style. GM Magnus Carlsen's reign is no more. For the first time since 2013, the torch has been passed to Ding, the 17th world champion.

Aside from claiming the title of world champion, Ding will receive 1.1 million for his victory while Nepomniachtchi will receive 900,000.

How to watch the 2023 FIDE World Championship

Tears of joy and a rare outpouring of emotion from Ding were the first scenes coming out of the St. Regis Hotel in the moments after Nepomniachtchi had resigned in the fourth and final rapid tiebreaker in Astana. With his head in his hands, the realization and relief hit Ding all at once. The scene recalls what Ding had said in 2019: The meaning of life should be in those special, sparkling moments.

The meaning of life should be in those special, sparkling moments.

Ding Liren in 2019

"I feel that this was the match that reflects the deepest part of my soul," Ding said at the press conference after dedicating the victory to his friends, mother, and grandfather. With this victory, Ding becomes the first-ever classical world champion from China, also the home of Women's World Chess Champion GM Ju Wenjun.

With the scores locked at 1.5-1.5 in a match that White had statistically dominated overall (five wins for White and one for Black in the first 17 games), very few people expected that Ding would look to press with Black in the final game.

The Anti-Marshall was the arena for the 18th game. After finding success with the opening in earlier games where he had, in his own words, "had every chance," Nepomniachtchi declared his intent to play for a win with the unusual 13.Bb1.

As the middlegame progressed, both players made decisions that implied that they were playing for a win. Ding would later state: "The white pieces are not always the advantage."

As the position opened up, Nepomniachtchi's bishop pair began to look ominous, and many viewers began to write Ding off. During this time, Chess.com viewership across all platforms peaked at 441,000 viewers, almost doubling the average viewership of the broadcast which had been 220,000. Both numbers are records for the website.

With the chess world waiting with bated breath, Nepomniachtchi soon played an inaccuracy, 35.Ra1?, which brought the position back to equal, although the position still looked easier for Nepomniachtchi. "It was hard to imagine I could lose" were the self-admitted thoughts of the Candidates winner about this moment, and most viewers probably anticipated that it was a two-result match.

Both Caruana and Hess were alert to the fact that Ding's best remaining chance was to play into an ending where the a-pawn could become dangerous, and it seemed that Ding had the same intuitive feeling.

Then, the unexpected happened. With two minutes and 30 seconds left on the clock, Ding played the brilliant 42... Qe2!!, a move that Caruana suggested: "Nepo might have missed." The move, which left Ding's bishop en prise with a dangerous threat of a king and rook fork, shifted the momentum.

Nepomniachtchi briskly offered a draw by repetition with checks on the light squares, and the game appeared to be heading this way before Ding played the astonishing 46...Rg6. In what can only be described as a chess coach's nightmare, the now-world champion's idea to play for a win was to pin his second strongest piece to his king! "I felt my king was safer on h7," was Ding's nonchalant reasoning for a move that would later be identified as the catalyst for victory.

By the time Ding played 47...c4, Nepomniachtchi already knew that he was in trouble: "In the fourth game, I had to play more accurately. After the move c4, I had little time, and it was difficult." Part of this anxiety may have resulted from his opponent's clinical displays of endgame technique so far in the match.

GM Rafael Leitaokindly provides his annotations of the decisive fourth game as well as the others below.

In a style that will now become synonymous with his reign as the 17th world champion, Ding rolled his pawns up the board to victory. A shake of hands on the 68th move signaled the end of an extraordinary match that nearly needed blitz tiebreaks to split the players for the first time in chess history.

Congratulatory messages poured in from chess greats of all generations, although Ding would have likely felt most fulfilled getting the nod from the former world champion GM Magnus Carlsen, who tweeted: "Self-pinning for immortality. Congrats Ding!!"highlighting Ding's ambitious 46...Rg6, which consequently helped him win the crown.

For those interested in the three games that led to the final showdown, they were full of excitement and huge moments as well. Ding opened the tiebreaks with 1.d4, an opportunity for redemption after his game 14 spiraled out of control. In a return to his roots, a Catalan structure soon appeared on the board, and Caruana announced: "Ding was definitely dictating the result of the opening."

Nepomniachtchi played in his usual style, moving both quickly and actively, and neither player shied away from middlegame complications when they arose. Zwischenzug was a central theme for both players in the first game as they wrestled for the initiative.

The most exciting moment of the game came after Nepomniachtchi's 25...axb6!!, an "advanced Botez Gambit," in the words of Caruana, that forced liquidation and, consequently, a draw by repetition after 35 moves.

Speaking about the result, Caruana expressed: "Ian can be very happy after a dangerous opening," while Hess was more upbeat about Nepomniachtchi's courageous effort during the game, quoting Ernest Hemingway: "Courage is grace under pressure."

The Anti-Marshall was Nepomniachtchi's choice in game two, and the decision to play this opening was made with the knowledge that he had found small edges in both games 11 and 13 with the same setup. Like in the 11th game, Nepomniachtchi tried to coax Ding into playing with a b5-c5 setup and gain access to the d5-square, but Ding showed his own hand, changing the dynamics of the position with 11.bxa4.

As the position progressed, Nepomniachtchi earned the right to attack, courtesy of Black's ruptured pawn structure. Hess boldly claimed that there was a distinct "opening advantage for Nepomniachtchi," but Ding once again proved his mettle with clinical defense, exchanging into a drawn rook and pawn ending and keeping the scores level.

Nepomniachtchi, later ruing missed chances in this game, stated: "The key moment was in the second game, I had more chances to win but didn't realize it."

Sachdev highlighted the third rapid game as "the most peaceful," and it turned out to be the calm before the storm. In his last game with the white pieces in the four rapid games, Ding played 1.Nf3 for the first time in the world championship. The Chinese GM's double-fianchetto setup was easily tamed by Nepomniachtchi, and pieces began to fly off the board.

On move 21, a small moment of tension appeared when the commentators realized that Black would have to play a pawn down in a rook and bishop ending. Nepomniachtchi, who had confidently paced around the room for the majority of the game, saw no issues with the position and proved that White's advantage was superfluous. He eventually forced a rook swap that left the players hurrying toward a repetition.

After the fateful deciding game and being freed from the shackles that prevented them from sharing information about their preparation and teams, Nepomniachtchi would reveal that his team included none other than former world champion GM Vladimir Kramnik as well a "big team" in support that included GMs Maxim Matlakov, Ildar Khairullin, and Nikita Vitiugov.

Ding's second was slightly more obvious. His partner in crime, GM Richard Rapport, posed with friends, family, and fans after the historic win.

When asked about how he would celebrate the victory, Ding mentioned that he would "like to travel" in his spare time. As far as spare time goes, there will be little rest for the champion after this event. In four days, he will begin playing in the Grand Chess Tour in Bucharest, Romania, joined by Nepomniachtchi, Rapport, and other top GMs.

As this tournament wraps up and the cycle begins again, several questions come to mind. How long will Ding hold the most coveted title in chess? Will Carlsen challenge him in the next cycle? Regardless of the answers, this is certain: Chess has never been more alive than now, and the 2023 FIDE World Championship was an absolute testament to the excitement that chess can provide.

In the words of GM Anatoly Karpov: "Chess is everything: art, science, and sport."

You can watch video recaps of the FIDE World Championship in our playlist below (click here).

Match Score (Tiebreaker)

Match Score (Classical)

The 2023 FIDE World Championship has been the most important over-the-board classical event of the year and has decided the next world champion. Nepomniachtchi and Ding played a match to decide who takes over Carlsen's throne when the former world champion abdicated his title. The match had a 2 million prize fund and was played over 14 classical and four rapid tiebreak games.

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Hells Paradise: The history of Shinsenkyo explained – Dexerto

Posted: at 7:33 pm

Tulisha srivastava

Published: 2023-04-28T15:33:23

Updated: 2023-04-28T15:33:31

Shinsenkyo, an unknown island with a thousand-year history, traverses the boundary between hell and paradise. Heres how the fantastical world of Shinsenkyo came to be.

Hells Paradise is an ongoing Shonen anime series with dark and gory themes. Based on the manga of the same name, the series follows Gabimaru the Hollow, an elite shinobi assassin. Gabimaru is charged with the death penalty for killing countless people. He can only be pardoned from his crimes by searching for the Elixir of Life.

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However, the elixir is said to be on a mystical island called Kotaku, more commonly known as Shinsenkyo. Some also call it paradise or even the underworld. It is an island located far beyond the Ryukyu Kingdom in the southwest seas. The beauty of the island captivates the numerous criminals and Asaemon that visit it in search of the elixir.

Gabimaru is the only one who notices how bizarre and unsettling this location is. The island is no utopia because everyone who visits either dies or returns with a strange illness. Mysterious monsters and immortal entities inhabit this place. Delve deeper to find out about the history of Shinsenkyo in Hells Paradise.

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Over a thousand years ago, Jofuku, a subject of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, set out to the sea to retrieve the legendary Elixir of Life. However, his quest came to an end when he made landfall on the island. Gofuku declared himself to be the ruler of Shinsenkyo and spent his entire life researching the secrets to immortality.

He was a Buddhist priest, but he tried to unlock the secrets to immortality by following the principles of Taoism. He experimented with Tao and created abnormal creatures that later came to be known as the monsters of Kotaku. However, Jofuku wasnt alone in this ordeal.

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He had people accompanying them, who were converted into a race known as the Hoko. They became a race of immortals that resided in Shinsenkyo. However, he began to suffer from Arborification at some time and was taken care of by his wife, Rien, till his death at a very old age.

Rien got severely depressed at her husbands death and determined to revive him. She vowed to complete Jofukus research in developing the Elixir of Life and created the seven lifeforms who became Kotakus new rulers, Lord Tensen. Rien even started sacrificing the lives of Hoko for her research.

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After 200 years, the research didnt progress, but the Hoko began to reach the verge of extinction from undergoing Arborification. Concerned about losing their source of nutrition, the members of Lord Tensen formulated the plan of acquiring humans from the mainland to serve as replacements. Their plot eventually succeeded when they attacked the first human party on the island.

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Lord Tensen discovered how valuable the human races Tao was. This is how the members of Lord Tensen managed to create the prototype elixir known as Tan from the humans. The humans that arrived on the island were also forcibly transformed into Lord Tensens loyal followers and taught the teachings of Tao.

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At some point, humans were convinced that Kotaku was the legendary region known as Shinsenkyo and that it was home to the Sennin as well as the legendary Elixir of Life. Because of this story, many humans have travelled to the island hoping to retrieve the elixir. As a result, the humans would always perish at the hands of the islands creatures or Lord Tensen.

Hells Paradise can currently be streamed onCrunchyroll. In the meantime, check out our other TV hubs below:

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Attack on Titan Season 4 Part 3|Bleach Thousand Year Blood War Part 2|Chainsaw Man Season 2|BRZRKR movie|Jigokuraku Hells Paradise|Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2|Sonic the Hedgehog 3|Invincible Season 2

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For Succession, Everything Is IP – Paste Magazine

Posted: at 7:33 pm

In Living+ we finally see an often ignored part of the Waystar Royco empire: the movie studio. Waystar Studios have often served as the butt of the Roy familys jokes, a graveyard for unimportant family members (sorry Amir) or as a dinosaur in Waystars catalog of brands and businesses. But in Successions final season we are finding out whats going on out West and what happens when the belief in intellectual property is left to fester.

The most common joke at the studios expense is its use as a content factory. Its responsible for producing the iconic character Dodrick, the hit hibernating-robot franchise Calypsotron, and of course the loveable family comedy The Biggest Turkey in the World. In Season 1 we learn that Roman used to be more involved with the studios, but left due to their transition into making content slop above art. Maybe Waystar Studios once made great movies, but have no sense of that history.

At one point in Living+ Roman is seen being driven through the Waystar Studios backlot filled with cameras and green screens. The look of utter disdain on Kieran Culkins face is palpable. The studios are a rotting corpse of creating nonsense entertainment to fulfill the bottom line. Every time the studios come up its a joke. The general public presumably loves Dodrick, but we only see him through the lens of Greg throwing up in his mascot suit or Lukas making a poor taste Holocaust joke at Dodricks expense.

One of Successions most striking throughlines is how it depicts what the uber-rich do for fun. The Roys and the people they associate with do not have the same entertainment we do. We see the different ways they play games. Theres the Monopoly game in the Season 3 finale that pokes fun at the flimsy rules that are easily by-passed (several characters cheat throughout the game). Theres also the infamous Boar on the Floor, a game without rules that acts to demean and intimidate. The show even begins with a casual baseball game that humiliates a young boy who fails to win a million dollars by hitting a home run. Entertainment is found by poking fun at the existence of rules, showing that they can be bent to the whims of the rich in order to see just how far people can devolve.

The only time entertainment-as-art is truly shown in Succession is during Willas play in Season 2. It was her great artistic pursuit that ended with horrible reviews and Greg getting bitten by sand fleas. Succession posits that creating true art is a fools errand. Treasured paintings are bought for tax write-offs, and putting your soul into something is worthless if youre still working within the field of entertainment.

What Living+ solidifies across all of Waystars endeavors is said simply by Roman. When studio head Joy voices her concern about ATNs coverage of the fascist-leaning political candidate Jeryd Mencken, Roman replies Menckens IP. Same as everything. For mega-corporations like Waystar Royco, politics and movies both act as different branches of the content factory.

Succession utilizes a birds eye view of the corporate entertainment landscape to dissect how muddled the waters actually are. Hearing Kendall and Roman talk about the talking points for the investors meeting would give anyone engrossed in the world of new media deja vu. Building franchises, boosting intellectual property, consolidating brands it sounds like the writers are taking lines straight out of WarnerBros. Discoverys own shareholders meeting (I half expected to see a Venn diagram that divided Waystars brands between male-skewing and female-skewing).

Living+ takes Successions philosophies about the richs approach to entertainment and pushes it to its illogical Big Tech next step: letting you live in IP. Kendalls description of Living+ sounded like it was ripped straight from a Black Mirror episode: a world where content infects every part of your life. The project is reminiscent of Disneys residential communities, specifically the newly announced Storyliving. Disney promises that you never have to leave the comfort of their world. Living+ clarifies that as a luxury experience that allows your life to become overrun with brand tie-ins.

Kendalls big pitch for Living+ is Successions biggest skewering of capitalism yet: the promise of living forever. Living+ residents will get to access life-extending medical trials and drugs before anyone else. If Succession wasnt harsh enough on the media landscape before, roping Big Pharma in seals its entire corporate philosophy together.

The announcement of Living+ during the studio-centric episode is incredibly purposeful. The IP factory is used to house the next big sell: immortality. Immortality is only offered by living in Waystars pool of IP. The corporate mindset turns IP into the closest anyone can actually come to immortality. The worthless dribble can achieve what even Logan Roy could not.

One of the standout parts of Episode 6 was when Shiv and Tom were talking in the bedroom about Toms betrayal. He displays a frankness hardly seen in the show, saying simply that he likes having money and he doesnt want to lose it. The Roy kids have so much money they forget its there, they start looking beyond into other ways they can inflict their power on the world. But Season 4 sees the kids finally face the one thing they cant buy their way around: confronting mortality. In the wasteland of the studios you pull yourself up with the trash, buoyed by Big Tech evaluations and promises of something more powerful than a product. But all a company knows how to do is produce; products are all its capable of.

As Succession enters the back half of Season 4 the kids are trying to grasp at forever through the language and strategies of corporate nonsense. The studios produce garbage, so you integrate that garbage with all the other junk the company makes. Fighting immortality is the only game left for the uber-rich to play. And when you can buy the world, you can only think of everything as property.

Succession airs Sunday nights on HBO and HBO Max.

Leila Jordan is a writer and former jigsaw puzzle world record holder. Her work has appeared in Paste Magazine, Gold Derby, FOX Digital, The Spool, and Awards Radar. To talk about all things movies, TV, and useless trivia you can find her @galaxyleila

For all the latest TV news, reviews, lists and features, follow @Paste_TV.

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Canon U.S.A. Supports 18th Annual Japan Center Essay … – InvestorsObserver

Posted: at 7:33 pm

Canon U.S.A. Supports 18th Annual Japan Center Essay Competition at Stony Brook University

Melville, NY, May 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Demonstrating its commitment to empowering students and supporting education, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions,proudly sponsored and participated in the 18thAnnual Japan Center Essay Competition Awards Ceremony on Saturday, April 29 th , at Stony Brook University.

The essay competition, organized by the Japan Center at Stony Brook, honors students for work that demonstrates their awareness and understanding of the Japanese culture. The program encourages students to think creatively and critically about their lives in relating experiences to aspects of Japanese culture to help broaden horizons and promote global citizenship through the thought-provoking essays.

"The essay competition provides students with an opportunity to develop a better understanding of cultural activities related to Japan, and we are proud to partner with Canon U.S.A. on this endeavor," said Dr. Iwao Ojima, the President of Japan Center at Stony Brook University. The students wrote powerful compositions and we congratulate them for their great work."

Two hundred and six high school and college students submitted essays for the competition. Contestants were asked to write about one or more aspects of Japan including art, culture, tradition, values, philosophy, history, society, politics, business, and technology in relation to their personal views, experiences, and/or future goals. A panel of Stony Brook faculty judges selected four winners, who received awards including a Canon camera.

High School Division Best Essay Award

1st Place Best Essay Award and Consul General of Japan Special Award

Japan: Unlikely Gateway to My Educational Future by Aidan Sargent (West Hempstead High School)

2nd Place Best Essay Award

Hope Takes Flight by Keya Annam (Stuyvesant High School)

3rd Place Best Essay Award

Sakura: The Essence of Immortality by Nicola Hsu (Millennium High School)

Uchida Memorial Award

Memoirs of a Bento Box by Kaytie Tanoue (Stony Brook University)

Canon U.S.A., Inc. and the Japan Center at Stony Brook University have a longstanding partnership, which began in 2005 with former president and chief executive officer of Canon U.S.A., Inc., the late Mr. Kinya Uchida. This was the annual events first in-person ceremony since 2019, having been held virtually for the past 3 years. Attendees included the award-winning students, and representatives from the Japan Center at Stony Brook, Canon U.S.A., Inc., and Consulate General of Japan in New York. Each winner took to the stage and read their essay to the audience. Junichi Furuyama, senior vice president and general manager, Finance and Accounting, Canon U.S.A., Inc., spoke at the awards ceremony and congratulated the winners.

As I read each essay, I was very impressed by the students work, said Furuyama. It is important for all of us to understand and appreciate the differences in the various cultures around the world. Developing a mutual understanding is not always easy, but it is worth the effort. That is why this essay contest is so valuable.

For a list of winners, finalists, and semifinalists, you can visit the Japan Centers website . Award-winning essays will be posted in early May.

About Canon U.S.A., Inc.

Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions to the United States and to Latin America and the Caribbean markets. With approximately $30.3 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), as of 2022 has ranked in the top-five overall in U.S. patents granted for 37 consecutive years . Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental responsibility. To learn more about Canon, visit us at http://www.usa.canon.com and follow us on Twitter @CanonUSA .

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Based on weekly patent counts issued by United States Patent and Trademark Office.

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