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Pentagon: Zombie Pigs First, Then Hibernating Soldiers

Around half of U.S. troop fatalities are caused by blood loss from battlefield injuries. Now, with another 30,000 troops deploying to Afghanistan, the Pentagon is pushing for medical advances that can save more lives during combat. The Defense Department’s latest research idea: Stop bleeding injuries by turning pigs into the semi-undead. If it works out, we humans could be the next ones to be zombified.

Military’s mad-science arm Darpa has awarded $9.9 million to the Texas A&M Institute for Preclinical Studies (TIPS), to develop treatments that can extend a “golden period” when injured war fighters have the best chance of coming back from massive blood loss. Odds of survival plummet after an hour — during combat, that kind of quick evacuation, triage and treatment is often impossible.

The institute’s research will be based on previous Darpa-funded efforts. One project, at Stanford University, hypothesized that humans could one day mimic the hibernation abilities of squirrels — who emerge from winter months no worse for wear — using a pancreatic enzyme we have in common with the critters. The other, led by Dr. Mark Roth at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, used nematode worms and rats to test how hydrogen sulfide could block the body’s ability to use oxygen — creating a kind of “suspended animation” where hearts stop beating and wounds don’t bleed. After removing 60 percent of the rat’s blood, Dr. Roth managed to keep the critters alive for 10 hours using his hydrogen sulfide cocktail.

Wired: Pentagon: Zombie Pigs First, Then Hibernating Soldiers

(via Social Physicist)

Roach paper mosiac art

snoop dogg roach paper mosiac portrait

“I was studying mosaics in school” recalls Cliff. “I just remember sort of making this connection in my head between the tiles and roach papers. It’s when one sees the level of detail in Cliff’s work that the true amazement begins. Little bits of paper– otherwise thrown away– cut into delicate shapes and arranged together in such a way as to form a true work of art.

Chronic Art

(via Toke of the Town via Disinfo)

Obama LSD blotter art

lsd blotter obama

(via Erowid)

See also: Alex Grey Obama Portrait

Also: Barack Obama ecstasy tablets

obama ecstasy pills

Web comic – everyone is weird

not funny again

Pretty good web comic.

Virus Comics: not an insult

(via Autumn)

Fact checking The Men Who Stare at Goats

first earth battalion manual

Danger Room has an article posted fact checking the claims made in the new The Men Who Stare at Goats movie:

Hippie Army? True. Lt. Col. Jim Channon dove deep into the New Age movement, and came back to the military with a most alternative view of warfare — one in which troops would carry flowers and symbolic animals into battle. In the movie, Channon is played by Jeff Bridges. His First Earth Battalion is renamed the “New Earth Army.” But the ideas are the same. Much of the artwork from the New Earth manual is lifted straight from the Channon original.

Channon has been taking advantage of the publicity for his cause; this week he has a column in the Guardian newspaper, suggesting (among other things) that armies should be used for reforestation and navies to control over-fishing.

The military’s interest in Eastern and alternative practices is once again on the rise. “Warrior mind training“, apparently based on ancient Samurai techniques, is being taught at Camp Lejeune as a possible treatment for PTSD. Elsewhere the Army has a $4 million initiative exploring other approaches including Reiki, transcendental meditation and “bioenergy.” The Air Force is looking into acupuncture for battlefield pain relief.

Danger Room: Psychic Spies, Acid Guinea Pigs, New Age Soldiers: the True Men Who Stare at Goats

As pointed out at Danger Room, you can download the original First Earth Battalion Manual from Jim Channon’s web site

Previously:

Psychic Warfare from 1981-2008

Real life DHARMA Initiative # 1: SRI (Stanford Research Institute)

It’s only logical: Keanu Reeves is immortal

(via Dangerous Minds)

Strange Cloud Formation Spooks Moscow Citizens

Several vampire hunting kits

alex cf vampire hunting kit

LA Times highlights several “vampire hunting kits.” Above is one by Alex CF. Read my interview with Alex here.

There’s something so quaint and tidy about a kit for eradicating evil. Some of these vampire hunting kits are “authentic.” Some were assembled by artists aiming to capture the antique beauty of the things. Others are straight up hoaxes.

LA Times: Vampire Hunting Kits: Travel-Sized Boxes of Pain & Vengeance

Nepalese Teen Invents Cheap Solar Panel Using Human Hair (Update: hoax)

human hair solar

Update: this is most likely a hoax.

Did you know that melanin, the pigment in hair, is light sensitive and can be used as a conductor? Well, that’s what an 18 year old in Nepal recently discovered, and is now using human hair to replace silicon in solar panels. Since the price of hair is considerably cheaper than silicon, this enterprising youth may have just found a breakthrough technology to help bring down the cost of solar and give thousands of people in developing nations access to affordable renewable energy.

Inhabitat: Nepalese Teen Invents Cheap Solar Panel Using Human Hair

(via Posthuman Blues)

Man Born With Heart Outside Chest Celebrates 34th Birthday

heart on outside of chest

Christopher Wall, who was born with his heart on the outside of his chest, recently celebrated his 34th birthday. Amazing.


Boy Born With Heart Outside Body Defies Odds

(via What a Wonderful Place to Be)

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