Russian Man Volunteers for Head Transplant – Getting Ahead in Science

Rhesus head transplant (Photo: Quartz/File)

Christian Post Report – Illustration of head transplant in a monkey (White et al 1971)

In February, Italian surgeon Dr. Sergio Canavero of Turin Advanced Neuromodulation Group (TANG) shared his plans of carrying out the first ever head transplant by 2017. The news, which shocked the world, gets even more interesting as a 30-year old Russian man volunteers to go through the procedure.

First information about the human head transplant came out in June 2013, when the neurosurgeon revealed the project code-named HEAVEN/GEMINI, which would involve putting the patient in hypothermia mode (HEAVEN) and cutting the cooled spinal cords (GEMINI) to allow spinal cord fusion. According to Dr. Canavero, the 36-hr complex procedure would need the expertise of 100 surgeons and would cost as much as £8.5 million ($12.6 million).

Dr. Canavero believes that the project will be successful, even citing previous uneventful procedures of spinal reconnection among rats.

In his paper published in Surgical Neurology, Dr. Canavero says, “The greatest technical hurdle to such endeavor is of course the reconnection of the donor’s and the recipient’s spinal cords. It is my contention that technology only now exists for such linkage.”

In response to the revelation, a Russian man with a terminal condition comes forward to volunteer for the said procedure. Valery Spiridonov, a 30-year old computer scientist diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder Werdnig-Hoffman, says he is willing to undergo the procedure.

In an interview with MailOnline, Spiridonov shares:

“If you want something to be done, you need to participate in it.” He adds, “I don’t do this because I don’t have a life but I think that science is developed by those who are ready to take risks and devote themselves to it.”

In 1970, American neurosurgeon Dr. Robert Joseph White carried out a procedure transplanting the head of a monkey to another monkey’s body. Due to lack in technology, the surgeon was unable to repair severed spinal cord and the monkey became paralyzed and died days later.

Source : Christian Post

Japanese Smartphone Users Can Now Stream ‘Final Fantasy XIII’ to Their Handsets

Final Fantasy XIII Reuters/File

Christian Post Report – Reuters: Final Fantasy XIII coming to Japan 2009, overseas after April 2010.

Square Enix has announced “Final Fantasy XIII” is now available for streaming to Android phones and iOS in Japan.

Role playing video game, “Final Fantasy XIII” can now be played on iOS and Android devices in Japan via Square cloud streaming, game developer Square Enix has revealed.

Square Enix made good on its earlier promise after initially delaying the service, delivering a cloud-powered version of the fast-paced JRPG combat game for Japanese Android smartphone and iOS users. Users outside Japan can also take advantage of this availability as long as they own a Japanese iTunes account.

Despite the hardware-intensive graphics usually associated with “Final Fantasy” video games, cloud streaming services utilizing “G-cluster technology” provided by a Finnish cloud game streaming provider, make it possible for users to enjoy the game with its fully intact visuals on their mobile devices and handsets.

For a more optimal experience, Square Enix recommends at least 3Mbps broadband connection for users to enjoy “Final Fantasy XIII” fully on their phones.

Using “cloud gaming venture” provided by Shinra Technologies, Square Enix is targeting the creation of a whole new industry ecosystem in online video gaming. They previously used this type of technology to stream the MMO game, “Dragon Quest X Online” for Nintendo 3DS users.

With “Final Fantasy XIII” free to download for smartphones, users will be able to play the first 30 minutes free, but will need to pay 2,000 yen to unlock the rest of the game.

Touted to be the future of gaming, bringing titles normally played on PCs and gaming consoles via cloud streaming to smartphones and other handheld devices, may indicate what’s to come for popular games under Square Enix’s catalog.

No word has yet been released when this type of technology will be made available for North American users.

Source : Christian Post

Real Housewives of New York News: Bethenny Frankel Says She’s ‘In A Really Good Place’

Christian Post Report – Bethenny Frankel has been through a lot these past few years. The “Real Housewives of New York” star has survived the cancellation of her talk show, and she’s still dealing with her ongoing divorce to ex-husband Jason Hoppy.

Bethenny Frankel Instagram/ bethennyfrankel

Bethenny Frankel poses with her new book

But the 44-year old has bounced back as she’s currently promoting her new book, “I Suck at Relationships So You Don’t Have To” and moreover, she made her much-awaited return on the current season of “The Real Housewives of New York.” The first episode of season seven, which aired last week, showed Frankel looking for a new apartment and having a meltdown while she bemoans the fact that she doesn’t have a home after leaving the place she shared with Hoppy.

However, the reality star told E! News that she’s far from being miserable and things are “pretty good” right now.

“I’m just in a really good place right now,” she told E! News. “I feel happy. I feel good about what I’m doing. I’m excited to be on a book tour, I’m excited to be on the show.”

Frankel revealed that the one thing that worries her about her split with Hoppy is how it will affect their daughter, Bryn.

“In any breakup, the most important thing is thinking about the fact that there’s an innocent victim who just needs to be loved completely and respected and you just have to think about the ramifications of your decisions,” said Frankel.

Despite the fact that she and her ex parted ways in a less than amicable way, Frankel said that she hasn’t stopped looking for love.

“I do believe in love and I’m totally keeping my options open and I’ve met incredible men. Bad apples don’t spoil the whole bunch. I’m not bitter, I love meeting new people,” she revealed.

“The Real Housewives of New York” airs on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on Bravo.

Source : Christian Post

‘Game of Thrones’ Season 5 Spoilers: Peter Dinklage Opens Up About Tyrion’s Curiosity With Daenerys

Christian Post Report – Months even before the fifth season of HBO’s massively popular fantasy drama TV series “Game of Thrones” kicks off its premiere episode, fans of the show already knew that Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) would eventually meet the mother of dragons, Daenerys (Emilia Clarke).

Fans of the series might be curious about what drives the younger Lannister to meet a Targaryen, whose family originally ruled Westeros.

Game of Thrones FACEBOOK/ Game of Thrones

HBO’s “Game of Thrones”

Dinklage’s interview with Entertainment Weekly revealded insights about his character and his curiosity towards the last of the dragon tamers.

“He’s curious. He’s heard so many stories about this woman. He hears that she’s a kindred spirit, someone who’s an outsider who’s been pushed to the edges, but has an unfortunate, dirty last name. Everybody associates the Targaryens with the Mad King,” the actor said.

“He wants to know her in person and is tired of hearing the stories. Varys helps convince him of the reality of her. And I think dragons are a big part of it – everybody is denying the reality of these creatures and certainly Tyrion has as well. But just like Tyrion going to The Wall in season one, he likes to see things first hand,” Dinklage continued.

Of course the questions lie on the true intentions of Varys (Conleth Hill) for urging Tyrion to do so.

The Master of Whisperers has been known both by book readers and TV viewers to be a proliferator of conflicting information that at the same time helped save a city from destruction.

“His strategy all along has been about creating illusions of power, of moving pieces around with his hand in it, largely unseen,” Vulture wrote.

Can Tyrion really trust Varys?

Find out more when “Game of Thrones” Season 5 returns next Sunday, April 19, with episode titled “The House of Black and White” on HBO.

Source : Christian Post

Sacramento Kings NBA 2015 Trade News: Kings Sign David Stockton Through 2015-16 Season

Christian Post Report – The Sacramento Kings have signed David Stockton on a contract that enlists him on the team through the 2015-16 NBA game season, according to reports. The 23-year-old athlete is the son of Hall of Fame point guard and all-time NBA assists and steals leader, John Stockton.

David Stockton YOUTUBESCREENSHOT

26-year-old David Stockton, son of Hall of Famer, John Stockton

The younger Stockton was previously signed by the franchise to a 10-day contract earlier this season in February. The player made one point, two rebounds and one assist (0-2 FG, 1-1 FT) on his NBA debut at the Staples Center on a game against the Los Angeles Clippers, NBC Sports reported.

The point guard, who stands 5-feet-11-inches and weighs 165 pounds, spends most of the season playing with the Kings’ NBA D-League affiliate, Reno Bighorns, where he averaged 20.1 points (.461 FG%, .398 3pt%, .824 FT%) 4.2 rebounds, 9.4 assists, 2.5 steals and has played about 30.5 minutes per game in the 43 contests he was in.

The undrafted rookie, who played in college at Gonzaga like his father, was selected by the Maine Red Claws in the third round of the 2014 NBA Development League Draft on November 1, 2014. The Red Claws later on traded Stockton to the Bighorns during the draft night.

The elder Stockton played 19 seasons straight for the Utah Jazz from 1984 until his retirement in 2003. The 10-time NBA All-Star was inducted twice in to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame first for his individual career (2009) and then for his participation on the 1992 United States men’s Olympic basketball team, which was also known as the Dream Team.

Source : Christian Post

Bobbi Kristina Brown News: I’m ‘Giving It to God,’ Says Bobby Brown

Christian Post Report – Bobby Brown, ex-husband of the late pop singer Whitney Houston, stepped up for the first time to talk about what his family has been going through and most especially his daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown.

A report from ABC News indicated that the 46-year-old R&B singer has made his first public appearance for a performance at the Soul Food Festival in Los Angeles on Saturday night where he spoke about his daughter’s dire condition by saying that he’s “giving it to God and letting him deal with it.”

Cissy Houston and Bobbi Kristina Brown (Photo: Reuters/File)

Cissy Houston and Bobbi Kristina Brown (R) attend the opening night of ”The Houstons: On Our Own” in New York October 22, 2012.

In the midst of his performance where he sang his classic hits such as the song titled “Every Little Step I Take,” he stopped to tell to the audience how grateful he was of the event.

“I must tell you all, this feels really, really good, he said,” the singer said. “I want to thank you all for coming tonight and supporting me and my family.”

“Rough times are rough times, and hard times are hard times,” Brown continued. “I don’t know what the hell I’m going through right now but I’m giving it to God and letting him deal with it.”

The singer-songwriter is slated for an Australian tour this May.

Bobbi Kristina was found unconscious at her Georgia, Atlanta home earlier this year. The 22-year-old aspiring singer was rushed to a hospital where she was put in an induced coma.

The still unconscious Brown was recently moved to the DeKalb Medical Center in Atlanta where Bobby has reportedly told the doctors never to turn off the ventilator that keeps Kristina alive.

Cissy Houston, her grandmother from her mother’s side, told the media earlier this month that the family is “still praying” for the improvement of her condition.

[We’re] still praying. I give it to God one time, because I know he’s able,” she said. “And I cannot change a thing. I’m asking everybody: ‘Just pray to the Lord who we know CAN do something about it.'”

Source : Christian Post

‘2 Broke Girls’ Season 4 Spoilers: New Attractive Co-Worker Catches Max’s Eyes

Christian Post Report – Fans are definitely getting more hooked with the hit TV sitcom “2 Broke Girls” for its perfect blend of humor, romance, and drama. And according to a slew of spoiler reports, this week’s brand new episode will see more of that.

2 Broke Girls FACEBOOK/ 2 Broke Girls

The cast of CBS’ hit TV sitcom ‘2 Broke Girls’

A report from Enstarz cited a sneak peek for the upcoming episode titled “And The High Hook-Up” which features Max (Kat Dennings) and Caroline (Beth Behrs) storming into the back room to discuss about the establishment’s new waiter who apparently catches Max’s attention.

Caroline told Max straightaway that she couldn’t be with the new guy.

“You can’t seriously be into him. He looks like someone in a boy band,” the blonde co-worker dissed out on the newcomer. However, Max didn’t feel the same way as Caroline did.

According to Star Watch Byline, the person in question will be played by guest star Austin Falk who will take on the role of Nashit.

In a set of images shared by CBS, Max, who is described as being “far from shy” in this episode, is seen flirting heavily with the handsome co-worker.

The issue would certainly reach through Joe’s (Sandra Bernhard) ears who already set the rules forbidding romantic relationships between The High Restaurant co-workers.

In related news, Cinema Blend said that “2 Broke Girls” is part of the CBS renewal spree for its hit TV shows. As indicated, the series is officially signed up for Season 5. More details about the new season will be released soon.

For the meantime, “2 Broke Girls” Season 4 airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET.

Source : Christian Post

Facebook Updates 2015: Trending Again in Five Categories

Facebook continue to improve its features and update its security protocols to give its users worthwhile experience while updating their statuses on the social media platform. In its latest update, Facebook rolls out its “Trending” section that allows users to see the topics and headlines that might be of interest to them.

Facebook Trending (Photo: Facebook/File)

Facebook Trending section now available in selected countries.

Taking after the “Trending Topics”of Twitter, Facebook launched in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia, and India their own “Trending” section with the social media’s web homepage sidebar. The sidebar will feature lists of words and phrases highly mentioned. It also includes a brief explanation of why those particular words and phrases are trending. This format frees the users of having to follow through several hashtags to identify the main source of the topic, which is what happens with Twitter’s “Trending Topics.”

“The description next to the topic is actually a headline that provides context around the topic and what is causing it to trend. We have rules in place that work to select concise, accurate, informative headlines,” a Facebook representative said.

The section will have five categories: Sports, Entertainment, Politics, Business, and Science and Technology. According to VentureBeat, Facebook is working on incorporating the update on its mobile apps.

This new addition to Facebook is beneficial for marketers that have contents that match category niches as they can target their audiences who “follow” trending topics included in the list. It would also be home to most news outfits wanting to get more exposure and user engagement.

This is a good addition to the social media app, however, to be able to efficiently maximize this feature, more Facebook users would need to post publicly because Facebook will only show a feed of links and posts according to updates from users who have the “Follow” feature that will allow people (even non-friends) to read public posts.

“Trending” will be accessible to Facebook users in several countries in the next few weeks.

Source : Christian Post

‘Kurt Cobain: A Montage of Heck’ News: Allows a Peek Into Rock Icon’s Life

Christian Post Report – Over the years, the world has seen countless of documentaries about late Nirvana front man Kurt Cobain. But not even one was able to paint a picture of Cobain as vivid and raw as “Montage of Heck.”

Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck (Photo: Wikipedia/File)

“Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck” is a documentary about the life and times of the Nirvana front man. Co-produced by Cobain’s daughter, Frances Bean, Montage of Heck will have a television premiere on May 24, 2015.

Lifted from the title of his unreleased 1988 mix tapes, “Montage of Heck” documents the entirety of Cobain’s life – from his childhood to his untimely death.

Rights to use Cobain’s notebooks, drawings, and mix tapes were given to Oscar-nominated filmmaker Brett Morgen, who also had the opportunity to talk to immediate family members, Cobain’s wife Courtney Love, and daughter Frances Bean.

A large part of the film include never before seen footages such as the Super 8 home videos that shows Cobain’s first three years of life. The start of the film already gives a peek into the family dynamics that the singer grew up in. The audience will see his personal struggles and feelings of rejections that he poured out to his audiotapes.

“Montage of Heck” attempts to show a different Cobain – away from all the fame and glory – the fragile human that he really is.

“People didn’t realize how very funny Kurt Cobain was, or how romantic he was, or what a doting father he was. Ultimately the mythology of the man is that he was in pursuit of fame, and then he didn’t want fame anymore. I hope this film shatters that illusion,” Morgen told BBC.

“I think Kurt, the child of divorce, was in pursuit of family his whole life, and when that became defiled that’s what ultimately led him to take his own life. But I didn’t make this film for fans. I made it for Frances,” he said.

Although Morgen only worked with Cobain through the documentary, he had the opportunity to work with Cobain’s daughter Frances Bean, the film’s executive producer.

“When Brett and I first met, I was very specific about what I wanted to see, how I wanted Kurt to be represented … I told him, ‘I don’t want the mythology or the romanticism,'” the artist told Rolling Stone.

“Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck” premiered during the Sundance Film Festival last January 25, 2015 and will have a television premiere on HBO on May 24, 2015, following a limited theatrical run this April.

Source : Christian Post

Windows 10 Mobile Release Date, Latest News: Technical Preview Ending April 2015

Christian Post Report – Early this year, rumors about Microsoft releasing a cross-platform operating system hints that users can now say goodbye to Windows Phone. Microsoft is starting to bring the new feature out as it gives insiders a sneak peek of what Windows 10 mobile can do.

Microsoft’s General Manager Gabriel Aul previously tweeted about the Windows Insiders and as of posting time, an update is now live and available for access through the Windows Insider app.

Windows 10 (Photo: Wikipedia/File)

Windows 10 Mobile, Microsoft’s new offering, features cross-platform use.

What can users expect from the new Windows 10?

Aside from the access despite allowing users to maximize their Windows experience whatever platform they may be using (PC or Mobile), Windows 10 also features:

• Interactive Notifications that allows users to instantly use their calendar, alarms, and messages via the pop up notification
• Streamlined App Switcher
• Accessibility to Quick Actions via Action Center
• Better Messaging and People Visuals
• Improved Speech-to-Text
• Customizable and full-sized background image for the start-up screen
• Photos app that will consolidate local photos and OneDrive images.

Microsoft’s Executive Vice President for Operating Systems group says, “Windows 10 represents the first step of a whole new generation of Windows, unlocking new experiences to give customers new ways to work, play and connect.” He adds, “This will be our most comprehensive operating system and the best release Microsoft has ever done for our business customers, and we look forward to working together with our broader Widows community to bring Windows 10 to life in the months ahead.”

At the press conference of Microsoft during the MWC 2015 last March, the company said that Windows 10 can run in all devices and updates will roll out in all the devices (including those running in Windows Phone 8.1) before the year ends.

With its Technical Preview ending in April 15, 2015, Microsoft is yet to announce on the final release date of Windows 10, but one thing’s for sure – it is free.

Source : Christian Post