Category Archives: Immortality

Any time that a new Marvel Studios movie opens in theaters, fans whove remained amazed by the studios ability to tell an intersected story wonder if and how the next picture fits into the grand scheme of the MCU. Black Widow, for example, was a prequel that arrived after Captain America: Civil War, so Natasha was on the run, having helped Steve (Chris Evans) and Bucky (Sebastian Stan) escape Germany.

But where does Eternals fit on the MCU timeline? And why didnt the Eternals, who have been on our planet for 7,000 years, interfere? The most recent Eternals trailer explained that the heroes were told to only intervene with threats if they are created by the Deviants. And during CinemaBlends trip to the set of Chloe Zhaos Eternals, producer Nate Moore elaborated:

Yeah, they don't directly affect it. Although the Eternals are quite aware of what happened in Endgame, and what happened with Thanos. And you get to hear their opinion about what happened, and why maybe they didn't get involved. So it is both in a post-Endgame world, but isn't a direct line, as far as storytelling.

When asked if Eternals will include the requisite number of MCU Easter Eggs that fans have come to expect, Moore dialed back expectations a tad, comparing this new film to fellow Phase Four movie Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which worked best as a standalone tale in an unexplored corner of the Marvel Universe. Moore said:

I think this is somewhat like -- to some degree, Doctor Strange or Black Panther, where we felt like there was enough story that it could be a contained universe, at first. We definitely have ideas of how things can crossover later. But this movie, again, with 10 characters and Dane Whitman, and the Celestials, and the Deviants, there was enough for us to play with.

More than anything, Moore says that Eternals will continue the MCU push in Phase Four to experiment in genres that they havent dabbled in yet. Said Moore:

(We get) to deal with immortality which, I think, is sort of a fun topic to deal with, but also doing a more hard sci-fi movie, frankly, was something we really hadn't tackled. (We wanted) to do something that didn't feel necessarily like a superhero movie. It's definitely a comic book movie. It's an action movie. But it didn't feel like a superhero movie. It seemed to us like a good palate cleanser and a good restart as we looked at what was post-Avengers.

The theme of Phase Four, in this infancy, is that the movies will not connect into a tapestry the way that the MCU did in the first three phases. Black Widow was a standalone. Shang-Chi largely was a standalone. This may all change when Spider-Man: No Way Home leads into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but until then, Eternals will continue the streak of disconnected (for the most part) MCU stories as Phase Four rolls along.

Look for more stories from our Eternals set visit this week. And look for Eternals in theaters on November 5.

Read the original post:

How Eternals Connects To Avengers: Endgame And Other MCU Phase 4 Projects - CinemaBlend

Text Size:A- A+

New Delhi: Divyansh is now with us through the blaze. Earlier the journey was about pain but now its an asset for us, said Nidhi Poddar, author of Blaze: A Sons Trial by Fire, during the release of the book at an event in New Delhi.

Through the book and my journey I have come to know that if you share your pain with the world, it gets shared and becomes everyones, Nidhi added.

Blaze: A Sons Trial by Fire is the story of Divyansh Atman and his familys journey after he was diagnosed with blood cancer. Divyansh died in 2019 at the age of 22 after fighting blood cancer for 10 years.

The books authors, Nidhi Poddar and Sushil Poddar, are Divyanshs parents.

During the release of the book, Sushil said the journey involving the writing of the book enabled him to understand his son better. It was as if I have done a PhD on my own son, he said.

Sushil also said the story of his son has helped him witness the purity and pristine nature of motherhood along with its divinity.

The story of my Divyansh has enabled me to learn more and more about my marriage and the conjugal nature of this relationship, he said.

The book has been published by Rupa Publications.

Shekhar Gupta, Padma Bhusan awardee and Founder and Editor-in-Chief of ThePrint, and Paresh Maity, Padma Shri recipient, were guests of honour at the event.

While Maity drew a live painting of the cover of the book during its release, Gupta hoped that the book not just witnesses many more prints but also gets published in other languages so that more and more people can read it.

This book is not a legacy he (Divyansh) has left behind. The legacy he has left behind are these parents, because look at the time, affection they have committed to it. They have brought their son to immortality with this book, Gupta said.

Rudra Sharma, Senior Commissioning Editor, Rupa Publications, said, The book has been a success even from the commercial point of view as it has entered into the third print run since it was first printed and has been in print for one and a half months now. It has also got a lot of attention in countries like the USA, UK and Israel- where Divyansh was for his treatment. The story of Divyansh should never go out of print.

One of the readers of the book, Nitin Khanna, who was present at the event said, Blaze is all about when we look the pain in naked rawness and then we transcend.

Also read: Going to school after cancer treatment My sons brave journey

Subscribe to our channels on YouTube & Telegram

Why news media is in crisis & How you can fix it

India needs free, fair, non-hyphenated and questioning journalism even more as it faces multiple crises.

But the news media is in a crisis of its own. There have been brutal layoffs and pay-cuts. The best of journalism is shrinking, yielding to crude prime-time spectacle.

ThePrint has the finest young reporters, columnists and editors working for it. Sustaining journalism of this quality needs smart and thinking people like you to pay for it. Whether you live in India or overseas, you can do it here.

Support Our Journalism

Read more here:

The book helped me understand my son better, says author of Blaze: A Sons Trial by Fire - ThePrint

Reminiscent of his 2013 World Title just four weeks after breaking his ankle and having surgery, Burroughs again proved hes one of the toughest athletes around as he won his sixth World or Olympic Gold Medal and ninth World/Olympic medal overall.

Many (myself included) talked about Burroughs injury that he sustained at the end of the World Team Trials a month ago, but it didnt seem to affect him much this weekend. But it turns out that Burroughs had suffered a torn calf muscle against Alex Dieringer in the World Team Trials finals.

In fact, Burroughs has been in nine medal matches in his career and is undefeated while a medal has been on the line.

With six gold medals, Burroughs ties the great John Smith for career gold medals and solidified himself as the greatest USA wrestler of all time.

Burroughs started things off with a quick 10-0 win by technical superiority in just 1:14 over Canadas Samuel Barmish for his 200th career senior-level win.

After a win via injury forfeit in the next round, Burroughs took on Russias Radik ValievA in the quarterfinal round. ValievA took an early 2-0 lead over Burroughs. Burroughs then scored two push-outs while ValievA scored one. Burroughs trailed 3-2 at the break.

In the second period, Burroughs forced two more step-outs to go up 4-3 before blasting through ValievA for one of his patented double-leg takedowns, putting ValievA from his feet to back for four points and a commanding 8-3 lead.

Burroughs then got a point on a lost Russian challenge before giving up a last-second desperation step-out on his way to a 9-4 win and a trip to the semis.

In the semis, Burroughs fell behind 1-0 to Japans Ryuki Yoshida before scoring a push-out and a takedown to lead the match 3-1 at the break.

In the second period, Burroughs scored a push-out, two takedowns and a turn to get the 10-1 win.

In the final against Irans Mohammad Nokhodilarimi, Burroughs took a 1-0 lead in the first period when Nokhodilarimi was put on the activity clock and failed to score.

In the second period, Burroughs iced the match with two more blast double-leg takedowns before giving up a point on a hands-to-the-face call. Burroughs secured an easy 5-1 win for his first gold medal at 79 kg after a career at 74 kg.

Burroughs is undoubtedly the American GOAT.

Former Husker James Green also competed for Team USA at the World Championships. Representing America for the sixth time at 70 kg, Green failed to bring home a medal.

Green made quick work of South Koreas Seungchut Lee 10-0 in the first round before taking on Shamil Ustaev of Georgia in the pre-quarters.

Against Ustaev, Green was again unblemished as he won a second straight match 10-0 via technical superiority.

In the quarterfinal round, Green faced Azerbaijans Turan Bayramov. Green went up 1-0 early before giving up a takedown and a gut-wrench turn, falling behind 4-1.

Late in the second period, Green went for a shot but Bayramov countered for a takedown of his own to go up 6-1. Up against it, Green was able to blow through Bayramov for a 4-point takedown. Down just 6-5, Green spent the last 10 seconds desperately going for a takedown, but Bayramov was able to fend off the attacks.

Bayramov then fell in the semifinal round, meaning Greens tournament was over. If Bayramov would have made it to the final, Green would have been been in the repichage, which is basically the consolation bracket, and would have had a chance for a bronze medal.

Read the original post:

Burroughs Overcomes Injury to Reach Wrestling Immortality - Corn Nation

Marvels Eternals tells the story of ancient aliens with extraordinary powers. Part of the Marvel Cinematic Universes Phase 4, Eternals releasing on November 5, brings a new superhero team to life. But it also gives life to modern representations of mythological figures. Mythology has long been a part of our existence, created to answer humanitys scientific and spiritual questions. In todays world, we have our modern myths, such as the tales of the MCU. But the earliest stories still enchant us.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has brought its fair share of mythology to life already. The Thor films are direct reinterpretations of Norse myths. Thor, Odin, Loki, Hel (a.k.a. Hela), and the rest all weave into Marvels world. In Eternals, we can expect more of the same, although with a twist.

In some cases, in Eternals comics, these aliens are responsible for the in-universe versions of their inspirations. How is that for Myth-ception? The gods of mythology inspire the Eternals, and the Eternals create the gods of mythology in their own fictional world.

In most cases, the correlation between a mythological figure and an Eternal seems obvious. But in others, the connection reads murkier. Each Eternals mythological counterpart offers us clues about possible storylines and fates. This article examines the central figures from Novembers Eternals.

Here is every Eternals character and their basis in mythology:

Makkari, a.k.a. Mercury / Ikaris, a.k.a. Icarus / Sersi, a.k.a. Circe / Thena, a.k.a. Athena / Ajak, a.k.a. Ajax / Ajak Also Relates to Quetzalcoatl / Gilgamesh , a.k.a. Gilgamesh / Kro, a.k.a. Cronus / Phastos, a.k.a. Hesphastus / Sprite, a.k.a. Puck and Other Fairies / Kingo Could Be Kingu /Druigs Counterpart May Lie In Slavic Mythology

Marvel Studios/Smithsonian

Makkari, played by Lauren Ridloff, is based on Mercury from Roman mythology. Though Makkari has an Eternals standard immortality, the character also possesses superhuman speed. Makkari is the fastest Eternal in existence. Additionally, Makkari can think preternaturally fast, allowing her to read and process information rapidly.

This speedy boost makes much sense when it comes to Makkaris mythological counterpart, Mercury. In Roman mythology, Mercury is the god of travelers and merchants. He is associated with Greek mythologys Hermes, a god known for being fleet of foot. Hermes winged sandals are iconic. Mercury also acts as a bridge between gods and mortals, often serving as a mediator of sorts. Could Makkari be the person who unites the Eternals and the MCUs more earthly heroes? Mythology says yes. Makkaris quick thinking and vast array of knowledge will surely come in handy in this role.

Additionally, Mercury transports the souls of the dead to the underworld. Were not sure how that could impact Eternals, but the MCU has played with notions of the afterlife. Possibly, the MCUs multiverse contains it. We wonder if Makkari connects to this realm somehow.

Finally, Mercury and Hermes are both gods of tricksters, often mischievous themselves. Well have to watch out for Makkari pulling pranks.

Marvel Studios/LACMA

Ikaris, played by Richard Madden, is based on Icarus from Greek mythology. Icarus wasnt a god but a figure of myth. In Greek mythology, Icarus is best-known for flying too close to the sun. But theres more to him than that. Icarus was the son of a famous inventor, Daedalus, who built the labyrinth which housed the monstrous Minotaur of Crete.

Cretes king didnt want anyone to know how his maze worked, so he imprisoned Daedalus and Icarus in a tower. But the genius craftsman designed a way out. Daedalus built wings for himself and Icarus so they could escape. The catch? These wings were held together by wax. Famously, Daedalus warns Icarus not to fly too high nor too low. Too high and the wings would melt from the suns heat, too low, and the ocean would dampen the wings, rendering them useless.

Like some myths, this is a morality tale. It instructs listeners not to be too cocky nor complacent. Unfortunately, Icarus succumbs to hubris. He flies too close to the sun, his wings melt, and he falls to his death.

It is fitting, thus, that like Icarus, Ikaris is known to be an excellent flier. Ikaris can also levitate himself and others at speeds of 850 miles per hour. Interestingly, he can rearrange molecules of other substances. In a sense, this too fits because the pinnacle of Icarus story comes when the sun rearranges his wings molecules.

Having Icarus as a namesake is ominous for Ikaris. We hope he can balance his hubris and his humility to better effect. Perhaps this time, Icarus will fly at the right height. Or maybe hell repeat the mistakes of old

Marvel Studios/Smithsonian

Sersi, played by Gemma Chan, is based on Circe from Greek mythology. In Eternals,Sersi has a strong connection to humanity. Additionally, she and Ikaris are soulmates, and their relationship spans centuries.

In mythology, Circes story revolves less around kindness and love. Instead, Circe is a powerful sorceress. Through a combination of magic and drugs, she transforms humans into animals. When the hero Odysseus finds his way to her island, she turns his men into swine. But Odysseus, protected by a gift from Hermes (or is that Makkari?), remains immune. Odysseus challenges her to return his men. Circe does and, impressed by Odysseus, invites him to stay on her island. They spend a year together. So, in the end, love does enter the equation. Its hard to say if Circe will live in Eternals Sersi, though they are the same in the comics. But the two are both powerful beings, not to be crossed.

Marvel Studios/Louvre

Thena, played by Angelina Jolie, is based on Greek mythologys Athena. In the comics, Thena is the daughter of Zuras, leader of the Earths Eternals. Zuras and Thena resemble Athena and her father, Zeus. This means Thena is often mistaken for Athena, but they are not the same in the comics world.

In Greek mythology, Athena is the goddess of wisdom and war. She was born from Zeus skull and thus possesses boundless knowledge. Though she can be aggressive, she also rules over peace and hand-crafts. With Athena as a namesake, fans can expect Eternals Thena to be a fierce combatant and a brilliant military mind, as well as a scholar. At times, Athena becomes enraged and acts thoughtlessly. Thena may fall prey to the same reflex. Despite that, softer hidden depths could emerge.

Marvel Studios/Louvre

Ajak, played by Salma Hayek, is based on Ajax from Greek mythology. Ajax is also not a god but instead an exceptional human. Ajaxs strength and bravery earned him much renown. He is second only to mythologys Achilles.

In the comics, Ajak is an archeologist (and male). This is a fun nod to the idea that Ajax is a popular figure from mythology in our world. He is also a wrestler, winking at the battle-tested fierceness of his namesake.

Marvel Studies/Rodro

Ajak also assumes the identity of the chief Mesoamerican god Quetzalcoatl in Marvels comics. Quetzalcoatl is often depicted as a mix of a bird and a rattlesnake. The gods name comes from a combination of the Nahuatl words quetzal(the emerald plumed bird) andcoatl (serpent). He is the god of wind and rain and also the primary creator of Earth and its people.

Among other things, Quetzalcoatl patrons learning, agriculture, science, and the arts. Additionally, he invented the calendar. So while Ajax offers brawn, Quetzalcoatl adds brains to the equation. A combination of things wed love to see in Ajak.

Hopefully, the MCUs Eternals lean into this aspect of the character and bring this Mesoamerican myth to life.

Marvel Studios/Lucas

Gilgamesh, played by Ma Dong-seok, is based on Gilgamesh from Sumerian mythology. The Epic of Gilgamesh is an ancient poem from Mesopotamia. It was recorded in the Akkadian language and exists as one of the earliest pieces of literature in our records. The poem features the demi-god Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh, the king of the Mesopotamian city-state Uruk, is part mortal and part divine. Though he quests for immortality, he never obtains it. But obtains instead an understanding of the meaning of life.

The Epic of Gilgamesh tells a story of friendship. It pens the original bromance, as it were. When Gilgamesh becomes too arrogant, the gods create Enkidu as his rival. Enkidu represents the natural world, whereas Gilgamesh represents the order of society. The two initially fight but become friends. Though theres no word of an epic bro for the Eternals Gilgamesh, it would be a fun nod if one appeared. That said, Gilgamesh will be known for strength and kindness, echoing the myth.

Marvel Studios/Ashley Van Haeften

Kro, whose actor remains unannounced, is based on Cronus from Greek mythology. Kro is not an Eternal but a Deviant. According to Marvel, Deviants are an evolutionary offshoot of humanity which is cursed with an unstable genetic code causing random characteristics to crop up every generation. In Kros case, at least in the comics, a combination of rare traits grants him an incredibly long life. In essence, Kros gift is time.

This is fitting because Cronus is linked with Chronus, the personification of time in philosophy and literature. Chronos is also the Greek word for time. And, over time, all these ideas have become virtually indistinguishable. Cronus also informs Kro, because like Kro, he is close to being a god but not a god. Kro is immortal and powerful like an Eternal, but he isnt one. In myth, Cronus was a crucial part of the universes creation but is termed a titan, not a god. Eventually, Zeus overthrows Cronus and locks him away in Tartarus. Could this fate await Kro, too?

Marvel Studios/Wikimedia Commons

Phastos, played by Brian Tyree Henry, is based on Hephaestus from Greek mythology. In mythology, Hephaestus is the god of the forge. And this makes a lot of sense because Phastos is a great inventor in the Eternals. Hephaestus creations are lauded throughout myth. He even sculpts the first human woman. Hephaestus also forges many of myths weapons, such as the shield of Achilles.

Like his godly counterpart, Phastos moves humanity forward technologically, helping the world evolve.

Marvel Studios/Bootbearwdc

Sprite, played by Lia McHugh, has a more diffuse connection to mythology than other Eternals. There have been many sprites throughout European mythology. In their broadest definitions, they are elves or fairies. But often come kissed with mischief. One of the most famous fairies of this ilk is A Midsummer Nights Dreams Puck. Puck is a devilish fairy, not entirely evil but mildly aggravating. His meddling ways move the plot along.

Like the sprites of mythology, EternalsSprite has more power than it seems. Though she has lived for centuries, she remains stuck in the appearance of a 12-year-old. Folklore sprites often act childishly. And in the Eternalscomics, this was the case with Sprite. However, in the movie, the situation has a twistSprites mind ages but not her body. Much like fairies, Sprite holds narrative darkness not immediately evident. But weve yet to see if Sprite carries mischief in her.

Marvel Studios/Wikimedia Commons

The Eternals Kingo, played by Kumail Nanjiani, does not have an apparent mythological association. However, he could be based on Kingu from Babylonian mythology. According to myth, Kingus mother, a goddess, gave Kingu the Tablet of Destinies, which he wore as a breastplate and which gave him great power. Later, he was killed, but the gods used his blood to create the first humans.

It seems both Kingu and Eternals Kingo share skills in fighting. And they both seem to crave a certain level of power. It will be interesting to see if Kingus myth informs any of Kingos stories.

Marvel Studios/Wikimedia Commons

Druig, played by Barry Keoghan, does not have a clear counterpart in mythology. Although his name sounds like the word for friend in Russian, or droog, it appears Druig is anything but that. Druig will be a villain in theEternals film. He is an Eternal who sides with the Deviants. In the comics, Druig specializes in manipulating reality. He also enjoys flying using fire or earth platforms that he generates.

This elemental connection may see his mythological origin in Druids. His name does resemble the word, after all. Druids are Celtic priests connected to the natural world. Though druids are often peaceful, in certain myths, they were seen more as sorcerers.

In the comics, Druig hails from the Slavic regions. However, none of the Slavic deities seem to align with him.

Mythology often informs our modern stories. Marvels upcomingEternals follows a long tradition of storytelling as it borrows and evolves mythological tales.

Read more:

Are the Eternals Based on the Gods of Mythology? - Nerdist

Action roguelike platformer. How many times have we seen those three words merged together to deliver one gaming experience? Well, lots of times but that doesnt mean theres not room for another. Are you ready to head off on a Dwarf Journey? Its an action roguelike platformer!

Dwarf Adventure would be our liking, but were not going to hold back from giving Dwarf Journey from Orube Game Studio a go just because of its name. Thats mostly because the Xbox Store blurb really sells this, delivering it up as an action roguelite platformer that is full of randomly generated levels. Standard fare there you may think, but then Dwarf Journey gets deeper as you head out on the search for minerals, which in turn will enable you to use better equipment. Keep that circle of trust moving and were pretty sure youll be leveling up and finding success in no time.

Priced at a mere 4.99, Dwarf Journey on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S comes with some serious numbers to play around with. It throws you into the life of one wise warrior the great Gallar who is looking for some new pleasures. So he grabs his axe and heads off to the Valley of Eternity in search of a mystical cave.

Dwarf Journey then unfolds with multiple enemies spread across four biomes, tons of weaponry and armor blueprints to enjoy, four different attributes to evolve and wait for it no less than 500 rune combinations.

If youre up for helping Gallar head into eternity, then the key features in summary include:

For the low price, Dwarf Journey looks to offer much. Well be getting hands on as soon as we can, throwing out some detailed thoughts in the form of a review. In the meantime, get over to the Xbox Store and grab this one.

Let us know if you do by dropping into the comments.

Game Description:

Dwarf Journey is an action roguelite platformer with randomly generated levels. Defeat enemies, level up, assemble your rune build and collect minerals to forge better equipment on an epic journey in search of immortality. History: A glimpse of death made the strong and wise warrior Gallar look for a way to continue enjoying worldly pleasures for all eternity. Ancient writings say there is a mystical cave in the Valley of Eternity that holds a lost relic capable of granting eternal life to the brave who finds it. Armed with his ax and his trusty pickaxe, Gallar sets off for the northern mountains in search of an epic adventure that may cost his own life; or guarantee it forever.

More here:

Take in a Dwarf Journey on Xbox One and Series X|S - TheXboxHub

When German Bowl XLII kicks off on Saturday, it will be the first ever championship appearance for Dresden Monarchs head coach Ulrich Dauber. Like most coaches, it has been a long, hard road to get to this point, with Saturday being a rare shot at the pinnacle of his profession and the immortality that comes with it.

For Jordan Neuman, it is simply been there, done that, time to do it again.

The Schwbisch Hall Unicorns head coach has had one of the most impressive starts to a European coaching career in recent memory and Saturday will simply be the latest chapter. Win or lose, his status as one of the best on the continent will not be up for debate.

Since taking over for the legendary Siegrfried Gehrke in 2017, Neuman has posted a perfect 52-0 regular season record at the helm in Schwbisch Hall. In fact, he has only lost one game during that span, the last German Bowl championship played back in 2019. With back-to-back titles under his belt in 2017 and 2018, a third on Saturday would be further proof of his continued dominance.

The 38-year-old native of Fort Worth, Texas first arrived in Europe back in 2005 fresh out of McMurry University, ready to serve as quarterback of the Unicorns. He did that admirably, but his true calling as a coach was first displayed in Austria, where he served as offensive coordinator for the Vienna Vikings from 2011 to 2013, winning back-to-back Austrian titles the last two seasons and a Eurobowl in 2013.

In 2014, he was quarterback coach for the German National Team when they claimed the European title and returned to the Unicorns as OC, helping them to three straight German Bowl appearances and a Eurobowl final in 2015. Winning the big one seemed elusive at that time, but since taking over in 2017, its been almost automatic for Neuman and he already has a CEFL Bowl trophy from this season to pad his resume.

There are few who would dismiss Neumans dominance over the last five years, but like so many of the great ones, his early accomplishments havent been praised nearly enough. While grey-haired coaches struggle unsuccessfully for years to climb the mountaintop of German football, Neuman has made it his home and the view remains incredible.

As the football landscape in Europe shifts to accommodate the new ELF, there are those who believe the new powers and coaches have already claimed supremacy in Europe. That hasnt happened quite yet. If Schwbisch Hall can win again on Saturday, there is little question who the reigning power is.

Football in Europe is Jordan Neumans world. We are all just living in it.

Watch German Bowl XLII live on AFI.tv. Schwbisch Hall Unicorns vs Dresden Monarchs, Oct. 9, 18:00 CET (6 pm, 12 noon ET).

Read more:

Another German Bowl win could cement Jordan Neuman as the best coach in Europe - American Football International

If you are human, you are going to die. This isn't the most comforting thought, but death is the inevitable price we must pay for being alive. Humans are, however, getting better at pushing back our expiration date, as our medicines and technologies advance.

If the human life span continues to stretch, could we one day become immortal? The answer depends on what you think it means to be an immortal human.

"I don't think when people are even asking about immortality they really mean true immortality, unless they believe in something like a soul," Susan Schneider, a philosopher and founding director of the Center for the Future Mind at Florida Atlantic University, told Live Science. "If someone was, say, to upgrade their brain and body to live a really long time, they would still not be able to live beyond the end of the universe."

Scientists expect the universe will end, which puts an immediate dampener on a mystery about the potential for human immortality. Some scientists have speculated about surviving the death of the universe, as science journalist John Horgan reported for Scientific American, but it's unlikely that any humans alive today will experience the universe's demise anyway.

Related: What happens when you die?

Many humans grow old and die. To live indefinitely, we would need to stop the body from aging. A group of animals that may have already solved this problem, so it isn't as far-fetched as it sounds.

Hydra are small, jellyfish-like invertebrates with a remarkable approach to aging. They are largely made up of stem cells that constantly divide to make new cells, as their older cells are discarded. The constant influx of new cells allows hydra to rejuvenate themselves and stay forever young, Live Science previously reported.

"They don't seem to age, so, potentially they are immortal," Daniel Martnez, a biology professor at Pomona College in Claremont, California, who discovered the hydra's lack of aging, told Live Science. Hydra show that animals do not have to grow old, but that doesn't mean humans could replicate their rejuvenating habits. At 0.4 inches (10 millimeters) long, hydra are small and don't have organs. "It's impossible for us because our bodies are super complex," Martnez said.

Humans have stem cells that can repair and even regrow parts of the body, such as in the liver, but the human body is not made almost entirely of these cells, like hydra are. That's because humans need cells to do things other than just divide and make new cells. For example, our red blood cells transport oxygen around the body. "We make cells commit to a function, and in doing that, they have to lose the ability to divide," Martnez said. As the cells age, so do we.

We can't simply discard our old cells like hydra do, because we need them. For example, the neurons in the brain transmit information. "We don't want those to be replaced," Martnez said. "Because otherwise, we won't remember anything." Hydra could inspire research that allows humans to live healthier lives, for example, by finding ways for our cells to function better as they age, according to Martnez. However, his gut feeling is that humans will never achieve such biological immortality.

Though Martnez personally doesn't want to live forever, he thinks humans are already capable of a form of immortality. "I always say, 'I think we are immortal,'" he said. "Poets to me are immortal because they're still with us after so many years and they still influence us. And so I think that people survive through their legacy."

The oldest-living human on record is Jeanne Calment from France, who died at the age of 122 in 1997, according to Guinness World Records. In a 2021 study published in the journal Nature Communications, researchers reported that humans may be able to live up to a maximum of between 120 and 150 years, after which, the researchers anticipate a complete loss of resilience the body's ability to recover from things like illness or injury. To live beyond this limit, humans would need to stop cells from aging and prevent disease.

Related: What's the oldest living thing alive today?

Humans may be able to live beyond their biological limits with future technological advancements involving nanotechnology. This is the manipulation of materials on a nanoscale, less than 100 nanometers (one-billionth of a meter or 400-billionths of an inch). Machines this small could travel in the blood and possibly prevent aging by repairing the damage cells experience over time. Nanotech could also cure certain diseases, including some types of cancer, by removing cancerous cells from the body, according to the University of Melbourne in Australia.

Preventing the human body from aging still isn't enough to achieve immortality; just ask the hydra. Even though hydra don't show signs of aging, the creatures still die. They are eaten by predators, such as fish, and perish if their environment changes too much, such as if their ponds freeze in winter, Martnez said.

Humans don't have many predators to contend with, but we are prone to fatal accidents and vulnerable to extreme environmental events, such as those intensified by climate change. We'll need a sturdier vessel than our current bodies to ensure our survival long into the future. Technology may provide the solution for this, too.

As technology advances, futurists anticipate two defining milestones. The first is the singularity, in which we will design artificial intelligence (A.I.) smart enough to redesign itself, and it will get progressively smarter until it is vastly superior to our own intelligence, Live Science previously reported. The second milestone is virtual immortality, where we will be able to scan our brains and transfer ourselves to a non-biological medium, like a computer.

Researchers have already mapped the neural connections of a roundworm (Caenorhabditis elegans). As part of the so-called OpenWorm project, they then simulated the roundworm's brain in software replicating the neural connections, and programmed that software to direct a Lego robot, according to Smithsonian Magazine. The robot then appeared to start behaving like a roundworm. Scientists aren't close to mapping the connections between the 86 billion neurons of the human brain (roundworms have only 302 neurons), but advances in artificial intelligence may help us get there.

Once the human mind is in a computer and can be uploaded to the internet, we won't have to worry about the human body perishing. Moving the human mind out of the body would be a significant step on the road to immortality but, according to Schneider, there's a catch. "I don't think that will achieve immortality for you, and that's because I think you'd be creating a digital double," she said.

Schneider, who is also the author of "Artificial You: AI and the Future of Your Mind" (Princeton University Press, 2019), describes a thought experiment in which the brain either does or doesn't survive the upload process. If the brain does survive, then the digital copy can't be you as you're still alive; conversely, the digital copy also can't be you if your brain doesn't survive the upload process, because it wouldn't be if you did the copy can only be your digital double.

Related: What is consciousness?

According to Schneider, a better route to extreme longevity, while also preserving the person, would be through biological enhancements compatible with the survival of the human brain. Another, more controversial route would be through brain chips.

"There's been a lot of talk about gradually replacing parts of the brain with chips. So, eventually, one becomes like an artificial intelligence," Schneider said. In other words, slowly transitioning into a cyborg and thinking in chips rather than neurons. But if the human brain is intimately connected to you, then replacing it could mean suicide, she added.

The human body appears to have an expiration date, regardless of how it is upgraded or uploaded. Whether humans are still human without their bodies is an open question.

"To me, it's not even really an issue about whether you're technically a human being or not," Schneider said. "The real issue is whether you're the same self of a person. So, what really matters here is, what is it to be a conscious being? And when is it that changes in the brain change which conscious being you are?" In other words, at what point does changing what we can do with our brains change who we are?

Schneider is excited by the potential brain and body enhancements of the future and likes the idea of ridding ourselves of death by old age, despite some of her reservations. "I would love that, absolutely, she said. "And I would love to see science and technology cure ailments, make us smarter. I would love to see people have the option of upgrading their brains with chips. I just want them to understand what's at stake."

Originally published on Live Science.

See the article here:

Will humans ever be immortal? - Livescience.com

ABBA was never just a giddy pop band. Well, it was, tooa passable imitation of a giddy pop band, but that was the least of it.

They were sorcerers of sound and sentiment, who brought the human heart to life in a certain way at a certain moment by arranging twelve notes in particularly beguiling sequences, but mostly by resonating with the Zeitgeist of their time, which is to say the aftermath of the 1960s, otherwise the 70s.But then, as they came to grief on the icebergs of their disintegrating internal romances, coincidentally or otherwise,pop simultaneously seemed to begin to come to an end, vacating our heads, leaving them echoing with dislocated hooklines and strange jangly noises. For a long time, a new story appeared to be indicated but has failed to form itself. The solution may now be at hand.

ABBA, the greatest pop band of the 1970sperhaps the greatest pop band,full stopis reuniting after four decades. Yet the four figures on stage will not be the embodied entities we know as Agnetha, Anni-Frid, Bjrn, and Benny, all now in their seventies. Rather, they will be their digital selves, as Benny puts it: the avatars of ABBA (or ABBAtars, as they have inevitably been dubbed). In May 2022, holograms of the four band members' thirty-something incarnationsABBA in its prime, digitally reconstituted using performance-capture from recent sessions with the band members in 2021will perform a series of concerts at the ABBA Arena, a purpose-built venue at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London. It is the stuff of wild sci-fi imaginings. What will appear in London will notbe ABBA now or ABBA thenbut both/and:ABBA always, an immortal ABBA. Is this a problem? No and yes.

On the one hand, no; its only pop, after all! But the yes part of the answer cannot be erased. We live in undemocratic times. Crucial matters concerning not merely our future conditions, but even our future natures are being decided over our heads. It would be ominous and dastardly if a much-loved pop band were to take us painlessly to the next stage. Might it be icily observed that there is no sneakier way of normalizing transhumanism than taking an ancient pop band in the exit lounge of life and making them the first arrivals in the pantheon of Eternity?

ABBA made music for sweethearts (with added sugar). When we were youngsters we almost always heard them in the same conditions: from the back seat of the car of an older couple who was giving us a lift to a dance.The couple always asked you what you thought of ABBA and the answer was always, by definition, non-committal. We liked ABBA but never said so, for to do so was to admit something about yourself that you wished to hide. We liked them in secret, longed to hear them as though by happenstance, on somebody elses four-track. ABBA was guilty of being commercial. They might have come from a progressive country, but they were not themselves, in any sense whatsoever, progressive. They were pure poppop so pure it made you dizzy with its sweetness, and turned you into a sugar addict within a few bumps and saccharine bars.

In a fascinating article, Johan Hakelius discusses the Swedish pop explosion of the 1990s, when Sweden became the third most important pop-producing country in the world. The roots of it,he writes, lie in the 1970s and the Swedish love of manufacturing. . . . Swedish pop is as reliable as a Swiss watch. It does everything its supposed to, but it rarely, if ever, changes any basic parameters.

Hakelius writes that once he asked Bjrn Ulvaeus, one quarter of ABBA, how much unpublished material from his ABBA days remained in his bottom drawer. None, came the answer. I want everything to be perfect. If it was, we recorded it. If it wasnt, there was no point in keeping it.

That, posits Hakelius, is the reasoning of an engineer, not an artist. Why keep a dud prototype? The triumph of Swedish pop, he suggests, is not a triumph for the creative spirit, but a triumph of Swedish engineering. Its a bit of a cheap shot as well as an interesting thought. The second-best kinds of songs are always highly engineered; the best make it seem like theyre not.

In 1972, the year ABBA was formed, an English journalist named Roland Huntford published The New Totalitarians, in which he exposed the underbelly of Swedish progressivism: a near century as a one-party state under the Social Democrats, featuring crude anti-family policies and rampant state incursion into citizens' intimate lives. Huntford described a country governed by corporatism, in which personal freedoms and ambition had been sacrificed to political ideas that read on the page better than they play out in reality. Modern Sweden, Huntford declared, has fulfilled Huxleys specifications for the new totalitarianism. A centralised administration rules people who love their servitude.

In this equation, ABBA functioned as both antidote and accomplice. In a 1999 TV documentary about the band, Anni-Frid recalled that ABBA received a lot of criticism from the Swedish press due to its non-involvement in politics of any kind. Yet there is a kind of odd symbiosis between the band and its nation; ABBA served to impose a gracing aspect on an otherwise dour picture. In his 2014 book, The Almost Nearly Perfect People: Behind the Myth of the Scandinavian Utopia, Michael Booth expresses puzzlement at the recurring trope whereby Swedes pronounce themselves the happiest people in the world. The reason is straightforward: This is how they are told to regard themselves by the state-directed media, responsible for bolstering Swedish self-esteem. ABBA has fulfilled something like the same function in speaking to the whole world.

Huntford had attempted to parse the paradoxes of Swedens apparently contradictory combinations of progressivism and post-patriarchal paternalism, prudishness and sexual liberation. It was a mistake, he decided, to say that the Swedes were particularly freewheeling or emancipated. Since the 1960s Sweden pushed sexual emancipation as though an element of economic policy, but as Huntford observed, sexual license, like the preceding obscurantism, was culturally and politically motivated. Freedom was not the point. The state became concerned with personal morality as a weapon of social change. The English, he observed, are no less sexually liberated. But what distinguishes Sweden is that morality has become the concern of the government, where elsewhere it is something independent, growing out of changes in society.

Sex became a safety valve for releasing built-up tensions wrought by the high-control society. The energies that might have gone into political dissent went into sexual adventuring. In every other area, freedom had been supplanted by the requirements of the collective. But eventually even sexual freedom began to atrophy. As Huntford observed: By eradicating ritual and taboo, the excitement has been dissipated, and the function of sex as a surrogate for political tension therefore handicapped.

Correcting this became a function of culture. In some ways ABBA's emergence might be seen as a (perhaps) unconscious urge to superimpose romance on what had become the clinical functionality of sex. In Sweden, Huntford noted, control and distribution of culture was remarkably centralized. The state provided most of it, and was seen to do so. In music, the State is sole impresario, and private concert agencies are illegal.

In such a schema, ABBA, wittingly or otherwise, would have been invaluable to Sweden and its government as the progressive revolution approached its zenith. The band projected a smiling, exultant face and emanations under different headings of exuberance and well-beinga good-looking foursome comprising two smiling happy couples singing songs to intoxicate the worlds sweethearts with the idea that love was easy and fun, even if a little throwaway.

It is notable that the patterns discernible in Sweden in the 1970s have now become commonplace in Europe and America, with the COVID operation increasingly an accelerant. People are told what to think, and otherwise not encouraged to. The state knows best, especially about the citizens most intimate affairs.

Booth tries to drill into the conundrum of Swedish hyper-collectivism/hyper-individualism. In Sweden, self-sufficiency and autonomy is all; debt of any kind, be it emotional, a favor, or a borrowed fiver, is avoided at all cost. Booth cites historian Henrik Berggren seeking to refute the idea that Sweden is anti-individualist. On the contrary, Berggren claims, by making people dependent on the state but independent of other humans, the Swedish system liberates the individual in ways that conventional democratic-capitalist societies do not. Sweden's statist individualism creates love without ulterior motives. Wives don't stick around because their husband keeps the joint bank account pin code in a locked drawer in his desk, and husbands don't hold their tongues because their wife's father owns the mill. Authentic love and friendship is possible only between individuals who are independent and equal.

So Booth asks, eyebrow raised, are the Social Democrats in effect bercupids? He gives the idea a half-moments thought before binning it.

In a country steeped in dullness, full of people pretending to be happy, the conditions were perhaps ideal to create a hothouse capable of forcing out a form of constructed joy such as ABBA. From the gray asphalt of Stockholm ABBA grew as four flowers from the cracks, bringing light and color and sweetness to the gloom of progressive collectivismor perhaps four variegated poppies in the chimney of Swedens technologization of itself.

And so there is no more obvious and immediate candidate for pop immortality, no more complete combination in a single combo of desiring, beauty, sweetness, innocence, knowingness, love and its loss. Which raises those inevitable ethical questions: Is the introduction to human culture of edgy concepts like avatars, cyborgs, transhumanism, and posthumanism appropriately effected with a download and a bunch of gigs? Ought such matters not be treated with gravity rather than glitz? Should something so potentially earth-shaking, not to say controversial, be rendered misleadingly palatable by giddy pop songs? Might ABBA, perhaps innocently, be paving the way for a new, dark, digital world?

Perhaps we might dust down a copy of HuntfordsThe New Totalitarians, since what was then an experimental domestic condition now eyes up the entire world. Sweden in 1972, according to Huntford, was a spiritual desert. But this seemed to have no ill effect on the Swede. His contentment depends entirely on material possessions.

Or, I hear a voice piping up from the back, maybe we should just lighten up? Its only a few pop concerts, after all. Trouble is, once the sweetened pill is swallowed, there is no going back. And where we go one, we go all.

John Watersis an Irish writer and commentator, the author of ten books, and a playwright.

First Thingsdepends on its subscribers and supporters. Join the conversation and make a contribution today.

Clickhereto make a donation.

Clickhereto subscribe toFirst Things.

Here is the original post:

ABBA Immortal | John Waters - First Things

Karbala and spirit of immortality

FROM defining our sense of purpose to building nations, heroes have shaped the course of history.

No matter how greata personality, eventually the one true reality of being a mortal dominated the lives of those gallant heroes, but real legends outlived their mortal nature, dwelling in the minds and hearts of their descendants.

Defying the laws of mortality, great legends have created moments of glory that live on to chant the memories of their descendants for eternity.

Heroes get remembered, but legends never die. Immortality is the supreme aspiration that has been achieved by those in history, who have sacrificed their own lives to raise humanity towards the light of hope and virtue.

One such epitome of eternal valor is Hz. Imam Hussein (RA), whose sacrifice is a lesson for all those who believe in rising against the evils in their society.

In September of the year 680, Hz. Imam Hussein, set out on an eternal journey with his family and just seventy-two armed men, unaware of the fact that he was fated to become perpetually, the prince of Martyrs.

Nineteen years had gone by since Hz. Imam Hussein and his brother had buried their father, Hz. Ali (RA), outside Kufa, and waited in patience when Muawiyah established his rule then.

Muawiyah was dead and Hz. Hussein was determined to free the followers of Islam from the reins of a treacherous monarchy and bring the caliphate to its right place.

Muawiyah may have cautioned his son Yazid about the consequences of any perilous attack against The Holy Prophets grandson, but it seemed to have no impact, for history is often sabotaged by the villainy of the reckless.

By declining to collaborate or to be coerced into silence, and by acknowledging that this would mean his own demise, Hz. Hussein attained a revolution in consciousness, that transcended the attributes of its historical time and place turning into an eternal sensation.

Ali Shariati, a revolutionary activist, and a sociology professor, acclaimed Hz. Hussein as the most authentic example of martyrdom. Martyrdom has a unique radiance, Shariati declared. It creates light and heat in the world.

It creates movement, vision and hope. By his death the martyr condemns the oppressor and provides commitment for the oppressed.

Hz. Imam Husseins sacrifice revolutionized the ten-day memorial of the events at Karbala from suffering and grief into an activism of rising up against oppression and tyranny.

After he had reached his last destination, Hz. Imam Hussein and his followers passed from that physical state of antiquity to the immortal realm of valiant legends.

The fighters and the survivors related their memories of those ten days leading up to Ashura, that are still remembered and recalled centuries later, with every detail that loses its momentary pledge and ascends into an endless beam.

While Shimr, the ruthless general and his four thousand men lingered on for heat and thirst to cause despair, engaging in random conflicts with Hz. Husseins warriors: everlasting reminiscences were formed.

The accounts that are central to Islamic history have been kept alive through centuries by the heartfelt force of memory and commemoration.

It is not possible to determine the degree of shock, anguish and outrage that grabbed the days following the events at Karbala.

So keenly felt was the dread, so enormous was the burden, and so painful was the impact in diminishing the souls that are touched through many years, as the events still continue to agonize our communal recollections like a fresh bruise.

The Day of Arbaeen marks forty days after the Day of Ashura, the day Hz. Imam Hussain ibn Ali was killed in the Battle of Karbala.

Muslims all over the world mourn and commemorate the seventh century killing of the Holy Prophets grandson, Hz. Imam Hussein, during the Arbaeen.

The days and events that followed the Battle of Karbala not only divided everyone but also left a lasting historical legacy that belongs to all of us who dwell this small world.

Ours is a small yet hypothetically more united world with large divisions, and tyrannical regimes, still carried out at an international level by despotic rulers, demonstrating a power struggle.

Many Islamic states including Iraq and other cities, where Hz. Ali once struggled against Muawiya and Hz. Hussein against Yazid, a power struggle through repressive foreign invasions and political manipulation continues.

Western powers have manipulated the religious divisions through their powerful influence to serve their own purpose.

The disharmony and division within the followers are manipulated at a higher level, fostered by the enemies of Islam by exploiting it to weaken the Islamic platform.

It may seem only wishful on their part, for as long as the spirit of Karbala and the glorious martyrdom is alive among true believers, the purity of faith shall remain whole through all ages.

Just like with Yazid in the seventh century, the western powers in the twenty first century confirm the notion that history is often sabotaged by the villainy of the reckless.

Echoed through the plains of creation it was a day that changed the world and our leading role in a supposedly more globalized multifaceted world has been to not only remember those undying souls but also to keep their spirit alive in our lives.

The Karbala story has prevailed and persisted testing faith and politics through time, bearing witness to the fact that what unites the people of Islam is far greater than what divides them, and every Muslim treasures the essence of harmony preached by Hz.

Mohammad (PBUH). We mourn the memory of that crucial day, honouring the martyrs of Karbala and expressing our affection and respect for Hz. Imam Hussein.

The accounts of the tragedy of Karbala evoke a deep sensation instilling the audacity to rise up against tyranny and oppression, no matter the odds. It invokes a desire to fight for justice and humanity.

The esteemed human rights activist, Nelson Mandela once said, I have spent more than 20 years in prison, then on one night I decided to surrender by signing all the terms and conditions of government.

But, suddenly, I thought about Imam Hussain and Karbala Movement and Imam Hussain gave me strength to stand for right of freedom and liberation and I did.

Read the original post:

Karbala and spirit of immortality | By Wajeeha Bilal - Pakistan Observer

With Canadian movie theatres still caught in capacity-restriction limbo and theatrical titles continuing to hopscotch around the release-date calendar there is comfort in knowing that, thanks to streaming and video-on-demand, we can all program our own double (or triple, or quadruple) bills at home. Heres a look at this weeks best under-the-radar films, and where to find them.

Artificial Immortality (digital TIFF Lightbox until Oct. 7, streaming on Crave starting Oct. 8): If you feel like 2021 has gone on forever, then perhaps skip Ann Shins new documentary examining all the many ways in which scientists are advancing the live-forever market. But for those who can push past the daunting reality of our long-winter world, Artificial Immortality offers a fascinating look at what lengths people will apparently go to in order to never, ever die. While a survey of next-gen tech might drag in feature-length format, Shin wisely and poignantly wraps the narrative around her own family history and anxieties about leaving this mortal coil. The result is a thought-provoking and, for some, entirely relatable treatise on what it means to rage against the dying of the light.

Courtesy of Sundance Institute

Wild Indian (VOD, including Google Play and Apple TV/iTunes): After the raves that greeted Lyle Mitchell Corbine Jr.s drama following its Sundance Film Festival premiere this past January, I expected more promotion around Wild Indians general release. Instead, I just happened to stumble upon it while scrolling through Apple TVs new release tab, unaware it had been added to the flooded VOD market weeks earlier. While Corbines murder-mystery drama might be a bit too stage-y for the cinema, it unfolds perfectly in the comfort of a living room. But the real reason to watch is Canadian actor Michael Greyeyes, who adds to his of-the-moment reputation following the zombie drama Blood Quantum and television series Rutherford Falls by delivering a searing performance as a man outrunning his horrible past.

Story continues below advertisement

Courtesy of BEZELEVS and Focus Features

Profile (VOD, including Google Play and Apple TV/iTunes): About a year and change ago, I wondered aloud whether the pandemic might cause Hollywood to, at least temporarily, pivot to a new form of filmmaking screen-life films, whose stories take place entirely on someones computer screen in order to avoid utilizing large crews and crowds. That, fortunately, didnt become reality, though this year has seen a trickle of screen-life movies, including Profile, from the genres champion, Timur Bekmambetov (Searching, the Unfriended series). Profile isnt exactly a pandemic-era film it was produced back in 2018 but its storyline following a young London journalist cat-fishing an ISIS recruiter, told entirely through the journalists social-media feeds and video chats, feels extremely, uncomfortably and, thrillingly, circa 2021.

Plan your screen time with the weekly What to Watch newsletter. Sign up today.

See the rest here:

Full Stream Ahead: Michael Greyeyes, ISIS terrorists and eternal androids top this week's best underrated releases - The Globe and Mail