Free Republic

Are head transplants really part of the medicine of the future – and do we want them to be? On May 21, startup BrainBridge unveiled its concept for a world-first head transplant system, promising to combine artificial intelligence with the latest in robotics to literally remove a human head and put it on a new body. If everything works as intended, once the head is in place, the person will apparently be able to get up and go about the rest of their life with a brand-new set of healthy limbs and organs. Sounds fantastical? Right now, science says it...

Alabama is spearheading a coalition of 12 Republican-led states in a federal lawsuit against five Democrat-run states, alleging the latter are trying to coerce the former into complying with strict climate-conscious policies that could imperil their residents' access to affordable energy. The filing was made at the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday as the plaintiffs argued that Democrat-led states California, Connecticut, Minnesota, New Jersey and Rhode Island are essentially forcing residents of politically opposed states to feel repercussions of their restrictions and, therefore, are dictating national energy policy. "California and New Jersey and the defendant states are trying to make...

Chef Kim Do-yun of one-Michelin-star restaurant Yun Seoul, known for his expertise in noodles and dedication to sourcing ingredients, is proud of being a “weirdo obsessed with ingredients” – a quirky label given to him by his customers. In his restaurant, Kim has a lab-like refrigerated storage space where he keeps over 500 ingredients, labelled by year of production and place of origin – various pickles, dried vegetables, beans, grains, seeds, dried meat and dried fish, some of which have been aged up to seven years. His collection of seeds alone includes some 90 different kinds of sesame and perilla...

Several properties used by a Mississippi district attorney have been raided by the FBI. Democratic Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owen's office was raided on Wednesday, as was the Downtown Cigar Company, a tobacco shop and lounge he owns in Jackson, per Idaho News. The reason behind the searches has not been revealed by officials. FBI spokesman Marshay Lawson said in a statement: 'The FBI is executing federal search warrants at the multiple locations. 'The affidavit in support of the search warrants has been sealed by the court and so I am prohibited from commenting further. There is no threat...

How far would you go to avoid a rash from a common pest on hikes? Well, one reporter for The Wall Street Journal has gone as far as to blend poison oak into smoothies and mix them into his salad bowl — all in a bid to develop an immunity towards the chemical irritants found in the plant's leaves. Jeff Horwitz, who usually reports on technology, wrote about his slightly mad mission for a feature article in the Saturday newspaper. "I started eating poison oak in January, when the first buds began to swell on the hazardous plant’s bare stems,"...

Benjamin Atkins killed his lodger over a minor financial dispute, prosecutors said A man has been found guilty of murdering his lodger before scattering his severed body parts in packages and a suitcase. Benjamin Atkins, 49, killed Simon Shotton, of the same age, at their home in Bournemouth in August 2023 following a dispute over money, prosecutors said. Atkins' partner, Debbie Pereira, 39, was found guilty of perverting the course of justice. They are due to be sentenced at Winchester Crown Court on 26 July. Warning: This story contains graphic details which readers may find upsetting Mr Shotton's legs were...

Millions of people in the U.S. report using marijuana daily or nearly every day, according to an analysis of national survey data, and those people now outnumber those who say they are daily or nearly-daily drinkers of alcohol. Alcohol is still more widely used, but 2022 was the first time this intensive level of marijuana use overtook daily and near-daily drinking, said the study’s author, Jonathan Caulkins, a cannabis policy researcher at Carnegie Mellon University. “A good 40% of current cannabis users are using it daily or near daily, a pattern that is more associated with tobacco use than typical...

NATIONAL VANILLA PUDDING DAY | MAY 22 May 22nd is the day we recognize National Vanilla Pudding Day. Enjoy it with a delicious dish of cold, creamy vanilla pudding. #VanillaPuddingDay The puddings we enjoy as desserts today are not what was commonly known as pudding at ancient dinner tables. Most medieval puddings were meat-based and seasoned with herbs and spices. Even sweetened cooks usually served them hot. Toward the end of the 18th century, people more than likely made puddings from grains or day-old bread with nuts, fruit, or meats. They used these puddings to stretch meals for a large...

Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration quietly ended a $200 million program aimed at helping disadvantaged entrepreneurs open cannabis dispensaries, amid allegations of predatory lending practices. The Social Equity Cannabis Investment Fund, which was overseen by DASNY, came under fire last month after a report by local nonprofit news outlet The City alleged that DASNY entered into an agreement that allowed a private equity firm to provide $50 million to the fund at a 15% interest rate.

NATIONAL CRAFT DISTILLERY DAY | MAY 22 On May 22nd, National Craft Distillery Day adds spirits to the small-batch revolution. Recognizing the diversity of distilled spirits, the industry followed in the footsteps of the craft brewers and began creating a market for themselves. #NationalCraftDistilleryDay History of Distilling Spirit distillation has a long and influential history going back to the Greeks. Some scholars trace the earliest recorded wine distilling recipes back to Anaxilaus of Thessaly. Despite this, Rome expelled him for practicing magic in 28 B.C. The Greeks also took this idea and learned if they boiled wine in an open...

Amid a rise in COVID-19 cases in Singapore, demand for test kits has jumped, with some shops running out of stock. Healthcare and beauty retailer Watsons said there has been a surge of over 150 per cent in the demand for COVID-19 test kits in the past week. "Our stores are well-stocked, and we've scheduled replenishment," it told CNA on Monday (May 20). Singapore's largest supermarket chain FairPrice has similarly seen a near doubling in demand for antigen rapid test (ART) kits and masks in the past week. When CNA visited several pharmacies on Tuesday, some did not have test...

Organ traffickers exploit vulnerable people in Iran with promises of big bucks for their organs. The life-saving promise of organ transplants is marred by a disturbing reality: international organ trafficking rings. This lucrative criminal enterprise preys on the desperate and fuels a black market catering to wealthy recipients, often oligarchs, seeking a quick fix. Iran, under a criminal regime, has emerged as a suspected hub in this illicit trade. Accusations point to a system where Iranian citizens, burdened by economic hardship, are coerced into selling their organs to foreign recipients. While the extent of the practice remains unclear, reports suggest...

A cruise line has offered the adventure of a lifetime for retirees to explore the world in luxury and give them a chance to beat inflation. Villa Vie Residences has launched their Endless Horizons program, which allows passengers to set sail on the Villa Vie Odyssey ship and take off on a seven-continent adventure on May 30. The luxury cruise liner requires a one time payment of $299,999 for a single room and $499,999 for a double occupancy cabin. 'One aspect most people nearing retirement age are concerned about is ongoing living expenses and the possibility of outliving their savings,'...

Biden is out here giving me gems like this: "After I signed the packandelempackatlackact into law" - Joe Biden What???? I decided to set it to music, and while someone could totally do better, I think it slaps! VIDEO AT LINK........................ Keep the greatest hits coming, Mr. President! VIDEO AT LINK................

NATIONAL STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM DAY | May 21 Each year on May 21st, we combine two favorites for a celebration on National Strawberries and Cream Day. Fresh strawberries and homemade whipped cream is a must when strawberries are in season. They are the perfect, refreshing, light snack on a beautifully warm day! #StrawberriesAndCreamDay With these bright red berries in season, it should be no surprise that it's also National Strawberry Month. Strawberries are a very healthy snack as they are low-fat, low in calories, and an excellent source of vitamin C, fiber, folic acid, and potassium. Strawberries grow all over...

People on the volcano-stricken island of St. Vincent will be evacuated to certain neighboring islands only if they've been vaccinated against COVID-19, the nation's prime minister said. Cruise ships have been dispatched to the island that is being partially evacuated after the 4,000-foot high volcano La Soufrière erupted on Friday.

Ann Coulter has always been a bomb-thrower. She traffics in saying outrageous things and then sits back and watches the fallout. Whether she believes half the stuff she says is anyone's guess. On a recent episode of her "Unsafe" podcast with Scott Adams, she compared long-haul COVID to UFOs and blamed New York liberals for making it up.

New findings show that a strain of the H5N1 influenza virus has developed only a minimal capacity for airborne transmission. In March, the United States reported its first detection of the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in dairy cattle, with outbreaks spreading to nine states by May. The transmission method among cattle remains unclear. However, a study published in Nature Communications revealed that a similar H5N1 strain, subtype clade 2.3.4.4b, which previously caused an outbreak in farmed mink in 2022, was capable of airborne transmission to a small group of ferrets. This is the first time that a member of...

Genetic impurities in the Pfizer mRNA COVID vaccine could be as high as 500 times the permissible limit, according to a new study. In the study, published in Methods and Protocols, two German researchers raise worrying questions about the reliability of the quantitative PCR technique used by Pfizer-BioNTech to measure DNA contamination in the vaccine. Using their own tests on the vaccine’s lipid nanoparticles, they discovered levels that were between 360 and 534 times higher than the 10 nanogram per dose limit set by regulators. The researchers argued that the methods used by Pfizer-BioNTech test for only 1% of the...

It’s the cycle of life. Lifelong bicyclers may live longer, have stronger immune systems and are less likely to experience knee pain or osteoarthritis, than people who don’t ride bikes. Although previous studies have already shown several benefits of cycling, new research now shows that people who cycle regularly have significantly less chance of developing osteoarthritis by the age of 65, according to NPR. The study, which was published last month in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, surveyed 2,600 people with an average age of 64 about their lifetime exercise habits. All of the participants were at an...