Documented evidence that man can function with no brain

[factseeker88]

Man living with no brain puzzles scientists

 

25.07.2007

 

The following case provides evidence that the human brain can adapt itself to a pathology that occurred earlier. Despite the pathology, the sufferer’s neurological and physical development was not severely hampered. He was able to lead a life that can be considered normal.

French doctors are still racking their brains over the case of a patient who is said to live a normal life despite the fact that his brain is almost completely absent, reports RIA Novosti news agency. Quoting an article published by The Lancet, the agency says that the 44-year-old French civil servant, a married man and a father of two, was admitted to hospital in 2003 after suffering mild weakness in his left leg.

 

http://english.pravda.ru/science/mysteries/25-07-2007/95241-no_brain-0/

 

This helps make the case that man only needs his memory.

Edited July 19, 2014 by Phi for All
links not related to the story removed

[Prometheus]

Hydrocephalus is hardly the same as having no brain.

 

The last paragraph in the link is quite telling:

 

“The case provides evidence that the brain can adapt itself to a pathology that occurred earlier,” Dr. Feuillet told AFP. “Even if he has a slight intellectual handicap, this has not hampered his development of building social network,”

Edited July 19, 2014 by Prometheus

[factseeker88]

Hydrocephalus is hardly the same as having no brain.

 

The last paragraph in the link is quite telling:

 

This paragraph is also quite telling:

 

French doctors are still racking their brains over the case of a patient who is said to live a normal life DESPITE THE FACT THAT HIS BRAIN IS ALMOST COMPLETLY ABSENT.

 

Here is a case with half a brain:

 

Removing Half of Brain Improves Young Epileptics' Lives

By ABIGAIL ZUGER

Published: August 19, 1997

BRAIN-DAMAGED children are actually able to recover some intellectual ground if the entire damaged half of the brain is surgically removed, researchers are finding.

 

The surgical procedure, hemi-spherectomy, was first developed in the 1920's but fell out of favor for many years because of a high complication rate. Now newer surgical techniques have made the operation safer. Its success in children with damage confined to half the brain astonishes even seasoned scientists and suggests that until now, they may have greatly underestimated the brain's flexibility, particularly in older children.

 

 

http://www.nytimes.com/1997/08/19/science/removing-half-of-brain-improves-young-epileptics-lives.html

[swansont]

This paragraph is also quite telling:

 

French doctors are still racking their brains over the case of a patient who is said to live a normal life DESPITE THE FACT THAT HIS BRAIN IS ALMOST COMPLETLY ABSENT.

 

 

 

Don't ignore this bit: Translated by Guerman Grachev

 

An article interviewing French doctors, in Russian, and then translated to English. No cause to think the accuracy of the statements might have suffered?

 

Maybe one should look to the medical journal article, rather than the popular press.

[Ten oz]

People often assume that a bigger brain is a more intelligent brain. If that is true sperm whales are more intelligent than humans.

[random]

"It must be true I read it on the internet" and the web page looked legit.

 

That being said I do know an individual who had half his brain removed in early child hood because of a tumour. He is mentally around 12 although in his late 20's, he must live in a group home and walks with a cane. Still quite remarkable given the extent of tissue removed.

[factseeker88]

"It must be true I read it on the internet" and the web page looked legit.

 

I do know an individual who had half his brain removed in early child hood because of a tumour. He is mentally around 12 although in his late 20's, he must live in a group home and walks with a cane. Still quite remarkable given the extent of tissue removed.

 

It's possible to find all kinds of variations of different cases, but none that dispute the original post.

 

"French doctors are still racking their brains over the case of a patient who is said to live a normal life DESPITE THE FACT THAT HIS BRAIN IS ALMOST COMPLETLY ABSENT."

 

With no brain all the patient had left was his memory, and that seemed to be enough for a ordinary person to survive and function. Had he been a scientist who needed an analytical mind, the case might have been different

[John Cuthber]

 

 

With no brain all the patient had left was his memory

Where do you think the patient keeps his memory?

[Moontanman]

People often assume that a bigger brain is a more intelligent brain. If that is true sperm whales are more intelligent than humans.

 

 

How would you know they are not more intelligent than humans?

Edited July 30, 2014 by Moontanman

[iNow]

We don't, but perhaps the more important point is that brain size is not the key factor. It's merely an approximation or a proxy for intelligence. Other variables (like cortical folding and neuron density and stuff like that) are rather important when discussing these things, so making broad sweeping generalizations about intelligence based on brain size alone is misguided (even when discussed as a percentage to normalize for overall body size).

[Moontanman]

My point would be that brain size not an indicator of intelligence and our measure of intelligence is biased to a comparison of us. I think that's unreasonable..

[iNow]

And I tend to agree.

[factseeker88]

Where do you think the patient keeps his memory?

Prefrontal lobe. The proof is that prefrontal lobotomy often makes patients forget.

 

“What we think, or what we know, or what we believe is, in the end, of little consequence. The only consequence is WHAT WE DO.” John Ruskin (1819 - 1900)

[swansont]

Prefrontal lobe. The proof is that prefrontal lobotomy often makes patients forget.

 

“What we think, or what we know, or what we believe is, in the end, of little consequence. The only consequence is WHAT WE DO.” John Ruskin (1819 - 1900)

 

And the prefrontal lobe is part of what portion of the anatomy?

 

I will point out again, though less subtly this time: a translated article from Pravda may not be a reliable/accurate source.

[John Cuthber]

Prefrontal lobe. The proof is that prefrontal lobotomy often makes patients forget.

 

 

You do realise that's part of the brain, don't you?

[factseeker88]

 

 

How would you know they are not more intelligent than humans?

 

A better way to put it might be all other living things react to new situations faster than humans, especially life threatening ones.

 

“What we think, or what we know, or what we believe is, in the end, of little consequence. The only consequence is WHAT WE DO.” John Ruskin (1819 - 1900)

 

And the prefrontal lobe is part of what portion of the anatomy?

 

 

The forehead, which is probably protect against the rest of the brain.

 

“What we think, or what we know, or what we believe is, in the end, of little consequence. The only consequence is WHAT WE DO.” John Ruskin (1819 - 1900)

[swansont]

The forehead, which is probably protect against the rest of the brain.

 

The forehead is part of your skull (I think it's the frontal bone). The frontal lobe is part of the brain.

[factseeker88]

You do realise that's part of the brain, don't you?

 

Not according to what the French Doctors said, here, read it again...

 

French doctors are still racking their brains over the case of a patient who is said to live a normal life despite the fact that his brain is almost completely absent

 

“What we think, or what we know, or what we believe is, in the end, of little consequence. The only consequence is WHAT WE DO.” John Ruskin (1819 - 1900)

 

The forehead is part of your skull (I think it's the frontal bone). The frontal lobe is part of the brain.

 

If memory were part of the brain it would have been wiped out with the rest of the brain, here, read it again ...

 

French doctors are still racking their brains over the case of a patient who is said to live a normal life despite the fact that his brain is almost completely absent

 

“What we think, or what we know, or what we believe is, in the end, of little consequence. The only consequence is WHAT WE DO.” John Ruskin (1819 - 1900)

[swansont]

 

Not according to what the French Doctors said, here, read it again...

 

French doctors are still racking their brains over the case of a patient who is said to live a normal life despite the fact that his brain is almost completely absent

 

“What we think, or what we know, or what we believe is, in the end, of little consequence. The only consequence is WHAT WE DO.” John Ruskin (1819 - 1900)

 

If memory were part of the brain it would have been wiped out with the rest of the brain, here, read it again ...

 

French doctors are still racking their brains over the case of a patient who is said to live a normal life despite the fact that his brain is almost completely absent

 

“What we think, or what we know, or what we believe is, in the end, of little consequence. The only consequence is WHAT WE DO.” John Ruskin (1819 - 1900)

 

 

French doctors, reported in a Russian popular (not scientific) paper translated to English.

 

As I've said twice before, you need to go to the original medical source. The story is simply not credible on its own and needs some sort of confirmation.

[Endy0816]

Reuters provides more details:

 

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2007/07/20/oukoe-uk-brain-tiny-idUKN1930510020070720

 

Memories are stored in the brain. If he truly had no brain, then he definitely wouldn't remember. It only states his brain is "almost completely absent". That is a far cry from missing or having signifignant sections of his brain cut out via lobotomy(lobe -otomy).

 

His brain isn't as compact but it still has all the necessary parts and pieces for him to live a reasonably normal life.

 

Edited August 1, 2014 by Endy0816

[factseeker88]

 

 

French doctors, reported in a Russian popular (not scientific) paper translated to English.

 

As I've said twice before, you need to go to the original medical source. The story is simply not credible on its own and needs some sort of confirmation.

French doctors are still racking their brains over the case of a patient who is said to live a normal life despite the fact that his brain is almost completely absent

 

What you seem to be saying is that the French doctors lied.

 

“What we think, or what we know, or what we believe is, in the end, of little consequence. The only consequence is WHAT WE DO.” John Ruskin (1819 - 1900)

[John Cuthber]

 

With no brain all the patient had left was his memory,

Where do you think the patient keeps his memory?

Prefrontal lobe. The proof is that prefrontal lobotomy often makes patients forget.

 

You do realise that's part of the brain, don't you?

 

Not according to what the French Doctors said, here, read it again...

 

I think you owe the French Medical profession an apology.

Edited August 1, 2014 by John Cuthber

[swansont]

French doctors are still racking their brains over the case of a patient who is said to live a normal life despite the fact that his brain is almost completely absent

 

What you seem to be saying is that the French doctors lied.

 

 

No. I'm saying that Pravda is not a medical journal and not a credible source of medical information. I'm not saying a thing about the French doctors. I'm saying we don't know what they actually said. When you translate from one language to another to another, information gets lost.

[iNow]

Prefrontal lobe.

No, that is not where memories are stored. If you believe otherwise, then we have arrived at one foundational component of your confusion.

[factseeker88]

We don't, but perhaps the more important point is that brain size is not the key factor. It's merely an approximation or a proxy for intelligence. Other variables (like cortical folding and neuron density and stuff like that) are rather important when discussing these things, so making broad sweeping generalizations about intelligence based on brain size alone is misguided (even when discussed as a percentage to normalize for overall body size).

While we're supposing, the brain could be binary like a computer, and memory could be a search engine like Google. Size wouldn't matter and location could be anywhere in the head.