Sounds like Sodom and Gomorrah all over again … the cup of God’s wrath must be over flowing by now …. Glad to be leaving this messed up world … before the judgments start. Human Mini-Brains Grafted Into Injured Rats Restored Their Sight: Known as brain organoids, these tiny clumps of brain tissue—roughly the size of a lentil—look nothing like the three-pound organ piloting our lives. Yet under the surface, they behave eerily similar to the brain of a human fetus. Their neurons spark with electrical activity. They readily integrate with—and subsequently control—muscles, at least in a dish. Similar to full-blown brains, they give birth to new neurons. Some even develop the six-layered structure of the human cortex—the wrinkly, outermost layer of the brain that supports thought, reasoning, judgment, speech, and perhaps even consciousness. Yet a critical question haunts neuroscientists: can these Frankenstein bits of brain tissue actually restore an injured brain? A study published in Cell Stem Cell this month concluded that they can. Using brain organoids made from human cells, a team led by Dr. Han-Chiao Isaac Chen at the University of Pennsylvania transplanted the mini-brains into adult rats with substantial damage to their visual cortex—the area that supports vision. In just three months, the mini-brains merged with the rats’ brains. When the team shone flashing lights for the animals, the organoids spiked with electrical activity. In other words, the human mini-brain received signals from the rats’ eyes. “Now, we want to understand how organoids could be used in other areas of the cortex, not just the visual cortex, and we want to understand the rules that guide how organoid neurons integrate with the brain so that we can better control that process and make it happen faster,” said Chen. DEVELOPING: Emergency Officials Responding to Two More Train Derailments – One in South Carolina, Another in Texas: Emergency responders on Monday responded to two more train derailments. At least one person is dead after a crash caused a train derailment at US 59 in Montgomery, Texas. “Officials are responding to a train derailment in Enoree on Monday afternoon.” Fox Carolina reported. “CSX Transportation are also on the scene.” A severe train derailment in Ohio that happened on February 3rd is still a danger to residents near the crash site. “About 50 cars, including 10 carrying hazardous materials, derailed in a fiery crash on Feb. 3 in East Palestine, Ohio. Vinyl chloride was later released into the air from five of those cars before crews ignited it to get rid of the highly flammable, toxic chemicals in a controlled environment, creating a dark plume of smoke.” WBNS reported. Residents from neighborhoods near the crash site have been evacuated because of the toxic fumes. Yep, there is an awfully lot of train derailments happening … I wonder if this is to prevent the food or other supply chain shipments from reaching their destination? I was at the grocery store yesterday to get snacks for my dog and his favorite chewy milk bones are not available. I was talking to the store worker and he said they don’t know when the next supply will arrive … when he scanned the shelf tag it reads nothing in their warehouse and they have contacted the vendor and it was a zero response back. 🙁 In 53 Illinois Schools, Not a Single Student Can Do Math at Grade Level: While teachers push Critical Race Theory and the sexualization of children in schools, academic rigor continues to slip lower and lower. The Illinois State Board of Education’s recent report card is dreadful. In 30 schools in Illinois, not a single student can read at grade level, 22 of which are in the City of Chicago. In 53 schools, not a single student can do math at grade level, 33 of which are in Chicago. The failure isn’t about money, either. Data from the Illinois State Board of Education shows spending at Spry was already at $20,000 per student before the pandemic. Today it spends $35,600. What’s really incredible is that many of these schools are rated “commendable” by the Illinois State Board of Education. That’s the 2nd-highest of four “accountability” ratings a school can receive.
