$1 Million to Cure Aging?
A hedge fund manager is the latest to embark on one of the most ancient of human quests: immortality.
Joon Yun, president of $1 billion health care-focused Palo Alto Investors, announced a new prize last week that will award $1 million to researchers who can "hack the code of life and cure aging."
"The current health care system is doing a remarkable job addressing the diseases of aging," Yun, also a trained doctor, said in a statement. "However, doing so without solving the underlying process of aging produces escalating effects on health care spending. We need a paradigmatic revolution. The aim of the prize is to catalyze that revolution."
Yun, 46, doesn't lack pedigree. He's board-certified in radiology and served on the clinical staff at Stanford Hospital from 2000 to 2006. Yun received his bachelor of arts in biology from Harvard University and his doctorate from Duke University School of Medicine.
The $1 million "Palo Alto Longevity Prize" will be split in two, but teams can try for both. One $500,000 award will go to the first team to show, using a mammal for testing, that it can restore a youthful heart rate to an aging adult. The second $500,000 pot will be awarded to the first group that can extend lifespan by 50 percent.
Eleven teams have already signed up to compete and more can apply. They include researchers from Stanford, George Washington University and Washington University in St. Louis who will experiment with gene modification and the hormone oxytocin.
"Now is the time to launch this prize because we have reached the point in science where we really do have the opportunity to solve aging," Dr. Doris Taylor, director of the regenerative medicine research at Texas Heart Institute, said in a statement. Taylor is a leader of an initial team competing for the prize using a stem cell approach.
Prize organizers are also working with private investors and foundations to provide access to additional money to the teams. The effort's advisory board includes Eric Weinstein of Thiel Capital, Graham Spencer of Google Ventures and Steve Jurvetson of Draper Fisher Jurvetson. - CNBC
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Shapeshifting Orbs
Gresham, OR - March 6th is when I saw these things coming through my front door. They've been doing this since 3/6/14. I was woke up from white noise cranked through my stereo, which was on an odd am station, which I never use. all my electronics were on the blink so I reset it all. then out of the corner of my eye I saw the first one flying about 4 ft off the ground and cruising up the walkway straight into my front door and into my house. I have it on video, outside and inside as they come and go. they're very strange behaving entities.
I have hours of video. Its freaked me out. these things are real. - MUFON CMS
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NOTE: Very similar to Paul Cochrane's case, which I investigated in 2009 in Perth, Western Australia. Here is a brief synopsis of that case:
In June 2009, I received an email from Paul Cochrane of Perth, Western Australia in reference to persistent paranormal activity in his home. The content of the letter exhibited frustration and a plea to help find an individual or group in his general area to investigate. He explained that the entities have been present for 14 years and have followed him to each new home, a total of three different locations. Paul had started to document the events on videotape then placing these on YouTube.
At the time, I was involved in a few other projects so I didn’t initially get started until a few days had passed. To be honest, I receive a multitude of emails daily from my readers and Paul’s email was in the queue. Eventually, I went to his YouTube channel and started to watch the clips. Well, I shot off an email to Paul within a few minutes and offered my help.
Immediately, I posted a notice on the Phantoms and Monsters wiki and the IPAA site asking for assistance. I knew that this would require the effort of several people who had experience in different facets of the paranormal. The response was slow at first, but as time went on and Paul started to post more videos of the activity, my friends and associates came to the call.
For approximately three weeks, there was a steady discussion on our wiki threads. It seemed that each day, Paul would post a more compelling video and state that the entities had faces and animate shapes, as well as making a rudimentary effort to communicate with him. To bolster his claim, his young son also acknowledged the activity. Each new video displayed orbs of various shapes and sizes. Occasionally, hundreds of these orbs would move in and out of walls and furniture in all directions and speeds within minutes. I and others tried to enhance screen captures on a daily basis hoping something tangible would appear. Then it happened.
I received a hurried email from Paul titled ‘got a face’. I had just awakened and hadn’t had a chance to start the coffee maker, so I was still a bit groggy. I went over to his YouTube channel and looked at one of the two new videos. Early on in the first video I brought up (#70 at 0.11 as a matter of fact) was an orb traveling across the screen that had visible structure to it. Paul had inscribed on the screen ‘this is the face orb now she’s posing 4 me’. I took a screen capture, enlarged the image and enhanced the contrast. My God! It’s a face! Right away, I uploaded the image to the wiki and directly to several associates as well as posting it on Phantoms and Monsters.
As you can imagine, I have conversed with many people in the paranormal field since the beginning of my involvement in this sojourn. Let me state that my theory does not directly reflect the opinion of anybody connected to this incident. This includes Paul, my associates and others who have helped in this matter. I make these statements solely as my personal assessment.
OK...here we go. I believe this entity, in particular 'The Face in the Orb', to be a spirit of a young female hybrid being. As to other entities, apparitions, etc. that are present at this location...I cannot state or determine what these are until further study is done. When I refer to 'hybrid', I mean a mixing of DNA of an alien or non-human species and humans. As to where this hybrid came from, I have no solid evidence. The reference ‘spirit’ simply means that this being died at some point and released some type of life force or energy that presents itself on our plane of existence. The fact that the orbs in the videos seem to effortlessly move in and out of sight tends to reinforce a theory that these spirits can crossover to other dimensions. I am convinced that these entities are attracted to Paul for a specific reason, if only to collect energy, and have no intention of moving on...at least for the time being.
Perth Orbs Case - 10/2009
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Scary Experiences Needed!
Sean 'The Forkchop' Forker has asked me to post the following message:
Folks, I am looking for some pretty frightening tales for an upcoming episode of The ForkCAST. Looking for some genuinely scary moments! These will be shared on air, so use discretion when indulging information. Email submissions to frightmares@theforkchop.net - Thanks All! /SF
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Investigating a 'Haunted' Microwave
Homeowner Bill Michaud says, “It started with random beeping. One time it went off like the food was done, and when I looked over, the damn thing was still going and said 6:66.” Unfortunately for Michaud and his family, this spooky occurrence was just the beginning of a long, kitchen-appliance nightmare.
“We found [the microwave] in the attic when we moved in a few months back. Didn’t have one, so figured, ‘what the hell,’ might as well try it,” says Michaud. “I tell you, the thing heats up the food real nice. Sometimes it beeped or turned itself off in the middle of cooking, though. Then really weird things started happening. It zapped at food as if we were putting shards of metal in it. I couldn’t figure it out.”
His wife Betty adds, “It turns on by itself. It turns off by itself, too. It’s like it’s messing with me. No matter how many times I popped the door shut, the minute I leave the room it pops open again. One night, really late, I walk into the kitchen and I’m about to open the fridge, and the microwave door flies open, lighting the whole kitchen up in a horrible, scary lightning-blue color. It’s like it wanted to electrocute me.”
The Michauds contacted the Kansas Ghost Hunter group right away. Founder Kevin Young was eager to study both the microwave and the entire home in general.
“The Michauds didn’t want to go without a microwave, or risk upsetting the spirit by taking it out of the house. We obtained permission to stay the night and study the phenomena in its natural environment,” said Young. “My wife, who is also on my squad, is highly empathic. As we warmed up TV dinners in the microwave, she sensed a presence. As soon as she mentioned it, the microwave started beeping repeatedly. The door flung open, and my Hungry Man dinner went flying across the room. We pressed the off button. We unplugged it. It beeped several times after we cut off the power. Of course our digital recording became corrupted, which often happens when there is such strong energy.”
Young called in paranormal investigator, and self-proclaimed authority on mechanical-possession, Carl Richards. He believes it is not a ghost, but a poltergeist that takes possession of the microwave.
“I followed the situation that the Michauds were facing from the beginning, as they posted their disturbances on Facebook. I keep an eye on all local ghost-hunter hobbyists and groups,” said Richards. “The EMF readings confirmed this supernatural manifestation is a poltergeist. I have seen poltergeists occupy washers, TVs, electric heaters, but this is the first time I have seen microwave possession first-hand.”
When Richards was asked if the Michauds should get a new microwave , he advised, “It is important to remember, the malevolent presence does not strictly ‘live in’ the microwave. Getting rid of the machine will not solve the problem. It has the ability to travel throughout the electrical wiring in the house.”
“It is best not to engage the being,” continued Young. “Try not to be fearful. Always remain calm. If you’re facing a poltergeist in your kitchen devices, just ignore its outbursts, and it will not be able to feed off your energies.”
Betty Michaud agrees with Young’s advice. “I think he knows what he’s talking about. It didn’t start getting really bad until we paid attention to it. Now we just ignore it like we would ignore a child’s temper-tantrum, and it still randomly shuts off or zaps from time to time, but nothing really serious. It still heats up our leftovers like a champ, too.” - Empire News
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Do You Enjoy Phantoms & Monsters?
Each March and September I ask the readers to show their appreciation for the work involved in bringing them Phantoms & Monsters. If you feel you can contribute, please use the button below or go directly to www.paypal.com and use my email lonstrickler@phantomsandmonsters as the payee. Thanks for you support and consideration! Lon
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