In 1848, blasting foreman Phineas Gage was clearing rock in Vermont, as part of the advance team of railway workers prepping the line for the Rutland and Burlington Railroad.
After packing a hole with gunpowder, Gage proceeded to tamper it down with sand. To do that he used a four-foot-long iron rod shaped like a javelin. Unfortunately, the rod caused a spark and ignited the gunpowder, firing said rod through Gage’s left cheek and out through the top of his head.
Although Gage lost a significant amount of blood and brain matter, he not only survived the accident but went on to live for another 12 years. However, his personality changed from an affable, likeable man to an impatient and often violent one.
The case of Phineas Gage proved invaluable to the study of neuroscience, as scientists made the connection for the first time between brain injury and personality change.
Somehow this story made me think of this Heavy Metal Movie Segment:
No comments:
Post a Comment