The most important news and commentary to read right now. - The Slatest - Slate Magazine

The most important news and commentary to read right now. - The Slatest - Slate Magazine: "When Dallas Wiens's head brushed up against a high voltage electrical wire in November 2008, the subsequent shock caused irrevocable damage to his face. But thanks to a 30-person surgery team at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, the 25-year-old Texan now has a new historic visage: He wears the first ever successful face transplant in history. He's already chatting with it: Lead doctor Bohdan Pomahac told a press conference today that Wiens is 'awake and talking on a cell phone.' The U.S. Department of Defense footed the bill for the $300,000, 15-hour operation as part of its research into helping injured service personnel. So what, exactly, goes into a new face? According to a statement, surgeons replaced Wiens's 'nose, lips, facial skin, muscles of facial animation and the nerves that power them to provide sensation.'"