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San Francisco, 8:56 PM
Thu Nov 26
13 posts in the last 24 hours

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    Man Thought to Be in a 23-Year Coma Was Conscious the Whole Time

    Can You See The "God Spot" In This Brain Scan? Neither Can We

    Five Brain-Manipulating Technologies That Prove Dollhouse Exists Right Now

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    Dsmvwl  Admin  Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×
    Image of Klebert L. Hall Klebert L. Hall
    11/25/09

    In reply to Man Thought to Be in a 23-Year Coma Was Conscious the Whole Time
    So, let's just pretend that this isn't an obvious fake.

    What's the difference, functionally? Who cares (well, other than him) if he's in a coma, or conscious but unable to move or communicate? Same thing, really...
    -Kle.
     Reply
    Klebert L. Hall was starred Klebert L. Hall was unstarred
    Image of LastAndLeast LastAndLeast
    11/25/09

    @Klebert L. Hall: I bet you wouldn't say that if it happened to you. You post signing nitwit.
     Reply
    Klebert L. Hall promoted this comment LastAndLeast was starred LastAndLeast was unstarred
    Image of Klebert L. Hall Klebert L. Hall
    06:56 AM

    @LastAndLeast:
    You are correct. If I was completely unable to communicate, I wouldn't say anything, at all.
    -Kle.
     Reply
    Klebert L. Hall was starred Klebert L. Hall was unstarred
    Image of LastAndLeast LastAndLeast
    08:17 AM

    @Klebert L. Hall: It just seems remarkably cold to say "who cares if a man is living a tortured life or if he's braindead." It is rather depressing to know there's people like you who seem to posess no empathy.
     Reply
    LastAndLeast was starred LastAndLeast was unstarred
    Image of MargaretMoony MargaretMoony
    11/24/09

    In reply to Man Thought to Be in a 23-Year Coma Was Conscious the Whole Time
    Dear God, I think this is the most terrifying thing in the history of....EVER. How did this guy not go insane?
     Reply
    MargaretMoony was starred MargaretMoony was unstarred
    Image of Trystero Trystero
    11/24/09

    @MargaretMoony: Are we sure he didn't?
     Reply
    Trystero was starred Trystero was unstarred
    Image of MargaretMoony MargaretMoony
    11/24/09

    @Trystero: Oooooooooooooooooooh.
     Reply
    MargaretMoony was starred MargaretMoony was unstarred
    Image of CoffinDodger (If the typos crap. Blame my keyboard) CoffinDodger (If the typos crap. Blame my keyboard)
    11/24/09

    In reply to Man Thought to Be in a 23-Year Coma Was Conscious the Whole Time
    Thats just awful. But imagine the bribes he'll get from the gossip nurses just to keep his mouth shut, if and when he comes around!!!!

    And where the hell did the name ' Glasgow coma scale' come from?? How hard you get headbutted in Scottland!
     Reply
    CoffinDodger (If the typos crap. Blame my keyboard) was starred CoffinDodger (If the typos crap. Blame my keyboard) was unstarred
    Image of Chip Overclock Chip Overclock
    11/24/09

    In reply to Man Thought to Be in a 23-Year Coma Was Conscious the Whole Time
    If true, this is like the exact opposite of Alzheimer's. I'm not sure which is more disturbing.
     Reply
    Chip Overclock was starred Chip Overclock was unstarred
    Image of SNForrester SNForrester
    11/24/09

    In reply to Man Thought to Be in a 23-Year Coma Was Conscious the Whole Time
    I don't think we have enough information to know if this story is true or not.

    If there's a computer involved that measures electrical signals in his brain, I'm willing to believe that he can use it to type out letters.

    If it's a human facilitator, then no way. He's just a human Ouija board.
     Reply
    SNForrester was starred SNForrester was unstarred
    Image of Jonny_eh Jonny_eh
    11/24/09

    @SNForrester: Nope, you're right. There's a facillitator, super sketchy right there.

    [news.yahoo.com]
     Reply
    Jonny_eh was starred Jonny_eh was unstarred
    Image of Scotland Scotland
    11/24/09

    @Jonny_eh: 1:05
     Reply
    Scotland was starred Scotland was unstarred
    Image of Jonny_eh Jonny_eh
    11/24/09

    @Scotland: It is so clear that the lady is punching in the messages. This is a scam. I bet she'll come out with a book, and put his name on it. Such a travesty, being taken advantage like that. These people should be ashamed!
     Reply
    Bigdamnhero promoted this comment Jonny_eh was starred Jonny_eh was unstarred
    Image of SNForrester SNForrester
    11/24/09

    @Jonny_eh: This video is unbelievable! How could anyone watch it and think the coma man is the one typing? The blond woman is so obviously reading the screen and pushing his hand around.

    I feel bad for the coma man's mother. You can tell she believes it.
     Reply
    SNForrester was starred SNForrester was unstarred
    Image of Lassus Lassus
    11/24/09

    In reply to Man Thought to Be in a 23-Year Coma Was Conscious the Whole Time
    Before everyone gets too depressed, there is actually some questioning that he is communicating at all:

    [news.yahoo.com]

    Now that I think about it, maybe that's even more depressing.

    EDIT: Whoops, was already referenced below. In answer to Atomsmoosher, I don't think it can be said definitively either way as of yet, but there are such things as motion sensors available to a micron of pressure, you'd think they could do some more testing.
     Reply
    Edited by Lassus at 11/24/09 10:56 AM Lassus was starred Lassus was unstarred
    Image of korybing korybing
    11/24/09

    In reply to Man Thought to Be in a 23-Year Coma Was Conscious the Whole Time
    I'm not gonna pretend that I know a lot about medical science, because I don't, but why did it take them 20+ years to run a brainscan on the guy to determine that he was conscious? Were brainscans not available until recently?
     Reply
    korybing was starred korybing was unstarred
    Image of Vexxarr Vexxarr
    11/24/09

    @korybing: Think about it. He's alive. He's non-responsive. Why scan? In 1986 there were a number of external tests thought a reliable means to determine consciousness. Based on the technology and experience of the time, there was no reason to believe the man was suffering from 'locked-in' syndrome or anything other than a persistent vegetative state. Likely, it took a few scans over the years before the right technology and activity combined to demonstrate that the mans was indeed awake.

    Since then brain imaging and monitoring has advanced tremedously. In 1986, you might have seen alpha waves and other measurable activity and not really been able to tell what exactly was going one. Realize also that there can easily be a lot of activity while none of it could be considered organized thought.

    You are right that imaging, monitoring and non-invasive scanning is the way of the future. Hopefully as we are better able to sense, measure and see our inner workings, medicine will make fewer misdiagnosis like this. In the not too distant future we will be able to take a status snapshot of a living body and know everything that is going on inside down to the molecular level. This is just an extension of technologies like MRI.
     Reply
    korybing promoted this comment Edited by Vexxarr at 11/24/09 11:08 AM Vexxarr was starred Vexxarr was unstarred
    Image of Dr.Quatermass: I have to say Dr. You are once again spot on with that oberservation and anything I am about to say that contradicts this statement is strictly for humor sake. Dr.Quatermass: I have to say Dr. You are once again spot on with that oberservation and anything I am about to say that contradicts this statement is strictly for humor sake.
    11/24/09

    In reply to Man Thought to Be in a 23-Year Coma Was Conscious the Whole Time
    This just ruined my day. Completely ruined it.
     Reply
    Dr.Quatermass: I have to say Dr. You are once again spot on with that oberservation and anything I am about to say that contradicts this statement is strictly for humor sake. was starred Dr.Quatermass: I have to say Dr. You are once again spot on with that oberservation and anything I am about to say that contradicts this statement is strictly for humor sake. was unstarred
    Image of Thapa Thapa
    08/12/09

    In reply to Can You See The "God Spot" In This Brain Scan? Neither Can We
    I think this is an excellent time to mention another relevant study, which proved that people are more likely to believe articles about neuroscience if they include color pictures of the brain.
    [www.sciencedaily.com]
    In fact, they specifically cite that article against the "God Spot"!
     Reply
    RandomFrequentFlierDent promoted this comment Thapa was starred Thapa was unstarred
    Image of Roklimber Roklimber
    08/12/09

    In reply to Can You See The "God Spot" In This Brain Scan? Neither Can We
    Am I the only one who can see the face of jeeeeeezus in the two bottom pictures? Clearly, the god spot is not a spot, it's a face, and therein lies the proof that god exists. You science fools.
    See, with the discovery of the god spot and the god particle, god is revealing himself to science. Soon enough, scientists will admit that ID is correct, evolution is wrong, and Chuck Norris is Jeeeezus reincarnated.
     Reply
    Roklimber was starred Roklimber was unstarred
    Image of ithyphallus, bonks morrigan ithyphallus, bonks morrigan
    08/11/09

    In reply to Can You See The "God Spot" In This Brain Scan? Neither Can We
    neurology as a whole should focus on an interactive, dynamic brain rather than singularities (spots)[although most journals already practice this way of thinking of... thinking]. from say a love "spot" to a love pattern of neural firing, but even that is very difficult to discern from other patterns of firing and stimulation of the same pathways can produce different results. very few or if any brain signaling is focused on just one part of the brain.
     Reply
    Charlie Jane Anders promoted this comment Edited by ithyphallus, bonks morrigan at 08/11/09 11:06 PM ithyphallus, bonks morrigan was starred ithyphallus, bonks morrigan was unstarred
    Image of OsDavis OsDavis
    08/11/09

    In reply to Can You See The "God Spot" In This Brain Scan? Neither Can We
    People, people. Let's get to the important point of this piece, namely: When will the "worship me now, fools" raygun be available for purchase at Amazon.com? Can i pre-order?
     Reply
    Charlie Jane Anders promoted this comment OsDavis was starred OsDavis was unstarred
    Image of Bill-Lee Bill-Lee
    08/12/09

    @OsDavis: Can I have one in red?
     Reply
    Bill-Lee was starred Bill-Lee was unstarred
    Image of Woodsie Woodsie
    08/11/09

    In reply to Can You See The "God Spot" In This Brain Scan? Neither Can We
    For having a lead paragraph that could have went in very religious direction, but happily did not:
    +1
     Reply
    Charlie Jane Anders promoted this comment Woodsie was starred Woodsie was unstarred
    Image of Anekanta - killed by a cacodemon Anekanta - killed by a cacodemon
    08/11/09

    In reply to Can You See The "God Spot" In This Brain Scan? Neither Can We
    This is similar to the journalistic nonsense that there is a single gene responsible for something or another... like a gene for criminal behaviour, or a gene for longevity.

    The God spot idea always struck me as silly, because religious experience is far too complex and diverse to be the product of a single structure in the brain. I've also seen evangelical anti-theists use it as "evidence" that religious people's brains are damaged compared to atheist's brains. I'm glad that myth is more or less debunked by actual science.
     Reply
    Grey_Area promoted this comment Edited by Anekanta - killed by a cacodemon at 08/11/09 7:15 PM Anekanta - killed by a cacodemon was starred Anekanta - killed by a cacodemon was unstarred
    Image of Grey_Area Grey_Area
    08/11/09

    @Anekanta: I just hope they isolate the gene that causes journalistic nonsense soon, before the Swine Flu kills us all.
     Reply
    Grey_Area was starred Grey_Area was unstarred
    Image of Grey_Area Grey_Area
    08/11/09

    @Grey_Area: This just in: wearing baseball caps backwards causes hearing loss.
     Reply
    Grey_Area was starred Grey_Area was unstarred
    Image of Anekanta - killed by a cacodemon Anekanta - killed by a cacodemon
    08/11/09

    @Grey_Area: LMAO... Yes I think I might be coming down with a case of the Avian Flu. Last week it was the West Nile virus
     Reply
    Anekanta - killed by a cacodemon was starred Anekanta - killed by a cacodemon was unstarred
    Image of it must be bunnies it must be bunnies
    08/11/09

    @Grey_Area: and sunburn on face - stupid kids get off my lawn!
     Reply
    it must be bunnies was starred it must be bunnies was unstarred
    Image of RandomFrequentFlierDent RandomFrequentFlierDent
    08/11/09

    @Anekanta: I think a lot of the problems relating to the issue of one gene = one trait come from the misconception that all hereditary characteristics in humans are Mendelian traits (a misconception probably reinforced by that fact that some fairly well known diseases like sickle-cell anaemia and cystic fibrosis are). The general public probably isn’t aware that most hereditary characteristics are control by multiple, interacting alleles; just like they aren’t aware that no one spot of the brain controls a certain function. As it is easier to understand and more sensational to say that one gene = one particular trait, lazy or uninformed journalist make use of the public’s ignorance. Just like they tried to do for the God spot stories. I'm glad they're being called out.
     Reply
    Edited by RandomFrequentFlierDent at 08/11/09 8:38 PM RandomFrequentFlierDent was starred RandomFrequentFlierDent was unstarred
    Image of Anekanta - killed by a cacodemon Anekanta - killed by a cacodemon
    08/11/09

    @RandomFrequentFlierDent: Yes--unfortunately I think that's true. A headline by definition oversimplifies the subject matter. It's a bummer though--it seems like a bad feedback loop between journalists and large segments of the public who crave simple explanations because they don't really care about the deeper story, or don't have time to care.
     Reply
    Anekanta - killed by a cacodemon was starred Anekanta - killed by a cacodemon was unstarred
    Image of it must be bunnies it must be bunnies
    08/11/09

    In reply to Can You See The "God Spot" In This Brain Scan? Neither Can We
    There is no God Spot silly. It is the Indoctrination Virus.
    [www.amazon.com]
     Reply
    it must be bunnies was starred it must be bunnies was unstarred
    Image of Grey_Area Grey_Area
    08/11/09

    @it must be bunnies: Ernest Hogan used a similar virus in his 1992 High Aztech. Really worth hunting down. Pity that Hogan only did 3 novels. I like his wicked wit and inclusion of Hispanic/La Raza culture and issues.
     Reply
    Grey_Area was starred Grey_Area was unstarred
    Image of it must be bunnies it must be bunnies
    08/11/09

    @Grey_Area: Thanks! Adding Ernest Hogan to the ever growing wish list.
     Reply
    it must be bunnies was starred it must be bunnies was unstarred
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