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| I'd like it sliced really thin, please. | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Dec 3 2009, 02:32 PM (122 Views) | |
| George K | Dec 3 2009, 02:32 PM Post #1 |
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Finally
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http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2009/12/03/watch-scientists-slice-the-brain-of-a-man-who-had-no-memory/ Before you read this post, you might want to take a look at this live feed of a frozen brain being sliced like lunch meat. That brain belonged to Henry Gustav Molaison, a man known in the medical literature as patient H.M. He suffered from seizures and in 1953, at the age of 27, underwent a radical experimental surgery that wound up wrecking his ability to form new memories. As he aged, his face in the mirror surprised him because he remembered only the face he had as a young man. He donated his brain to science and died late last year. A UC San Diego scientist went to retrieve the brain from the East Coast and flew back across the country, coach class, with the brain sitting in a cooler in the seat next to him, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. Now, in a 30-hour sprint, UCSD’s Brain Observatory is slicing the brain into some 2,500 thin sections as part of a specimen library, NPR’s Shots blog says (http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2009/12/a_famous_brain_goes_under_the.html). Yes, the live Web feed is somewhat gimmicky. Still, sometimes we can’t help but fall for a geeky gimmick, and this one got us. Live feed here: http://thebrainobservatory.ucsd.edu/hm_live.php |
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A guide to GKSR: Click "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08 Nothing is as effective as homeopathy. I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles. - Klaus, 4/29/18 | |
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| ivorythumper | Dec 3 2009, 03:10 PM Post #2 |
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I am so adjective that I verb nouns!
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On rye, hold the mayo. |
| The dogma lives loudly within me. | |
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| jon-nyc | Dec 3 2009, 03:13 PM Post #3 |
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Cheers
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Oh wow, I didn't realize he died. I've read about him. Fascinating and sad case. |
| In my defense, I was left unsupervised. | |
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| George K | Dec 3 2009, 03:15 PM Post #4 |
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Finally
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I remember doing stuff like that with mouse and hamster jaws (looking at dental innervation). It always amazed me at how so damn thin and delicate those slices are. You pick them up with a fine brush, drop them into a liquid, and allow them to uncurl, and then they're mounted on a slide. Reconstructing it into a 3-D image (in your head) is the hard part - especially with neural tissues. |
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A guide to GKSR: Click "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08 Nothing is as effective as homeopathy. I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles. - Klaus, 4/29/18 | |
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| Luke's Dad | Dec 3 2009, 03:18 PM Post #5 |
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Emperor Pengin
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How quickly would the short term memories fade? Would he forget the conversation from five minutes ago? Instant to instant? If that was the case, how could he even communicate? |
| The problem with having an open mind is that people keep trying to put things in it. | |
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| Piano*Dad | Dec 3 2009, 03:18 PM Post #6 |
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Bull-Carp
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You know, I knew exactly what this thread was about before I looked. I had read the article on this in the NYT earlier today. Fascinating stuff. |
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| Luke's Dad | Dec 3 2009, 03:21 PM Post #7 |
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Emperor Pengin
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And of course, if he had no new memories since the surgery, how did he know for sure that he donated his brain? ""Uhm, sir? We need to you to sign this waiver to donate your brain to the school." "What?! I would never agree to do that!" "Uhhh, sure you did, just yesterday (yeah, that's the ticket). Do you want to have this conversation again?" We've alr |
| The problem with having an open mind is that people keep trying to put things in it. | |
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11:34 AM Jul 11