Reliving it up
Q2
Tensei stories/isekai anime
Isekai anime is about alternate world stories.
Tensei stories are about reincarnation in an alternate world after dying in the main [Link]
Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime becoming a hit was a major turning point. The series
started as a web novel on the site Shosetsuka ni Narou, where a lot more Tensei stories were
published. This is why the genre is also called Narou stories.
Akuyaku reijo is a subgenre of tensei stories. It is where the female mc reincarnates as a
powerful figure, and at most times, a villain. This is popular due to the fact that people do not
like soft hearted main characters, and like the feeling of a woman not being controlled by a man,
and having power.
Zamaa style is where the main character isn’t reincarnated, but instead is someone who was
kicked out of a band of heroes who didn’t think he was good enough. Then the main character
joins another party and finds success, while things fall apart for the party of heroes he used to
be in. It’s similar to a revenge story.
Isekai is popular due to the escapist nature of the genre, especially since so many of the main
characters are underdogs. Able to live a new life and not be relegated to the sidelines of life, the
genre is the epitome of wish fulfillment. Add in the fact that so much of the genre has become
tied to video games and similar activities, and it's no wonder why audiences don't mind
repetition and regurgitation when it comes to reincarnation.
Q4 Polio virus
Using harmless pieces of DNA they received through the post, researchers at the State
University of New York built a synthetic version of the polio virus so like the real thing that it
infected mice and made them ill.
Synthesising means to combine ideas or elements to create something new, while making
something is the act of creating something.
synthetic biology promises revolutionary advancements in agriculture, health and medicine,
energy, and .
Synthetic biology focuses on reprogramming cellular senses and their responses by engineering
genetically modified biological systems that can perform novel functions
Q5 Permafrost
Permafrost viruses:
In 2014, a scientist named Claverie managed to revive a virus he and his team isolated
from the siberian permafrost, making it infectious for the first time in 30,000 years by
inserting it into cultured cells. For safety, he’d chosen to study a virus that could only
target single-celled amoebas, not animals or humans.
Just like these, many other undiscovered potentially harmful viruses could be frozen
under permafrost, and are not discovered yet, as scientists try to keep them frozen for
safety purposes.
Q6 National collection of type cultures:
A sample of Shigella flexneri – the bacteria that causes dysentery – was taken from Private
Cable, and this sample was the first and founding culture of what is now among the oldest ‘living
libraries’ of bacteria in the world – the National Collection of Type Cultures (NCTC).
Today, the cultures in the NCTC help us to develop vaccines and to discover new drugs; they
are vital in ensuring results from clinical diagnostic microbiology tests are accurate and
internationally comparable.
The collection has around 6,000 bacterial strains and is composed of more than 900 species,
the majority of which having either beneficial or detrimental effects on human and animal health,
or are otherwise used in infectious disease diagnostics.
There are almost 800 registered culture collections globally, but the NCTC is one of the few that
has a remit to only curate bacteria that are of clinical and veterinary significance.
Perhaps the most famous addition is ‘NCTC 6571’, or the Oxford Staphylococcus, which was
used to help develop and distribute the first modern antibiotic, penicillin.
Q7 Global seed vault
The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is a secure facility that stores seeds from around the world to
protect against crop extinction and food shortages. The vault is located in the permafrost of
Svalbard, Norway, and is considered one of the most important insurance schemes in the world
The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is built on permafrost to ensure that the seeds stored there stay
frozen, even if there's a power outage. The permafrost and thick rock surrounding the facility
help maintain the low temperatures needed to keep the seeds viable for long periods of time.
The Svalbard Global Seed Vault preserves thousands of plant species, including crop varieties,
wild plants, and farmers' land races. The vault's goal is to safeguard the world's crop genetic
diversity.
Oreo grabbed some land right down the road from the Svalbard Global Seed Vault and built its
own Global Oreo Vault. The Global Oreo Vault is—in the words of Oreo—"really real," though it
is significantly smaller than its seed counterpart. The cookie brand says this Oreo-focused
facility holds just "the Oreo recipe and a large stockpile of cookies."
Q3 Immortality
Billionaire initiative:
The 2045 Initiative, a life-extension project founded by 31-year-old Russian billionaire Dmitry
Itskov in February 2011, offers a timeline for immortality over the next 33 years. Beginning with
remotely controlled robotic avatars and re-creating the human brain through computer models,
the end result would be human immortality in the form of holographic avatars.
Bank of America's Hypothesis:
Bank of America analysts believe that genome sequencers such as Illumina, high-tech players
such as Alphabet and biotech companies such as Novartis are on the cusp of “bringing
unprecedented increases to the quality and length of human lifespans.”
The “ammortality” theme, expected to be worth $504 billion by 2025, “will help to improve health
spans & [lifespans] to the betterment of human vitality, enabling the world population to live freer
of disease rather than forever.”
Procedures that lengthen lifespan:
Cryonics – The practice of freezing a human body (or brain) at very low temperatures after
death, with the hope that future medical advances will allow revival and healing.
Biomechatronics – The integration of biological and mechanical systems, often used in
prosthetics, exoskeletons, and brain-computer interfaces to restore or enhance physical
abilities.
Regenerative Medicine – A field focused on repairing or replacing damaged tissues and
organs, often using stem cells, tissue engineering, and bioengineered materials.
Genetic Enhancement – The use of genetic engineering (e.g., CRISPR) to improve human
traits such as intelligence, strength, disease resistance, or longevity.
Senolytics – Drugs or therapies designed to eliminate senescent (aging or damaged) cells in
the body, potentially slowing aging and preventing age-related diseases.
Stem Cell Therapy – A treatment that uses stem cells to regenerate damaged tissues or
organs, often applied in conditions like spinal cord injuries, heart disease, and
neurodegenerative disorders.
Reproductive Cloning – The process of creating a genetically identical copy of an organism,
typically using somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), as was done with Dolly the sheep.
Digital Cloning – The creation of a digital replica of a person, potentially using AI, deep
learning, or brain simulations to mimic thoughts, speech, and personality.
Q1 Death, resuscitation and resurrection
Rather than thinking of death as an event from which one cannot recover, we should instead
view it as a transient process of oxygen deprivation that has the potential to become irreversible
if enough time passes or medical interventions fail. With this mindset, people will think of
“treating death”.
Resuscitation is the act of restoring life, while resurrection is the act of being transformed into a
new life.
A few beliefs on what happens after death:
Valhalla (Norse Mythology)
● Valhalla is the grand hall in Asgard where warriors who die bravely in battle (the
Einherjar) are taken by Odin’s Valkyries.
● In Valhalla, they feast, fight, and prepare for Ragnarök, the final battle of the gods.
● Those who don’t die in battle may go to Hel, a more neutral underworld.
Tartarus (Greek Mythology)
● A deep abyss in the underworld, even lower than Hades, where the wicked and the
Titans are imprisoned.
● It’s a place of eternal punishment, much like later Christian ideas of Hell.
● Some figures punished there include Sisyphus (forever rolling a boulder uphill) and
Tantalus (forever thirsty and hungry).
Diyu (Chinese Mythology & Buddhism)
● The Chinese underworld, often translated as "hell" but more of a purgatory where souls
atone for their sins before reincarnation.
● Ruled by the Ten Kings of Hell, who judge the dead and assign punishments.
● It consists of multiple levels of torture (similar to Dante’s Inferno in concept).
● Eventually, most souls are reborn after they serve their time.
Jigoku (Japanese Mythology & Buddhism)
● The Buddhist concept of hell in Japan, influenced by Diyu and Hindu Naraka.
● Like Diyu, it has multiple layers where sinners suffer according to their deeds.
● It is ruled by Enma (Yama), the King of Hell, who judges souls.
● Unlike eternal damnation, most souls can eventually escape and be reborn.
Nirvana (Buddhism & Hinduism)
● A state of ultimate liberation, freedom from suffering and samsara (cycle of rebirth).
● In Buddhism, Nirvana is achieved by overcoming desires and attachments.
● In Hinduism, it’s called moksha, where the soul (atman) merges with the divine.
Samsara (Hinduism & Buddhism)
● The cycle of birth, death, and rebirth (reincarnation).
● Souls go through samsara based on their karma (actions in previous lives).
● Breaking free from samsara leads to nirvana (Buddhism) or moksha (Hinduism).
Happy Hunting Ground (Native American Beliefs)
● A concept of the afterlife, particularly among some Plains tribes.
● It’s a paradise where warriors and hunters roam freely, much like Valhalla.
● Associated with an abundant, peaceful land where spirits of ancestors dwell.
Q4 Immortality
● Tennyson’s Tithonus: Immortality without eternal youth becomes a curse. Tithonus
laments his endless existence, where love fades and purpose erodes. Life loses value
without death to give it shape.
● Shelley’s The Mortal Immortal: The protagonist, though youthful, watches others age
and die, leading to isolation and boredom. Eternal life lacks the urgency that gives life
meaning.
● Wordsworth’s Ode: Though not about literal immortality, it laments the loss of a child's
divine connection to nature and the eternal. As we age, we fall out of harmony with the
infinite and spiritual.
● Bradbury’s Hail and Farewell: A boy who never grows up drifts from place to place,
always on the outside of community, never belonging.
● Le Guin’s The Island of the Immortals: Immortals are burdened by too many
memories, leading to madness or apathy. Time loses coherence; identity fades.