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Prince Harry believes he was born to offer spare organs to his brother

Prince Harry has shared that he believes he was only bred to offer spare organs to his brother, Prince William. In yet another bitter revelation from the Duke of Sussex's memoir Spare, he revealed that he thinks he was only brought into the world in case the heir apparent needed help. “Two years older than me, Willy was the Heir, whereas I was the Spare,” the exiled prince wrote, explaining the title of his memoir, which was officially released on Wednesday. “I was the shadow, the support, the Plan B. I was brought into the world in case something happened to Willy,” he wrote of his brother and current heir to the throne. He said he understood his role was to be a “diversion” and “distraction” from his brother, or to provide, “if necessary, a spare part” to him. “Kidney, perhaps. Blood transfusion. Speck of bone marrow,” he added in morose detail. He also shared how his dad, now King Charles III, could never be on a plane with his elder son, William, “because there must be no chance of the first and second in line to the throne being wiped out”. “But no one gave a damn whom I travelled with; the Spare could always be spared,” Harry claimed. “This was all made explicitly clear to me from the start of life’s journey and regularly reinforced thereafter,” he claimed of his apparent throwaway standing in the family. Harry complained that the heir and spare clarification “wasn’t merely how the press referred to us”, but was also “the shorthand used by” his royal family, including “Mummy,” the late Princess Diana, “and even Granny,” the since-deceased Queen Elizabeth II. He wrote that when he was 20-years-old, he was told that his father reacted to his birth by saying to Princess Diana, “Wonderful! Now you’ve given me an Heir and a Spare — my work is done.” Despite naming his memoir Spare, and using his clear distaste for his role in life to justify his ultimate split from his family, Harry maintains that he was initially accepting of it. “I took no offence, I felt nothing about it, any of it,” he wrote — initially acknowledging his incredibly privileged life. “Every boy and girl, at least once, imagines themselves as a prince or a princess. Therefore, Spare or no Spare, it wasn’t half bad to actually be one,” he conceded. Image credits: Getty Images

Family & Pets

Woman brutally dumped after donating an organ to her partner

Image: TikTok Donating a kidney to somebody in need is not an easy decision. But when a young woman named Colleen had the chance to change her boyfriend’s life six years ago, she didn’t think twice about donating the vital organ. In a series of viral videos, the TikTok star explained how she made the decision to have the procedure to save his life according to The Sun. When they first got together, Colleen said her boyfriend had been upfront about how he’d been struggling with chronic kidney disease since the age of 17. This meant he had to be on dialysis and his kidneys functioned at just 5% at average capacity. She explained: “I decided to get tested to see if we were a match because I didn’t want to watch him die.” Luckily for the couple, the surgeries went well and both parties recovered. But while you’d naturally assume the man would be eternally grateful to his girlfriend for what she did for him, he then cheated on her seven months later. In a follow-up video, Colleen explained how her ex-boyfriend told her he was going to Las Vegas for a bachelor party with some guys in his church. At the time, the TikToker was in a busy exam period and trusted her boyfriend completely so didn’t think anything of it. Until he turned up on her doorstep and confessed to cheating. “A lot of arguments later, I eventually forgave him and gave him a second chance,” she said. However, three months later the now ex brutally dumped Colleen over the phone. She claims he said: “If we are meant for each other, God will bring us back together in the end.” Unfortunately, the break-up only got messier from there, when her ex told her: “You only donated your kidney to look good”.

Relationships

What you didn’t know: Why can some organs regenerate while others can’t?

What are cells? As you may know, the body is made of cells. We sometimes call these cells “the building blocks of life”. Nature builds all the parts of our bodies with cells. In other words, you might have played with Lego before. Cells are like pieces of Lego! Just like Lego blocks do, cells come in lots of shapes and colours. Cells can also do lots of different things. Your skin is made of different cells. Some of them make your hair, and some make your scars when you get a cut, for example. Even your blood is made of many different cells. The red blood cells give your blood its red colour. So going back to your question, some cells in our body are very special because they can multiply. Not only that, these special cells can turn into other cells as well. The name of these special cells is “stem cells”, and they are the key to our organs regenerating. Imagine if your Lego blocks could do that! Which organs can regenerate themselves? Maggie, you’re very clever at nine to know what “regeneration” means, but in case some other young readers don’t, regeneration is when our organs fix themselves after they’ve been damaged. Our organs might have been damaged if we get injured or we’re very sick. Organs like our skin (yes, the skin is the biggest organ of the body!) need to regenerate often. The skin’s stem cells produce new cells when the old ones are lost, like when we get a paper cut. Our livers are very good at regenerating themselves because they too can make new cells. The cells of the liver are called “hepatocytes”. Hepatocytes start to multiply when the liver is damaged. So hepatocytes work like stem cells. Intestines are another good example of an organ which regenerates itself. Our intestines regenerate all the time, even when we’re healthy. They lose cells when we digest food, but the stem cells in the intestines multiply to keep this important organ working well. Which organs aren’t very good at regenerating? The brain actually can’t regenerate itself well because when the brain is damaged its cells find it harder to make new ones. This is because the brain has very few of the special cells, or stem cells. In recent years, we’ve found some areas of the brain can regenerate. But we still need to do more research to better understand how this works. We do know the brain is better at regenerating itself when we are young than when we are old. Written by Jose Polo. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-why-can-some-organs-regenerate-while-others-cant-128217">The Conversation.</a>

Caring

Scientists create first ever living programmable organism

A remarkable combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and biology has produced the world’s first “living robots”. This week, a research team of roboticists and scientists <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2020/01/07/1910837117">published</a> their recipe for making a new lifeform called xenobots from stem cells. The term “xeno” comes from the frog cells (Xenopus laevis) used to make them. One of the researchers <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/simonchandler/2020/01/14/worlds-first-living-robot-invites-new-opportunities-and-risks/#379ef46c3caf">described the creation</a> as “neither a traditional robot nor a known species of animal”, but a “new class of artifact: a living, programmable organism”. Xenobots are less than 1mm long and made of 500-1000 living cells. They have various simple shapes, including some with squat “legs”. They can propel themselves in linear or circular directions, join together to act collectively, and move small objects. Using their own cellular energy, they can live up to 10 days. <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/M18nPjLZrMA"></iframe></div> While these “reconfigurable biomachines” could vastly improve human, animal, and environmental health, they raise legal and ethical concerns. Strange new ‘creature’ To make xenobots, the research team used a supercomputer to test thousands of random designs of simple living things that could perform certain tasks. The computer was programmed with an AI “evolutionary algorithm” to predict which organisms would likely display useful tasks, such as moving towards a target. After the selection of the most promising designs, the scientists attempted to replicate the virtual models with frog skin or heart cells, which were manually joined using microsurgery tools. The heart cells in these bespoke assemblies contract and relax, giving the organisms motion. The creation of xenobots is groundbreaking. Despite being described as “programmable living robots”, they are actually completely organic and made of living tissue. The term “robot” has been used because xenobots can be configured into different forms and shapes, and “programmed” to target certain objects – which they then unwittingly seek. They can also repair themselves after being damaged. Possible applications Xenobots may have great value. <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/f/615041/these-xenobots-are-living-machines-designed-by-an-evolutionary-algorithm/">Some speculate</a> they could be used to clean our polluted oceans by collecting microplastics. Similarly, they may be used to enter confined or dangerous areas to scavenge toxins or radioactive materials. Xenobots designed with carefully shaped “pouches” might be able to carry drugs into human bodies. Future versions may be built from a patient’s own cells to repair tissue or target cancers. Being biodegradable, xenobots would have an edge on technologies made of plastic or metal. Further development of biological “robots” could accelerate our understanding of living and robotic systems. Life is incredibly complex, so manipulating living things could reveal some of life’s mysteries — and improve our use of AI. Legal and ethical questions Conversely, xenobots raise legal and ethical concerns. In the same way they could help target cancers, they could also be used to hijack life functions for malevolent purposes. Some argue artificially making living things is unnatural, hubristic, or involves “playing God”. A more compelling concern is that of unintended or malicious use, as we have seen with technologies in fields including nuclear physics, chemistry, biology and AI. For instance, xenobots might be used for hostile biological purposes prohibited under international law. More advanced future xenobots, especially ones that live longer and reproduce, could potentially “malfunction” and go rogue, and out-compete other species. For complex tasks, xenobots may need sensory and nervous systems, possibly resulting in their sentience. A sentient programmed organism would raise additional ethical questions. Last year, the revival of a disembodied pig brain <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-01216-4">elicited concerns about different species’ suffering</a>. Managing risks The xenobot’s creators have rightly acknowledged the need for discussion around the ethics of their creation. The 2018 scandal over using CRISPR (which allows the introduction of genes into an organism) may provide an instructive lesson <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/s/614761/nature-jama-rejected-he-jiankui-crispr-baby-lulu-nana-paper/">here</a>. While the experiment’s goal was to reduce the susceptibility of twin baby girls to HIV-AIDS, associated risks caused ethical dismay. The scientist in question <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/dec/30/gene-editing-chinese-scientist-he-jiankui-jailed-three-years">is in prison</a>. When CRISPR became widely available, some experts called for a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/mar/13/scientists-call-for-global-moratorium-on-crispr-gene-editing">moratorium</a> on heritable genome editing. Others <a href="https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/crispr.2019.0016?utm_source=miragenews&utm_medium=miragenews&utm_campaign=news&">argued</a> the benefits outweighed the risks. While each new technology should be considered impartially and based on its merits, giving life to xenobots raises certain significant questions: <ol> <li>Should xenobots have biological kill-switches in case they go rogue?</li> <li>Who should decide who can access and control them?</li> <li>What if “homemade” xenobots become possible? Should there be a moratorium until regulatory frameworks are established? How much regulation is required?</li> </ol> Lessons learned in the past from advances in other areas of science could help manage future risks, while reaping the possible benefits. Long road here, long road ahead The creation of xenobots had various biological and robotic precedents. Genetic engineering has created genetically modified mice that become <a href="http://www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk/news/research-medical-benefits/glowing-mice/">fluorescent</a> in UV light. <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/1/4/e1500077">Designer microbes</a> can produce drugs and food ingredients that may eventually <a href="https://solarfoods.fi/">replace animal agriculture</a>. In 2012, scientists created an <a href="https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/brainwaves/what-would-it-take-to-really-build-an-artificial-jellyfish">artificial jellyfish</a> called a “medusoid” from rat cells. Robotics is also flourishing. Nanobots can <a href="http://news.mit.edu/2013/nanotechnology-could-help-fight-diabetes-0516">monitor people’s blood sugar levels</a> and may eventually be able to <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/tiny-robots-can-clear-clogged-arteries-180955774/">clear clogged arteries</a>. Robots can incorporate living matter, which we witnessed when engineers and biologists created a <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/07/robotic-stingray-powered-light-activated-muscle-cells">sting-ray robot</a> powered by light-activated cells. In the coming years, we are sure to see more creations like xenobots that evoke both wonder and due concern. And when we do, it is important we remain both open-minded and critical.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/129980/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/simon-coghlan-108606">Simon Coghlan</a>, Senior Research Fellow in Digital Ethics, School of Computing and Information Systems, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-melbourne-722">University of Melbourne</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kobi-leins-939980">Kobi Leins</a>, Senior Research Fellow in Digital Ethics, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-melbourne-722">University of Melbourne</a> This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/not-bot-not-beast-scientists-create-first-ever-living-programmable-organism-129980">original article</a>.

Technology

The truth benefits of organic skincare products

From your coffee to your T-shirts, everyone is trying to convince you how their product is more organic or natural, ergo better, than the rest. But when it comes to skincare, just how much of the "organic" hype should be believed? The amount of chemicals we apply to our skin on a daily basis is something that concerns many of us. And, like in the case of antibacterial soaps, there does seem to be a steadily growing case that maybe they aren't so great for us after all. So, it's no wonder that many of us are turning to products that claim ingredients only "found in nature". Wholefood, whole-skin Irene Falcone, organic skincare guru and founder of Nourished Life, says the push towards organic skincare is a natural progression of the healthy food movement. "As people are becoming more conscious about what they are putting into their bodies, naturally this extends to what they are putting onto their bodies," she tells Fairfax. "Organic personal care products really are an extension of the organic and whole food movement, if we remember back to when artificial colours and flavours being removed from food, removing them from beauty and skincare products is the next logical step." Often accompanied with the promise of containing no apparent "nasties" or "toxic" ingredients – things like parabens, sulphates, phthalates and mineral oil and the like – organic skincare in favours nicer sounding ingredients like rosehip and almond oil. But are these alternatives any better than your standard cleanser and moisturiser or is it all just another version of "bottled water"? Short answer is yes – to both these questions. “Organic” defined According to Sydney-based dermatologist and spokesperson for the Australasian College of Dermatologists Dr Natasha Cook, the main issue in the debate about natural or organic skincare is how these terms are applied. "There really isn't a debate about whether natural is better," she tells Fairfax. "The periodic table is natural; these are chemicals found in nature and they're the same chemicals that some companies will tell you are bad for you so it can get confusing when consumers are confronted with information that pushes a “natural” and “organic” is best philosophy." One of the biggest names in the beauty industry, the founder of Paula's Choice, Paula Begoun, argues against the idea that organic is better than "synthetic" skincare, primarily because organic products tend to be heavily laced with volatile and fragrant essential oils such as peppermint, lavender and orange. However, Begoun also believes that the parfums found in many over the counter products are equally as bad for the skin and that good skincare should be completely fragrance-free. Have you been buying “organic” make-up since the trend toward whole-foods started? Let us know in the comments below. Written by Benjamen Judd. First appeared on <a href="http://Stuff.co.nz" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz.</a> Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/09/tips-for-treating-dry-skin/">5 tips for treating dry skin</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/09/greenpeace-want-to-ban-microbeads-in-beauty-products/">Greenpeace want to ban microbeads in beauty products</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/08/things-to-eat-and-drink-to-make-your-skin-glow/">6 things to eat and drink to make your skin glow</a>

Beauty & Style

Great grandmother gives up spot on organ transplant list for younger woman

An American woman has selflessly forgone a liver transplant so that she could save the life of a woman younger than her. Benda Jones, 69, had joined a transplant waiting list after she was diagnosed with liver failure a year ago, local broadcaster WFAA-TV reports. On July 18 of this year, she got the call announcing that a liver had become available for her. However, when Mrs Jones reached Baylor University Medical Centre hospital for the surgery, she discovered that 23-year-old Abigail Flores had also just arrived in the emergency room. Doctors told Miss Flores that without a new liver, she would live another day at best. So, when doctors approached Brenda with the information, she felt compelled to step aside. “In my heart, I wouldn’t have been able to live with the liver if I had let this little girl die," she said. Ms Flores is now recovering in hospital and thanks god for Brenda’s good deed “each and every day”. "If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be sitting right here right now,” she said. And in a true happy ending, Mrs Jones has now also undergone surgery and received a new liver. What a special person. Are you an organ donor? Let us know in the comments below. Related links: <a href="/news/news/2016/08/grandson-surprises-grandparents-with-brand-new-car/">Grandson surprises grandparents with brand new car</a> <a href="/news/news/2016/08/police-make-dinner-for-lonely-elderly-couple-found-in-tears/">Police make dinner for lonely elderly couple found in tears</a> <a href="/news/news/2016/08/bride-walked-down-the-aisle-by-man-who-received-her-fathers-heart/">Bride walked down the aisle by man who received her father’s heart</a>

News

Mothers emotional letter to baby’s organ donor

Seven-month year old Lincoln Seay received a heart in the nick of time last month, thanks to the humility of an organ donor. The new born has a rare condition called Heterotaxy Syndrome, which means his organs developed on the opposite side of the body, including his heart. Since birth, Lincoln has undergone multiple surgeries, but his heart continued to fail him even putting him into cardiac arrest. Lincoln was on the organ donation waitlist for 89 days before something incredible happened. On February 19th, he was given a new heart from an anonymous donor. Dr. Michael McMullan, told the Seattle Times that Lincoln was "He was right on the edge.” "We have a list of patients and he was the one we were most worried about," he added. Because of organ donation privacy regulations, all Lincoln's mother knows is that the heart was received from another child of similar size to her son. Unable to thank them herself, she wrote a touching, open latter on social media. "You and I may never meet, may never speak, may never cross paths, but we will be connected on a divine, spiritual level. Your child and mine will be forever intertwined as the heart that grew in your womb now pumps the blood through the body of the child created in mine. They have merged in a way, and your child will forever live on in mine. When my child bleeds, I will think of you. When I bandage his scraped knee, I will think of you. When I hear his heart beat, I will remember you. When his eyes flutter closed as he falls asleep, I will remember your beautiful child. I will say prayers of gratitude and blessings over your family, often. I will treasure the gift you've given. I promise. "I am so very sorry that your child's journey ended so soon. I am so very sorry that you endured life's greatest grief. I am just, so very sorry. But I hope that in your sorrow you can take comfort in knowing that you gave life. You gave life to other children. You gave comfort to other families. Your sweet child can live on in the lives of others. That is the greatest gift anyone can ever give. And your child gave that to my beautiful boy. Your child gave that to me. To my family. Your selfless act kept our family whole and spared me, a mother you've never met, the same grief you had to endure." Related links: <a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/02/vintage-photos-capture-pure-innocence-of-children/">Vintage photos capture the pure innocence of children</a> <a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/02/how-to-bring-up-a-happy-child/">22 tips for bringing up a happy child</a> <a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/02/heartwarming-photos-that-prove-every-child-needs-a-pet/">15 heartwarming photos that prove every child needs a pet</a>

News

Is organic meat and dairy really the best option?

Organic meat and milk could offer more health benefits than conventional products, according to a new wide-ranging study by British researchers from Newcastle University. Published in the British Journal of Nutrition, the largest study of its kind of date looked to see if there was any nutritional differences between organic and its conventional counterpart. In other words, is organic products worth the extra few dollars, nutritionally-wise at least? Analysing the data from 196 studies of milk and 67 papers on meat around the world, the researchers found obvious nutritional differences between conventional and organic meat and dairy. Both organic meat and milk provide 50 per cent more of omega-3 fatty acids, which are important in human nutrition. Organic meat also has slightly lower concentrations of two saturated fats that have been linked to greater risk of cardiovascular disease. Organic milk contains 40 per cent more linoleic acid, as well as carries slightly higher concentrations of iron, vitamin E and some carotenoids. However, conventional milk has 74 per cent more iodine and slightly more selenium, two minerals essential for healthy development. “People choose organic milk and meat for three main reasons: improved animal welfare, the positive impacts of organic farming and the perceived health benefits. But much less is known about the impacts on nutritional quality, hence the need for this study,” said lead author Professor Carlo Leifert of the Nafferton Ecological Farming Group at the University of Newcastle. “Several of these differences stem from organic livestock production and are brought about by differences in production intensity, with outdoor-reared, grass-fed animals producing milk and meat that is consistently higher in desirable fatty acids such as the omega-3s, and lower in fatty acids that can promote heart disease and other chronic diseases.” Chris Seal, co-author and professor of food and human nutrition at Newcastle said “Omega-3s are linked to reductions in cardiovascular disease, improved neurological development and function, and better immune function. Western European diets are recognised as being too low in these fatty acids and the European Food Safety Authority recommends we should double our intake. But getting enough in our diet is difficult. Our study suggests that switching to organic could go some way towards improving intakes of these important nutrients.” Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/body/2015/12/6-signs-you-need-more-sleep/">6 signs you need more sleep</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2016/01/side-sleeping-avoid-neurological-disease/">Your sleep position linked to diseases</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2015/12/women-have-a-harder-time-sleeping-than-men/">Why do women have a harder time sleeping than men?</a>

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Prince Harry believes he was born to offer spare organs to his brother

Woman brutally dumped after donating an organ to her partner

What you didn’t know: Why can some organs regenerate while others can’t?

Scientists create first ever living programmable organism

The truth benefits of organic skincare products

Great grandmother gives up spot on organ transplant list for younger woman

Mothers emotional letter to baby’s organ donor

Is organic meat and dairy really the best option?

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Travel

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Lifestyle

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Prince Harry believes he was born to offer spare organs to his brother

Woman brutally dumped after donating an organ to her partner

What you didn’t know: Why can some organs regenerate while others can’t?

Scientists create first ever living programmable organism

The truth benefits of organic skincare products

Great grandmother gives up spot on organ transplant list for younger woman

Mothers emotional letter to baby’s organ donor

Is organic meat and dairy really the best option?

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