World War II Bomb Detonated in German town of Ahlbach, Creates Crater in Cornfield

Over the weekend, an explosion rocked the German town of Ahlbach. Residents were woken up around 4 a.m. by a loud explosion and tremor that according to residents, felt similar to an earthquake. “My house shook from the blast. My husband and I were very, very confused at first. We thought an earthquake had hit our town but that didn’t explain the loud explosion we heard. It was deafening! When we looked outside, we didn’t see anything. It was really confusing at first. All of our neighbors were outside too trying to figure out what was going on. We called the police. We weren’t sure what else to do.” According to Hessenschau, a German TV program, the bomb’s explosion registered as a magnitude 1.7 tremor on the Richter scale. This lead a lot of people to believe that it was in fact an earthquake.

Social media and police lines quickly became congested with rumors, suspicions, and concerns regarding the incident. Within a matter of hours, the topic was trending all over social media with people throwing out some wild theories about what had had happened. Luckily, it didn’t take long for officials to discover the cause of the noise and put both the townspeople and the world at ease. “Everyone was saying that we were under attack! It was really, really scary. Others were saying that it was a violent earthquake and we should all be concerned. There was so much misinformation floating around online that I eventually just had to unplug from it,” said one resident.

They were able to track the noise/tremors to a large cornfield where they stumbled upon a massive crater. At first, many assumed that it was the result of a meteorite. After all, what else could create that kind of a blast zone? However, the fact that a meteorite and traces were missing meant that it wasn’t the cause. Investigators eventually found the source of the noise and tremors: a World War II bomb that had detonated in a cornfield. The bomb had been buried deep within the ground and forgotten about. Once it went off, it created a crater that was 13 feet deep and 33 feet wide according to Limburg officials. “It was a big bomb as you can tell by the damage it did to the cornfield. Luckily, nobody was injured when it blew. We’re very, very thankful for that,” investigators said regarding the incident.

How did the Bomb get There?

But what was the bomb doing out in the cornfield in the first place? Had someone put it there and if so, how did they get access to such weaponry? Should the city be concerned about more attacks? Or had it actually be dropped by invaders? And if so, who dropped the bomb on the cornfield and why there? Once again, social media was set aflame as both residents and people around the world spoke their concerns. “When something like this happens, people always assume the worst. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing and in many cases it’s the appropriate response. However in this case, they were creating widespread panic over nothing. Sure, the bomb’s explosion caused significant damage but nobody was hurt and it’s not a sign of an imminent threat. People were quick to blow things out of proportion,” officials stated in response to the explosion making its way around the Internet.

Limburg officials were also quick to address these concerns. In their statement, they mentioned that that specific area had been a prime target for bombing raids during the war. A former Nazi operated railway facility and radio stations were located nearby, making it a target for bombs. Because of this, many bombs were dropped on the area. The ones that didn’t explode simply sunk into the ground to be forgotten about. While this sounds weird to think about, apparently it’s not all that uncommon. “In certain areas there are a lot of undetonated bombs, landmines, and other relics of the war that remain buried underground. A lot of these require some form of trigger mechanism to activate it such as stepping on the area or messing with the piece. This area is unfortunately one of those. It was a hotbed for bombing activity and a lot of those remain buried and forgotten by time until something like this happens.”

What Triggered the Explosion?

Was someone messing with the bomb at 4 in the morning? And if so, how did they manage to dig 13 feet into the ground to access it in the first place? After all, the bomb wasn’t just sitting exposed above ground begging for someone to come mess with it. Experts were quick to answer this as well. According to them, undiscovered bombs can explode somewhat randomly. “We can’t necessarily determine when or even if an unexploded bomb is going to go off. Some were ‘duds’ that landed while others still have a chance of exploding. Most of the time, these things require someone to mess with them in order to explode. However in some cases, the bombs simply go off on their own,” experts say.

But what would cause a bomb that’s laid dormant for so long to just suddenly go off? Well, this happens when their detonators deteriorate and become compromised. As the bomb sits underground, a lot of the gears and intricacies rot/deteriorate and the structure becomes compromised over time. Eventually the parts just wear out so much that the bomb is triggered and explodes. The bombs also have long-term acid ignite fuses that keep them “active” for a long time as well making them extremely susceptible to explosions. And unfortunately, Germany is full of them.

WWII Bombs aren’t that Uncommon in Germany

“70 years after the war, we’re still finding undetonated bombs and in some cases landmines. The landmines aren’t as common, but they do show up from time to time. We’re unfortunately a hub for these kinds of things. Certain areas were more popular than others because of their importance to Nazi soldiers and commanders. Those fighting against the Nazis dropped a lot of bombs on Germany in an effort to halt progress and end the war. As others have said, not all of these bombs went off. Even though great cleanup efforts were made to get rid of them after the war, it’s impossible to do a thorough sweep and get them all. A lot were covered up by rubble and blown up pieces of land so we were already at a disadvantage. Over time, they were simply reclaimed by the earth.”

Finding bombs in Germany is fairly common. In fact, many have been defused in large cities like Frankfurt and Berlin over the years. “It’s become so commonplace now that you hardly see it online or hear about it on the TV. If news is slow, you might hear them mention that another bomb was found and defused, but nobody gives it much attention. The only reason why this one got as much media coverage as it did is because it exploded on its own, causing a large crater. It garnered a lot of attention. It’s far more newsworthy and interesting to talk about a bomb that went off and blew up a field than it is to talk about how experts cleared out an undetonated one.”

Another bomb was found in Berlin last April. It was quickly defused and then another showed up in Frankfurt. This one forced 60,000 people out of their homes and the city as technicians worked to defuse it. The whole process took several hours, but nobody was injured and nothing was damaged in the process. 50,000 people were also evacuated in Hanover when bombs were discovered during a construction project. In other words, they’re unfortunately not all that uncommon in Germany.

You’ll also hear about this kind of activity in other war torn countries. In some places, especially near war camps, people sweep the grounds around them multiple times a day in order to find landmines and undetonated weaponry that could be triggered by stepping on it or go off on its own causing a lot of destruction. In Vietnam for example, there are hundreds of thousands of landmines, traps, and undetonated bombs scattered across the jungle. “In some areas you simply can’t safely cross the terrain without some sort of bomb of metal detector. My dad and I sweep the area frequently and we always come home with handfuls. It’s nerve wracking but you get used to it. So far there have only been a few injuries from these landmines and that number is shrinking everyday as we clear out more and more of them,” say residents.

Should Residents be Concerned?

One of the biggest things on everyone’s mind right now is how concerned they should be regarding this incident. If Germany is “full of bombs” as it’s self described, how likely are other incidents like this to take place? Should citizens be worried? “It’s always concerning when we stumble across an undetonated bomb, but we always take precautions. We evacuate the surrounding areas and call in professionals to defuse it. There’s also a lot of concern from citizens that they will come across these buried bombs and set them off by accident but that’s highly unlikely. They are buried so far underground that it’s nearly impossible for someone to walk over it and trigger it,” officials say.

On Monday, residents outside of Frankfurt were evacuated when not one but two World War II bombs were found. According to TheLocal.de, 2,500 people were evacuated from the area. “We didn’t believe that they were a direct threat to the citizens of the town, but we didn’t want to take any chances,” authorities said. Most of the time, the bombs are detonated by professionals on site if they’re far enough away from civilization so no damage is caused. If this isn’t an option, they can be defused where they lay if the parts are still in working condition or they can be moved to a safer location for detonation.

“You’re more likely to be hit by lightning than you are to trigger a bomb, “ say local officials.

Self-detonations are also incredibly rare; even for Germany who is full of them. According to Wolfgang Spyra, who is both an engineer and professor at the Brandenburg University of Technology in Cottbus, only about one or two WWII era bombs detonate by themselves each year. “They’re typically not in densely populated areas either. The ones located in suburbs and cities are typically discovered quickly before they can detonated and they are rendered inert immediately,” Spyra said.

The Bomb’s Past

After the bomb exploded, a lot of people began asking questions about its past. Had it been placed in that location and forgotten about? Was it dropped from a plane? At first, experts had their doubts that it was a World War II bomb, but evidence quickly swayed them in that direction; especially given the area’s importance as a railway center during the war.

Now according to experts, the 550 pound bomb was dropped by plane. “The bomb was incredibly huge and was designed to do a lot of damage as you can tell by the photo of the crater. Something of that size and caliber doesn’t just get ‘placed’ down; it has to be dropped by an aircraft. As to why it didn’t detonate upon impact is up in the air. The bomb was definitely alive, but it didn’t explode once it hit the ground. Instead, it detonated after its mechanics rotted away.”

The aerial bomb possessed a chemical detonator. This likely explains why it didn’t detonate once it hit the ground. “Sometimes the chemicals just don’t mix properly right away or don’t get exposed to each other to create the right reaction. Because of this, they sit dormant until their detonator materials decompose. Then, they go off.”

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Ant Hill Farm Roch Thériault: The Most Horrendous Cult You’ve Never Heard Of

Roch Thériault is most dangerous cult in the history. When you think of cults, there are probably a handful that come to mind: Heaven’s Gate, People’s Temple, the Manson Family, and depending on what side of the fence you err on, Scientology. Reflecting on the older cults, they’ve been responsible for some seriously vicious and disturbing events. The Manson Family went on a killing spree that led to the death of Sharon Tate as well as her unborn child and Jim Jones convinced all of his fathers to poison themselves and their children so that they would die. These leaders were all nothing short of serial killers disguised as religious/compassionate leaders bent on saving their followers. There are still a number of cults in operation today including Divine Truth where the leader claims to be a reincarnation of Jesus. However, there’s never been to date that’s quite as disturbing as Ant Hill Farm. And what’s weirder still is the fact that it’s somehow slipped under the radar from decades.

What comes to mind when you think of the Ant Hill Farm Cult? If you have no background knowledge regarding them, you probably assume that they’re your “run of the mill” religious cult where the followers are subject to some strange beliefs and practices in order to secure their passage to Heaven. This was also the basis of Ant Hill Farm. The cult was located in Burnt Hill, Ontario and operated between 1977 and 1989. Theriault, who was a self-proclaimed prophet, bore the name Moise or Moses and the title of cult leader. He founded his doomsday cult based on beliefs held by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Theriault kept multiple wives as well as concubines and took on an active role as “father” of his cult. He believed it was religious duty to impregnate all of the female members of his cult. He would go on to father a staggering 26 children.

His followers consisted of 22 children and 12 adults who were subject to his totalitarian command at the commune. They were also the victims of some seriously messed up physical and sexual abuse. But why the name Ant Hill Farm? According to outsiders, it was because the children of the commune were always working. They reminded both Theriault and others of ants who are constantly working hard to insure that their hive is functioning to the best of its ability.

Who was Roch Theriault?

Roch Theriault can be best described as a villainous man on a mission: to save both himself and his devoted followers from the oncoming apocalypse. Hence the title, “doomsday cult”. When Theriault was just a child, he saw no point in school. He hadn’t for awhile and insisted that what he was learning at school wasn’t of use. Instead, he turned to the Bible and began teaching the Old Testament to himself in place of math and history. As he read further and further into the scriptures, he became convinced that the world was going to end. He believed that a massive war was coming: one between good and evil. Unfortunately no matter how he read the script, the outlook was bleak. The world was going to end because of the war.

Theriault knew he had to do something and he also knew that it was up to him to save as many as he could. He converted to the Seventh-Day Adventist Church and began living under the rules established by the church: no junk food, no tobacco, no drugs, and no alcohol. He liked the rules that the church had in place and found them “liberating”. He felt as if he was cleansing not only his body, but his soul as well. Under this doctrine, Theriault began organizing seminars for the church and during this time he convinced a number of people to leave their jobs and join his cult “The Ant Hill Kids.” Because he was incredibly charismatic and persuasive, Theriault had little problem gathering a ton of people and recruiting them. Thus in 1977, Theriault, who was now called Moses or Moise, settled into a commune. The purpose of the commune was to be “free from sin” and the leader wanted it to stand as a symbol for both unity and equality.

However, the Seventh-Day Adventist Church didn’t like what they called the “obnoxiously weird” behavior of Theriault. He forbid his followers from reaching out and contacting their families and he also found comfort in the bottle. Obviously, this didn’t set well with the Adventists. The group kicked both Theriault and his followers out. Afterwards, the rules became harsher and harsher, eventually leading to the point where followers weren’t even allowed to speak to each other unless their leader was present. Unfortunately, this was the just the beginning of what was to come for the group.

Baked Goods, Torture, and the End of the World

On the outside, Theriault’s commune looked benign. Sure, their beliefs and some of their practices were rather strange to onlookers, but nobody really suspected the depth of depravity that was going on within the cult. The Ant Hill Kids made money for the commune by selling baked goods. They would also sell crafted goods as well, but the baked items were far more popular. This was their primary if not only source of income. Of course those who baked the treats weren’t allowed to keep the money; it was straight to Theriault who “used it to improve life at the commune.” Not really that unusual right? However, outside of baking and selling these goods, life in the commune was nothing short of a nightmare for Moses’s followers.

Theriault became suspicious and untrusting of those within his sect pretty early on. He began spying on them and when something seemed out of place, he punished them in bizarre and truly cruel ways. However, these members didn’t bear anything close to the brunt of Theriault’s rage. If someone wanted to leave the cult, the leader would become nothing short of outraged and would unleash this torment upon them. He would often attack them with belts and in some cases, even hammers inflicting serious damage. Many bones were broken, teeth were lost, and in some cases the member died from the wounds. Theriault was also fond of suspending the “traitors” from the ceiling where he would pull out every single hair form the person’s body individually. Sometimes he would also resort to defecating on them.

As time went on, Theriault became even more convinced of his godly purpose and wild delusions. He decided that the message from the scriptures was clear: the world would end in 1979. He and his commune moved into the Canadian wilderness because for some reason, Theriault “knew” that God wouldn’t destroy Quebec. He convinced his followers that they would be safe from the war and God’s wrath here. So the group packed up what little belongings they had and moved into the wilderness, where life was going to get exponentially worse for them.

Life in the Canadian Wilderness

Unsurprisingly, 1979 came and went without so much as a hitch. Clearly, the world didn’t end. This left Theriault in a very awkward position. While his followers didn’t so much as dare to even whisper their confusion in the dark, this didn’t stop the cult leader from becoming paranoid. He convinced both himself and the others that the world as we know it doesn’t run on the same time zone as God’s world. This meant that 1977 for God would be emphatically different from our 1977. While the theory was lackluster and completely ridiculous at best, it didn’t stop his followers from idolizing him still. They romanticized the crazy man and declare that he was their absolute leader. Whatever bullshit he was willing to feed them, they were willing to accept.

It should also come as no surprise that life in the Canadian wilderness was anything less than peaceful. Even when Theriault wasn’t torturing his members, the commune was. Since they were miles upon miles from the closest town, selling goods was no longer an option. This left the cult flat broke and unable to purchase necessities. The members lived in shanties and essentially squalor; they were subject to whatever harsh conditions the woods threw at them. With no heat for the winter except fires and no relief from the heat in the summer, life was nothing short of miserable. The Ant Hill Farm Kids also had to work around the clock to maintain life at their sect. This meant fixing problems with the homes, gathering and chopping firewood, collecting food, etc. And not that it mattered since nobody could go anywhere without Theriault’s express permission, they didn’t have access to medical help. And as you’ll see later, Theriault became their doctor and had no business doing so.

However, his followers continued to love and worship him as well as their lifestyle. Here in the woods, Theriault fathered 26 children. He would of course physically as well as sexually abuse the children until welfare authorities would step in and take them away. Unfortunately, this type of behavior did little to deter his followers. The women, his concubines, continued to worship at his feet and father children for him to abuse.

Theriault’s Followers were Subject to All Sorts of Abuse

He also served the role as doctor and surgeon for his followers. He would often have other members hold the “patient” down while he “worked” on them with whatever utensils he had at hand. The patient was always fully conscious at the start and no pain killers or anesthesia was offered. Theriault would often use pliers, blowtorches, and any number of kitchen utensils to accomplish his goal. It should also come as no surprise that a lot of his followers lost body parts including limbs, fingers, and toes as well as teeth because of these practices. Some even lost their lives and as far as we’re concerned, they were probably the lucky ones.

While each medical practice was cruel, the one that stood out the most came in the form of a woman who complained about stomach pains. Being the great “doctor” that he was, Theriault agreed to help her. He told her to undress then had her lay down on the kitchen table. As soon as she laid down, the torture began. Theriault began by punching her viciously in the stomach then immediately performed an enema on the woman. A tube was inserted and he filled it with both molasses and olive oil. But wait, there’s more. He then cut her stomach open and began yanking out parts of her intestines bare-handed. And as if this wasn’t enough torture for the woman to endure, he had a member force a tube down the woman’s throat and other women of the sect were forced to blow down it. While this was happening, another member was also crudely stitching the womb out. She died the very next day. Of course, Theriault took this as a chance to demonstrate that the possessed the powers of resurrection. And like everything else associated with the cult, it was vile. A hole was drilled into the woman’s skull and every male member of the sect was forced to ejaculate into the hole. Shockingly, the woman stayed dead.

However, it wasn’t just the children and the sick that suffered at the hands of this monster. Whenever the religious leader was in a “mood”, he would torture his members. He would often force his members to use sledgehammers to break their own legs and encouraged them to shoot fellow sect members in the shoulder. Members were also forced to eat feces (both their own and other’s), rats, and insects. Children were also nailed to trees as punishment and other kids on the commune were forced to hit them with rocks. Removing teeth, nails, cutting off legs and arms, and burning members were just a few of the practices he employed to keep his sect “in line.”

The Final Straw

Shockingly, Theriault’s cult members remained loyal to him despite the outrageous and truly hideous practices. Even though they saw what was going on and were often involved in the torture themselves (either as the person being held down or the one holding someone else down), Theriault remained high on a pedestal as far as his followers were concerned. It seemed as if this man could do anything he wanted to anybody within the sect and they would continue to worship him. And for the most part, he was correct.

However it was Gabrielle Lavellee’s near death experience that would expose all of these crimes to the world. She had been the victim of several torture sessions; Theriault had used a blow-torch on her genitals, removed 8 of her teeth, and broken a hypodermic needle off in her spine. She had tried to escape before, but quickly returned. She said she “couldn’t live without the cult.” When she returned, Roch decided that she needed to be severely punished. He nailed her hand to the tale with a hunting knife, then used a chainsaw to amputate her arm. Gabrielle still didn’t leave, even after all of this. She would remain faithful until Theriault cut off parts of her breasts and took an axe to her head. Then, she finally fled and told the authorities all about what had happened at Ant Hill Farm.

In 1989, the commune was liberated and Theriault was given a prison sentence. Originally, it was a sentence of 12 years for amputating someone’s arm with a chainsaw. This caused a lot of outrage among the community and for good reason. How could someone so vile only get 12 years for all of his crimes? And how can you only give someone 12 years for amputating someone else’s limb with a chainsaw? Justice was delivered when he eventually got life in prison after he was later convinced of several accounts of murder and sexual abuse. However, Theriault wouldn’t serve the full sentence.

In 2011, the cult leader was killed by his cell mate. The man stabbed Theriault, who was 63 at the time, with a shiv before turning it and himself into the guards. He told the guards, “that vile man is down on the range. I sliced him up good, here’s the knife I used.”

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Detroit: Become Human Tackles Civil Rights Issues

Detroit: Become Human video game once it was released last year, the game completely flew under the radar. Fans of the game heavily praised it, but the fact that many critics felt it “missed the mark” coupled with its release on a single platform (PS4) left a lot of people out of the loop. While the game plans to expand to the PC in August of this year, many are worried that it’s “too late” for the game to gain any grounds. “They released it for one platform last year and there wasn’t even a lot of marketing behind it. They spent 2 years crafting this game and cast some big names; you’d expect with all of that work that they would have had one hell of a marketing platform. You’d also expect them to release it for all systems. It was a big mistake for them to not release it immediately for PC. That’s where the bulk of your gamers are now. It would have done much, much better if they’d been smart about it,” critics say. Despite its lackluster launch, the game remains one of Quantic Dreams’ best sellers. Sales exceeded $2 million.

However, there’s no denying the game’s worth. The stunning visuals, complex story lines (there are so many branches and different routes to take in the game), and hard hitting social justice issues make it one of the most important and interesting games that have surfaced. The fact that it blatantly tackles civil rights issues and puts in your face is incredibly important for this day and age. The game starts off by showing protesters who are less than compassionate about Androids. The gamer has the option to listen in on the anti Android propaganda and it’s heartbreaking. There is also the presence of Androids carrying signs asking for the same rights as humans. They’re chanting “we have a dream”, made infamous by Martin Luther King Jr. The divide is clear and right from the start, the gamer will feel his or her heart strings being tugged.

What’s the Detroit: Become Human game About?

Detroit: Become Human can best be described as a choose your own adventure game. It was developed by Quantic Dream then published by Sony exclusively for PlayStation 4 last year. The plot of the game centers around three different androids and plays through their stories respectively.

One of the first Androids the gamer is introduced to is Connor (voiced by Bryan Dechart). Connor works for the police department and it’s his job to track down sentient Androids. Connor is definitely valuable, but he struggles to find a place among his peers in many instances. In essence, he was created to help take out his own kind. Out of all of the three androids in the game, Connor seems to be the most “robotic.” You do have options to disobey commands, but overall he appears less sentient than the others.

Then there’s Markus who is voiced by Jesse Williams. Markus is the Android we meet in the streets when we see the protesters. He is running errands for his owner and ends up crossing paths with the anti Android group. They bully and even physically attack him until the police break it up. Markus doesn’t respond to the violence and the gamer assumes he’s not very sentient either. However when Markus arrives home and begins caring for his owner, you’re really exposed to the level of compassion and empathy that Markus is capable of. Without spoilers, he shows many signs of human qualities. He is also dedicated to freeing fellow Androids from their owners. Those that he frees may live or die depending on the gamer’s choices in dialogue.

Last is Kara (voiced by Valorie Curry) and she arguably has the saddest story. When the gamer meets her, she is being picked up by a less than compassionate man who has brought her in for repairs. When asked how she got so damaged, the man dismisses the question and says she was hit by a car. This alludes to the fact that she was beaten and possibly dismembered by her owner. Home life is rough too, not just for Kara. The owner is a father and he takes his anger out on his daughter after he gets high. Many describe her story as “difficult to sit through” because of the treatment of the child. “When I feel like they’ve gone too far with this I remind myself that it’s an important issue that we need to be aware of. For many, this is reality,” say some fans. Kara’s purpose becomes protecting the young girl.

How the Detroit: Become Human Game was Built

Detroit: Become Human is based on Kara: Quantic Dream’s 2012 demonstration in technology. The idea for a sentient Android culture came from her model and the game took off from there with Curry returning to fill the role. In order to make the game as realistic as possible, the developers visited Detroit. They spent a lot of time enveloping themselves in the culture and aspects of the city. “We wanted to make sure we got it as close to the city as possible. We wanted to stay true to Detroit’s heart and soul, but we wanted to make it futuristic at the same time. We didn’t want to lose elements that make Detroit, well, Detroit,” developers said.

As mentioned earlier, the game took 2 years to construct. The script was complicated and heady on its own. “We wanted our audience to get attached to the characters. We wanted them to feel for Androids and question their own morality. We also wanted to address social issues and bring them to the forefront of everyone’s mind. And what better way to do that to present Androids as an underprivileged race that’s been taking the brunt of everyone’s prejudices,” devs said. Artificial intelligence experts were also contacted. “We wanted to make the Detroit: Become Human as realistic as possible. Talking to AI experts really gave us a leg up in the field. They helped give birth to the three Androids in the game.” A new engine was also built for Detroit: Become Human which allowed for multiple ends and complex choice branching.

Hundreds of actors were also cast to fill roles. “We didn’t want to use the same voice actor to fill multiple roles. We wanted each person in the game to be their own unique individual.” Actors were also used to aid with the animation in order to make the characters look and move as realistically as possible.

There are Serious Consequences to Your Actions

As mentioned earlier, Detroit: Become Human features some seriously complex branching. “Even open world games can be linear and we wanted to break away from that as much as possible. We wanted our audience to really think about what they chose to say and do in game. Even small choices can have major consequences on the story. There are a lot of different paths that you can take and a lot of dialogue that gets closed off if you go a certain direction. The only way to 100% complete this game is to replay it multiple times,” developers said.

In other words, you can’t just mindlessly click on dialogue or choice options; you need to weigh each one individually. And if you’re thinking of taking the time to Google the best response, you can forget it because a lot of them are timed. This means you must not only weigh the choices, but you must make them fast. Many of them can mean the life or death of a character so you have to be careful. “The fact that other characters can die because of a poor choice on your end is very impactful. It engages me in the storyline and I feel responsible for my actions. It forces me to sit down and really evaluate the choices given to me. You don’t see that in a lot if any other games,” fans say.

The dialogue choices will also follow a number of branched webs. If you miss something or choose a specific response, you will be led down a specific path without the option of exploring the other branch. You can see the branches at the end of the “level” and for completionists, this can be overwhelming. You can also see how many other players chose the same path as you. However, the choices that would have led you to this branch as well as its dialogue/choices are locked. You won’t be able to see them.

What makes it so Thought Provoking?

The Detroit: Become Human is incredibly thought provoking. Not only must you carefully consider your dialogue and play options as they can have dire consequences on the game, but you’re also faced with whether or not to consider the Androids “real” or not. Do you give them the same rights as humans? Do they really feel like we do? The game becomes a large question of ethics and morality. Some treat their Androids very well while others not so much. As you progress through the game you find yourself forming a bond with these AIs. Thus the question springs up, do they deserve the same rights as humans? The same treatment? Essentially they’re just “plastic” with complex computer programming, but some of their actions make the gamer think otherwise. Are these empathic outbursts and human like emotions just complex computer patterns or do they really think/feel? In a survey, researchers found that a lot of people are rude/mean to their Alexa. Most users have no problem screaming profanities at her or telling her to shut up. So what makes Alexa different from the Androids? Why do we want to treat them better than we treat Alexa? Is it because they’re in a human form? The game really digs deep into the gamer’s mind, probing for answers.

Issues of race, prejudice, domestic abuse, substance abuse, and rich versus poor mentality/struggles are all present within the game. And they aren’t just content to sit back and wait for the clever eye to discover them; they’re all front and center. As mentioned earlier, Kara is a housekeeper for a drug addicted father who takes his rage out on both the Android and his daughter. The viewer is spared from the graphic images of abuse, but they are definitely implied. “It’s hard to sit through sometimes. I could feel myself getting legitimately mad at the game and yelling at the father. I grew attached to both Kara and Alice quickly. I just wanted them to be happy and healthy in a way that I hadn’t with other characters before,” says one fan.

Others zero on the issues of prejudice and civil rights. As stated earlier, there are protesters for both sides of the fence. Androids want the same rights as humans and protesters want them eradicated. “It’s hard to imagine that some odd years ago this was the norm for POC. They had no rights whatsoever and possessed the knowledge that they were treated unfairly. They couldn’t do anything about it but sit back and be prisoners. Even though things have definitely made a shift for the better, this mentality still exists today. You still see episodes and cases of racial prejudice and division. Detroit: Become Human won’t let you forget that.

Negative Press

Despite the fact that Detroit: Become Human was met with mostly favorable reviews from even the harshest of critics, others were quick to attack it. Many suggested that the game fell short of its message. “Sure, they do a good job of bringing this to the forefront, but it feels forced. It doesn’t feel natural and it’s hard to relate to,” say some critics. Others suggest that, “the game means well but it falls short. It’s disrespectful to put these social issues onto robots. POC aren’t robots and you achieve nothing by putting their problems on the Androids.” While the Detroit: Become Human game got a lot of praise for its setting, visuals, characters, voice actors, flowchart, narrative, and attention to detail many hated the motion controls. “They were extremely difficult and disruptive. As Kara, I want to get through the boring chores as quickly as possible so I can get back to the story. And yes, they make you actually pick up trash and clean as Kara. However the controls were too touchy in some cases and in others they were too difficult. I’d be pressing the command and nothing would happen. It became irritating.”

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Deep-Fake Video of Mark Zuckerberg takes Facebook by Storm

Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg are almost always in the headlines. Stories regarding the CEO of the world’s largest online social media platform have been circulating for some time. Even Facebook has been at the forefront of controversy. Both Zuckerberg and his social media giant have had a number of rumors being circulated around about them. Here are just a handful that you’ve probably stumbled across:

“It’s official! Facebook is going to start charging users a membership fee of $9.99 a month to access their system. And this is just the basic plan! For full access to your profile and newsfeed, you’ll need to upgrade to their silver plan for $14.99 a month. If you want access to all of Facebook it’s $19.99 a month! I don’t know about you, but I’m not okay with paying that! But according to Facebook and the media, there’s a way out of this. In order to be exempt from the subscription plan, you need to post this message to your page. Post, not share! If you don’t do this by tomorrow, Facebook will start charging. Post this and write ‘I do not agree to pay for Facebook!’ and sign your name to the bottom. Facebook will not charge you. Please share with your friends so that they know!”

Then there’s also this one:

“By tomorrow Facebook will make all of their users content and profiles public. So if you have your stuff set to private, it will be made available for the world to see. Obviously a lot of us don’t want this to happen! It can be dangerous for women who have left abusive relationships and can give pedophiles access to children’s pages. Yikes! You can opt out of this though by sharing this post and writing ‘I do not give Facebook permission to make my account public!’ Sharing this post, writing that line, and signing your name at the bottom is the only way to prevent this from happening. Please share so that others may do the same! This can save lives!”

Of course there are number of others, but those two seem to be the most popular.

These are totally fake by the way. As to why they were created or who the original poster was remains unclear. But the point of the matter is that neither Facebook nor Zuckerberg are unaccustomed to being at the forefront of social media hype. And because of posts like these as well as other “fake news” posts like “Ryan Reynolds found dead in apartment” are quickly flagged by Facebook and you’ll see a notification underneath clarifying its authenticity. However it’s harder to flag individual posts like the rumors above.

Facebook and Zuckerberg Come Under Fire

Last month, Facebook and its creator come under some serious fire after they refused to take down a video of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. In the video, which is fake by the way, Nancy Pelosi had been edited to appear drunk. Many were upset about the video, including Pelosi. “It looked incredibly real. Whoever edited the video did a really good job. A lot of us were convinced that it was actual footage of her rambling around drunkenly,” said many users. Appeals were made to remove the video. Monika Bickert, who is Facebook’s content cop (yes, that’s a legit title for a job that actually exists), told the press that the video was reviewed by a number of fact checking websites. It was determined that it was a hoax. After this revelation, Facebook dramatically cut down on the video’s circulation. However, they didn’t remove it. And this caused social media users and the press to have a field day.

Social media users were quick to voice their concerns and disapproval. “How can you allow something like this to continue to circulate? Yeah, it’s fake and a lot of us know that but it’s still defamation of character in a way. Pelosi is being shown in a very negative light and that can definitely affect her political career. Plus there are those on the Internet that are gullible and if something like this comes about, especially since it’s so well put together, they believe it and that can be incredibly damaging. And where does the hoax stop? Does it end with Pelosi or will others be victims too?”

According to Bickert, “the fact that the video is fake isn’t grounds for it to be taken down. We won’t pull content just because it’s fake. People are free to distribute what they like as long as it’s not hate speech or hurting anyone. However, we do think it’s important that people make their own informed decisions on what to believe. Our job here is to make sure we’re providing them with accurate information.” This is likely one of the reasons that Facebook now includes the fact checker under content that’s been flagged as fake.

“That’s not enough,” say many users. “This type of damaging content shouldn’t be allowed to circulate at all.”

Two Artists Put that Policy to the Test

Two artists and an ad agency decided to put Facebook’s policy to the test by creating and releasing a deep-fake video of Mark Zuckerberg. The video was drafted by Bill Posters and Daniel Howe, who are UK artists, with the help of advertising company Canny. It was then uploaded to Instagram, which is also owned by Facebook.

In the video, viewers are greeted with an image of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg seated at a desk. He appears to be talking to a US news network about his social media platform. In the video, Zuckerberg’s facial features have been altered to make it appear as if he is saying the following:

“If you will, imagine this scenario for one moment: there’s one man and he has total control over billions of people’s stolen data, access to their secrets, their lives, and even their futures,” Zuckerberg’s likeness takes a deep breath before continuing, “I owe all of this to Spectre. Spectre showed me the way. Whoever has control of the data, controls the future.” In other words, Zuckerberg admitted that he’s been working with a shadow corporation. In this case, that company was Spectre. Through Spectre, the social media mogul has been able to access a lot of private, valuable data regarding users. With this data, Zuckerberg is in complete control of nearly everything. He can sell the data as he sees fit or charge users to keep it protected. He can also profit from it by selling search information to companies for ad targeting.

The video instantly went viral and was being shared all over social media platforms. “He’s finally admitting to something that we’ve all known for a long time,” many users said. “We’ve always known that Facebook had access to all of our private data and that they’ve been spying on us. We also knew that they were selling this info the highest bidder. Zuckerberg has finally admitted what we all knew.”

While many were quick to point out that the audio was poorly synced and the dialogue was “hammy” at best, many remained convinced that it was real. The obvious flaws of the video, however, are what prompted Facebook to leave the clip up. “We wanted to see if Facebook would leave the video up or pull it when their CEO was the target. We really expected them to violate their own rules and take it down. After all, it put Zuckerberg in a really bad light,” says the artists. “We were surprised however when Facebook chose to leave it up. I guess they are willing to follow their own rules even if it includes them.”

What are Deep-Fakes?

According to Wikipedia, Deep Fake is defined as a “human image synthesis technique that’s been created using AI. Creators both superimpose and combine images/videos/audio that are already in circulation using a machine learning technique called the generative adversarial network. This machine combines the preexisting images with content created by the user. This way they can craft fake celebrity porn vids, revenge porn, satirical images, etc.” While most are benign as we’ve mentioned before, there is still the fact that many are used for malicious and devious purposes. The aforementioned are just some of the malicious acts deep fakes are used for.

Users manipulate facial features on the subject to make it appear as if they’re saying the audio that’s been imposed, while others splice faces onto gathered images of bodies. The term deep fake came about in 2017 and it has stuck ever since.

Are there Laws Against This Type of Content?

On May 21, a study funded by the New Zealand Law Foundation hit the airwaves. In this study, they explored the risks associated with deep fakes circulating across social media. Co-author Tom Barraclough also said that it’s worrisome because these videos are becoming increasingly sophisticated. “Right now we easily discern that they’re fake. But as technology grows, it will become harder and harder to decipher what’s real from what’s fake. And I don’t have to tell you how dangerous this can be not only to the people involved in the videos but to the public as well.”

Curtis Barnes and Barraclough also warned about “knee-jerk” reactions to the videos. “Many people will take them at face value to support beliefs that they’ve long held onto. A lot of users out there believe that social media is out to get them. Videos like this only drive up the hype.”

With this in mind, it’s difficult to imagine that this is not only acceptable but legal. However, specific legislation regarding this type of video content does exist. Last year, the Malicious Deep Fake Prohibition Act was introduced to the United States Senate. The act focuses on how deep fakes violate human rights and can put people in danger. Despite the fact that New Zealand and others already have laws as well as guidelines set into place to cater to these types of risks, the Crimes Act comes to mind, they don’t do enough against deep fakes. The Crimes Act covers those who have been the victim of deception that was used for someone else’s personal gain. There is also the Harmful Digital Communications Act, which protects people from content that’s being used for malice. The Privacy Act also exists and it states that “wrong personal information that’s circulated is still personal information.”

For the most part, deep fakes are used as satire or for fun. “A lot of artists want to show off their skills or create something that will make others laugh. The bulk of deep fakes are completely harmless. There might be some hurt feelings, but that’s usually the extent of it. However when we’re looking at videos like this, we can easily see the risks.”

There is also the fear that if any more legislation was imposed regarding deep fakes, that it would be nearly impossible for oppressed groups to find an outlet on social media.

Deep Fakes: Are They Friend or Foe?

If you type in deep fake into your Google search engine, you’ll be rewarded with a number of articles about the subject matter as well as tons of video content. It’s an incredibly hot topic in the media right now and there are also a ton of YouTubers who dabble in it.

Tom Sainsbury is one of the most well known. He argues that the videos he creates are for “human expression” and that it’s protected under the constitution and laws. He uses face-swapping apps for political clips on Facebook that are satirical in nature. He often targets Simon Bridges and Paula Bennett in these videos. “It’s art. Just because it’s not on a canvas doesn’t mean that it’s not a human expression. There are a ton of political cartoons that get published in magazines, papers, and on social media everyday. Just because mine is animated doesn’t make it any different. These artists have the right to publish their stuff so why don’t I?”

Websites like whichfaceisreal.com and thispersondoesnotexist.com cater to these genre of “art.” Here you can find a number of videos that showcase deep fake technology. There are a variety of deep fakes available to watch including one of “Barack Obama” cussing everyone out (if you decide to check this one out keep in mind it features a lot of strong language so it’s definitely not suitable for work” and you can also find US company DeepTrace’s attempt to superimpose Steve Buscemi’s face onto Jennifer Lawrence’s body. And trust us when we say that one is the stuff of nightmares.

While this might seem light hearted and fun at first, the fact that the ever-evolving nature of this type of content makes it incredibly difficult for Facebook to regulate. “It’s hard to track down the origins,” Bickert said. “By the time we get ahold of it, it’s  been passed down, re-uploaded, and circulated so many times that it’s impossible to find the original creator. And because people can just download and save the content to their own personal computer to upload later, it’s incredibly difficult to keep it from popping back up at inopportune times.”

Barnes and Barraclough also note that as a society, we’ve come to trust the data delivered to us. “We tend to want to trust things; it’s almost like a biological need. We don’t want to believe that someone out there is fooling us. However, people have been really good about understanding how true stuff they see and hear on video/audio is. They tend to take it with a grain of salt and understand that this is just a partial representation of reality. And for that, I’m grateful,” Barraclough says.

However, the biggest danger with this type of content is what he refers to as “over-skepticism.”

“Because we’re now priming viewers to question everything they see, they might dismiss important stuff as hoaxes too. For example, if the Jami-Lee Ross audio recordings of Simon Bridges had been released later on in the future, people probably wouldn’t believe it. They’d be quick to dismiss it as just another deep fake. And this is dangerous. We don’t want to spread misinformation so much to the point that we start doubting everything we see. This can have dire consequences,” Barraclough laments.

What are your thoughts?

Personally speaking, we weren’t really that familiar with deep fakes until the Mark Zuckerberg one hit the airwaves. We want to know whether or not this was something you’d heard of or if it’s news to you so to speak. We also want to know what you think of the technology. Do you agree with Tom Sainsbury or do you side with others that it has the potential to cause more harm than good? Let us know in the comment section below and use our social media buttons to share this article with your friends!

The post Deep-Fake Video of Mark Zuckerberg takes Facebook by Storm appeared first on Ishli.com.

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Bat Hiding in iPad Cover Bites Man, Giving Him Rabies Symptoms

Bat gave older man a Rabies symptoms. today we learn that a man living in New Hampshire was bitten by a rabid bat. While it isn’t too terribly uncommon to hear of bats transferring rabies symptoms to humans, it is incredibly odd to hear of one hiding in an iPad cover. After all for the most part, bats are content to hang out in dark corners and areas like the underside of a bridge (think Congress Bridge in Austin, Texas). An iPad cover seems like the oddest, most inconvenient place for a bat to call home but this one did. Maybe he wasn’t thinking clearly because of the rabies symptoms?

86-year-old Roy Syvertson was in for quite an unpleasant shock when he sat down with his iPad last week. “I was going to check out the news and some other sites. You know, just kill a little time and relax,” Syvertson said. Everything went fine for the elderly man until he finished browsing the Internet after about an hour. “I closed the cover and felt a little sting. I wasn’t sure what happened at first; I hardly noticed the bite. Then I saw the bat emerge from my iPad. It was tucked between the cover and back of the device,” he told WMUR, an ABC affiliate. “I didn’t really want to let the bat go in my house, so I sort of squeezed him. I know he wasn’t very happy about that, but I also wasn’t very happy about being bit. I took him outside and put him out there.”

Syvertson expected the bat to be gone by the morning, but when he got up he was still there, right where the man had left him. He assumed that the bat was fine and had just taken a liking to the place. And since bats are nocturnal animals, Syvertson assumed the bat was just sleeping until it got darker. However when evening rolled around, he discovered that the bat had died. “I was immediately concerned. I know now that I should have been concerned before, but I didn’t think much of it at the time. I called the New Hampshire Department of Fish and Game immediately.” The department immediately encouraged Syvertson to take a trip to the hospital as they were concerned about rabies. 

The hospital began treating the man for rabies symptoms immediately while the New Hampshire Department of Fish and Game set to work to test the bat for rabies. In order to conduct the test, tissue from the animal’s brain must be taken. This requires the animal be dead or put to sleep. Luckily for both the department and the bat, it was already dead. The tests came back positive and the department wasted no time in calling Syvertson with the results. “I guess it was a good thing that I didn’t snuggle or cuddle with him,” he joked.

Luckily for Syvertson, he got to the hospital and started treatment with plenty of time to spare. “I feel fine and I should be good to go home in a few days. The shots were a little unpleasant, but it’s better than foaming at the mouth you know,” he said regarding his trip to the ER.

How did it get in there in the first place?

One of the biggest questions that both Syvertson and the rest of the world have is how the bat got into the iPad cover in the first place. “It’s a pretty tight fit,” Syvertson commented. “The bat is little and all, but the space is still pretty small. I don’t know how he managed to find it or why he decided to call it home, but he did.”

New Hampshire Department of Fish and Game and bat specialists, it’s unclear how the bat got into his home and how/why it decided to call the iPad cover its home. Syvertson jokes that the bat had his iPad’s password and that’s how he got in. Researchers suggest that the bat could have gotten in through an open window or door, or possibly even a crack or hole. “Bats are incredibly smart and they can fit in any number of tiny openings. If there’s so much as a gap, they can find their way in. It’s possible that there’s an opening somewhere on Syvertson’s house that gave the bat access to his home. As to why it picked the iPad and not somewhere else is beyond us. It could be that the creature wasn’t thinking clearly because of the disease or perhaps the iPad cover was the first source of protection it found,” researchers suggest.

Bat experts also say that Syvertson is lucky to have felt the bite. “Many times people don’t even feel the bat bite them because their teeth are so tiny and fine. This can lead to serious problems if the bat is infected and can also potentially cause death. This is why we caution everyone who has been around bats to go get checked. If a bat has flown anywhere near you, you could have been bitten without even knowing it. And no, they don’t have to land on you to bite you; we’ve heard plenty of stories of ‘drive by bat bites’,” experts say. “And while they might be cute to look at, please don’t pick them up or handle them. Just because they look happy and healthy doesn’t mean they are.”

And given the size of the bat in the image (the picture is of an Eastern Pipistrelle, the type that bit Syvertson), you can see just how small they are. In fact, we can’t even see the bat’s teeth in the image so we have to agree with the experts; you’re probably unlikely to feel the bite.  

Bats and rabies symptoms

Canada, which sits right against New Hampshire, is home to 18 different bat species. All of which can unfortunately carry rabies. Because of their close proximity, those different species also migrate between the states and Canada so even though the Eastern Pipistrelle is native to Canada, it has no problem snagging a passport and visiting the USA.

However, it’s not just Canada and the northern states that have to worry about being bit by rabid bats; bats are incredibly common through the United States and the world for that matter. And as we mentioned earlier, all the species of mammals, including bats, can contract the disease. Bats however are asymptomatic. This means that unlike other animals, they won’t show signs of carrying the disease. Most animals will exhibit signs such as aggression or foaming at the mouth while bats while show no symptoms. “We rarely know whether a bat is carrying rabies symptoms or not until we test the brain tissue. If they have rabies, they don’t show it,” experts say. This is why it’s incredibly important to seek medical attention if you come into contact with a bat.

“Less than ½ of 1% of all the bats in the world my carry the disease so there’s nothing to really fear about them necessarily. This doesn’t mean that you should go out and actively try to handle them, but if you see them out and about just leave them alone. We see so many people destroy bat colonies out of fear of rabies symptoms. Please don’t do that. They’re happy to eat bugs and leave you alone.”

Safety precautions when dealing with bats

If you see a bat out in the wild or near your home, there are a few rules and precautions that you should definitely follow:

• Never touch a bat with bare hands. If you find a bat somewhere near your house, it’s best to leave it alone and call a professional to come handle it if you want it removed. If you absolutely have to handle a bat, wear thick gloves. Don’t trust latex gloves to cut it; grab some thick gardening or mechanic gloves.
• If you think you’ve been bitten or have had contact with a bat, you need to call your family doctor and your local health district immediately.
• If a bat gets into your home and is flying around, open a window or door to give it a chance to fly out. You should also remove yourself from the room and close the door, blocking it from accessing the area you’re at. If you’ve been bitten or scratched by it, leave the room immediately and contact a professional wildlife removal company as well as your doctor.
• If there are bats living on your property or near your residence, don’t attempt to remove them yourself. You can devastate their colony or get bit. Contact a wildlife removal company to take care of the issue. They can do so humanely and safely.
• According to experts, bats that are on the ground rather than up high or hiding somewhere are typically sick. “Don’t attempt to move a bat that’s just laying around. Something is wrong with it and it’s likely rabies symptoms.” So once again, call in the experts.
• Keep your pets’ rabies vaccinations current. Pets can easily come into contact with bats and get bit. Because of this, it’s important to keep up with your pets’ vaccinations.
• Close up gaps and small areas around your house. Bats can slip through even the smallest of spaces so if you have your doubts, call in the professionals. They can help you locate and seal any access points. Experts suggest caulking openings that are bigger than a quarter inch by half inch. “Bats are tinier than we often give them credit for. It doesn’t take much space for them to be able to slip through.”
• Keep your doors closed tightly and if you want to have your windows open, make sure you have screens and that they don’t have holes in them. Chimney caps and gaps between doors can also allow bats to come into your home.

Interesting facts about bats

Unfortunately, bats often find themselves the victims of a bad, underserved rap. “A lot of people think they look creepy and everyone assumes that a bat automatically equals rabies symptoms. However, this is definitely not the case. Bats are important to the environment and for the most part are content to just leave us alone. Occasionally they get caught up in our lives as we often share the same spaces. Also keep in mind that a very, very small portion of bats actually carry rabies symptoms. This doesn’t mean that you should skip a medical exam if you get bit, but it does mean that you shouldn’t go out and actively destroy their colonies,” researchers state.

1. There are over 1,300 different species of bats and they can be found all over the globe. They also range in size varying from smaller than a penny to the size of a small dog with an impressive wing span of 6 foot.

2. Not every bat hibernates. While a lot of bats tuck themselves away into dark, warm caverns for the winter, not all bats choose to spend the cold months hibernating. The spotted bat for example migrates to warmer areas when it starts getting cold in search of food and a more hospitable environment.

3. Bats don’t have very many natural predators, but they are incredibly susceptible to disease. Owls, snakes and hawks do eat bats, but for the most part their populations aren’t kept in check by these predators. However, disease is a big factor when it comes to colony devastation. White-Nose syndrome is one of the biggest killers of bats. It’s a type of fungus that is found on the bat’s nose and wings. Over 6.5 million bats worldwide have died because of this disease. Currently there is no cure for it.

4. Without bats, you might not get to enjoy some tasty fruit and treats. There are over 300 species of fruits that depend on bats for survival. Bats help spread the seeds for figs, nuts, and cacao while also spreading pollen from other plants to help them survive. Mangoes, bananas and avocados would disappear without bats.

5. Bats do a good job or controlling the bug population; especially mosquitoes. A single bat can eat their body weight and more in insects. This means in a single night, a bat population can take out millions of troublesome insects. Their insect rich diet also helps farmers and foresters care for their crops by keeping the number of pesky bugs severely reduced.

6. Some bat poop sparkles because of their heavy diet of insects thanks to chitin. Weird, right?

7. They might be small, but they’re mighty! Depending on the species, bats can reach speeds of over 100 miles an hour according to research!

What are your thoughts?

We’d like to know how and why you think the bat chose Syvertson’s iPad cover as a place of refuge. Out of all of the places the bat could have chosen, it picked the cover. Do you think it wasn’t thinking straight because of the disease or do you agree with Syvertson that it wanted to browse the Internet and had his password? Let us know what you think in the comment section below!

The post Bat Hiding in iPad Cover Bites Man, Giving Him Rabies Symptoms appeared first on Ishli.com.

source https://ishli.com/bat-hiding-in-ipad-cover-bites-man-giving-him-rabies/

Bladder Cancer has an Unusual Potential Cure: The Common Cold Virus

Bladder Cancer cures have come in a number of curious, surprising flavors over the years but one of the most unusual ones came from a research team in Surrey. This team made the bold claim that the common cold virus could potentially “revolutionize the treatment” of bladder cancer. In addition to treating the cancer, the survey team also discovered that it significantly lowered the chances of the cancer coming back. “We were shocked and pleased to discover that the virus strain that causes colds not only targeted and destroyed bladder cancer, but it also worked to prevent it from returning. It’s definitely an unusual discovery and an even more unusual potential cure, but the results are there and they look promising,” says the team.

According to the BBC, who the team shared the research results with, this particular strain of the common cold actually destroyed the bladder cancer by infecting it. “it was pretty crazy. Just like the common cold or another virus infects us, the strain started attacking and infecting the cancer. It was an instant response as well. It was like the strain found these cancer cells to be far more appealing than our own healthy ones,” researchers said.

But what is this based on? How much research has been done? Currently, this proposal is based entirely on one single patient. In the patient that was exposed to the cold virus strain, all of the cancer cells disappeared completely. The virus attacked and destroyed them. The team also discovered that the presence of this strain prevented the cancer cells from coming back. However, evidence regarding the death of cells were seen in 14 other patients who were also exposed to the virus strain. This definitely means that the team needs to do a lot more research and conduct a much larger study, but they remain very hopeful. A bladder cancer charity has also praised the team’s work and said that “it’s very exciting to see these kinds of results so early on into the process,”. They also remain hopeful that a bigger patient survey will yield more positive results. “Right now, it’s a waiting game but we’ve got hope on the horizon.”

How was the Study Conducted on bladder cancer?

The research team gathered 15 patients who were all afflicted with bladder cancer. These patients were given the coxsackievirus, or CVA21 through a catheter. This was done approximately one week before they were scheduled to have tumor removal surgery. After the surgery was conducted, tissue samples were taken from the patients for analysis.  The samples were rigorously studied and the research team discovered that the virus had not only targeted the cancer cells within the organ, but that it also killed them without remorse. The virus continued to reproduce and attack cancer cells, but it miraculously left the healthy cells alone.

“We were worried at first that the virus would discriminate against which cells it attacked. However, it only attacked the cancer cells and went after them with extreme prejudice. It never bothered the healthy cells; even after it rain out of cancer cells to infect.” This is the power behind virus-based therapy.

In the results, the team also discovered that the tumor had been significantly reduced and they also saw a heightened level of cancer cell death in all of the patients being observed. In one patient, the disease had been completely removed from their body just one week after treatment.

Virus-Based Therapy: What is it and How does it Work?

Virus-based therapy is exactly like what it sounds like: it’s the use of modified virus strains to treat medical conditions such as cancer. For the purpose of this article, we’ll focus on CVA21, which is the strain that was used for the bladder cancer patients in the test.

CVA21 or Cavatak as it is more commonly known as, is a virus-based therapy. It’s currently in its investigational period and a lot of research is needed, but the parent company Viralytics remains confident. Currently, it’s limited to clinical trials and is being used as possible treatment for a number of different cancers. Currently, bladder cancer test results have shown the best results. Cavatek does contain the live cold virus, also known as coxsackievirus A21, and according to Viralytics and research teams, this strain has the ability to target and destroy a wide variety of cancer cells. “It probably sounds counterproductive giving a patient the common cold virus in order to treat cancer, but it’s very practical and it works. We’re not infecting them with a virus; we’re using a modified strain to attack and negate the unhealthy cells,” Viralytics says.

How does it work?

Cavatak attaches to proteins called intracellular adhesion molecule as well as decay acceleration factors. Both of these proteins are found on the surface of a variety of different cancer cells. They’re abundantly present, so Cavatek has its pick of the litter so to speak. After attaching itself to either of these proteins on the cancer cell, the virus is able to wiggle its way inside the cancer cell. From here, it begins to multiply; viruses adore making copies of themselves and cancer cells are like a factory for the strain. From here, the virus continues to reproduce until there is no more room left inside the cancer cell and it bursts. This destroys the cancer cell in the process. These copies then spread and infect other cancer cells within the body, repeating the process.

The cancer cells that explode under the weight of the copies will also release proteins. This action triggers the body’s immune system that recognizes them as foreign and hostile cells within the body. This prompts an anti-cancer immunity response from the body. “This is what helps to stop the cancer cells from coming back. The lysis, or cancer cell explosion, has worked the body’s immune system into a frenzy,” Viralytics says.

According to Professor Hardev Pandha from the Royal Surrey County Hospital and University of Surrey explained that, “once the virus gets inside the cells and starts killing them, an immune protein is released. This is like an open invitation to other immune cells to come and get in on the action. After all, everyone wants to join a party and if it’s open invite, they’re all coming! This is what makes this treatment so revolutionary and so powerful. Not only is it doing a lot of the heavy lifting itself, but it’s also engaging your body’s immune system as well. This often becomes weakened and in some cases inactive when cancer is present. However, this release of proteins creates a frenzy inside of the patient’s immune system.”

The virus also works wonders in the bladder since the tumors here are cold. These tumors do not have the immune cells necessary to fend off cancer; especially since they are cold under normal circumstances. The virus strain gets them “hot”, which also causes the body’s immune system to spring into action. “Because they’re cold, they might get overlooked by the body’s immune system. They fly under the radar so to speak. But once they start warming up thanks to the virus, it becomes much easier for the immune system to find and attack them. Plus since they’re cold, they lack defenses which makes it even easier for the virus to slip inside without any problems,” the team says.

As an added bonus, there were no significant side effects from the treatment. “None of the patients had any serious side effects from the treatment, which makes it all the more appealing. Chemo and other treatment options can be incredibly hard on patients. The fact that we didn’t see any serious side effects gives us all hope that we can treat this condition as quickly and humanely as possible so that people can go back to their daily lives quickly,” said the research team.

What is Bladder Cancer and How is it Currently Treated?

In the UK alone, non-muscle invasive bladder cancer is in the top 10 as far as the most common types of cancers are concerned. While it only occupies the number 10 spot, it’s still a very serious medical condition. Each year, 10,000 new patients come forward with the disease. In the United States, 68,000 people are affected each and every year. The disease is also far more prevalent in men than it is women. While it mostly affects adults, nearly any age group is at risk of getting it. And unfortunately, the treatments that are currently available for bladder cancer has some really serious side effects and the treatments are almost always invasive.

Bladder cancer typically starts its life within the cells that line your bladder’s inside. While it’s obviously more common in the bladder, it can affect other parts of your urinary tract system. Luckily, 7 out of every 10 bladder cancers begin at an early stage where it is highly receptive to treatment. Unfortunately, even if caught in the earliest stages, the cancer may come back to the bladder in the future. Because of this, patients who have had bladder cancer will need to do follow-up tests for several years following treatment to make sure that the cancer doesn’t come back or advance to a higher stage.

What causes it?

Bladder cancer occurs when the cells within the organ start to grow abnormally. Rather than dividing and growing in a normal, ordered way, these cells become afflicted with mutations. These mutations cause them to reproduce and grow out of control without dying. These excess cells then form a tumor.

Some of the known causes include:

• Tobacco use and smoking
• Frequent exposure to chemicals (especially if that’s a part of your 9 to 5 job)
• Radiation exposure in the past
• Frequent irritation to the bladder’s lining
• Parasite infections (typically picked up by those who travel outside of the US to certain areas.)

How is it treated?

Currently, surgery is the only way of treating bladder cancer. This is why the results found by the current research team are so important. Here are the current surgeries used to treat bladder cancer:

TURBT (Transurethral bladder tumor resection)-

TURBT is used for staging, diagnosis, and treatment of bladder cancer. A surgeon will insert a cytoscope into the bladder via the urethra. The tumor is then removed using a small wire loop, fulguration (high-energy electricity), or a laser. The  patient will also be given an anesthetic to make the process more comfortable. For those with bladder cancer, this treatment may completely get rid of it. However, you may also need additional treatments to lower the chances of it returning. Intravesical chemotherapy and immunotherapy are commonly recommended.

Lymph node dissection and radical cystectomy-

A radical cystectomy involves the removal of the entire bladder as well as nearby tissues/organs that have also been infected or are severe risk. For women, the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, and part of the vagina may be removed during the procedure. For men, the urethra and prostate may be taken out. Regardless of gender, the pelvis lymph nodes are also removed. This is the best way to prevent the cancer from spreading. In some cases, only part of the bladder might be removed but this is rare.

Urinary diversion-

If the bladder is removed, then the doctor will need to come up with a new way for urine to pass out of the body. The most common method includes taking a small piece of the colon or small intestine and using it to move urine to an ostomy or stoma. The urine collects on the outside of the body via a bag that’s attached to the opening. From here, the patient drains the urine that’s collected.

The Importance of Viral-Based Therapy

As you can tell by the aforementioned treatment options for bladder cancer, it’s incredibly important to find a less invasive method. This is why the results of the cold virus treatment look so promising; especially when you take into consideration all of the side effects, down time, and reduced quality of life associated with the current treatment factors. Only time will tell whether or not this will be a viable treatment option, but it does look promising.

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