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In 1848 a railway explosion drove a metre-long iron rod through Phineas Gage's skull. He survived, walked and talked — but those who knew him said his character had changed, and modern neuroscience began.

Phineas Gage (1823–1860)

Why it matters

The idea in context

The tamping iron entered under his cheekbone and exited through the top of his head, destroying much of his left frontal lobe. He was conscious within minutes and back on his feet in weeks. Reports that he became impulsive and unreliable were the first strong evidence that specific regions of the brain govern personality and judgement, not just movement and speech. Later scholars think the 'no longer Gage' story was exaggerated — he went on to work as a stagecoach driver in Chile, which takes considerable competence.

Türkçe

Aynı kart, başka bir dilde.

1848'de bir demiryolu patlaması, bir metrelik demir çubuğu Phineas Gage'in kafatasından geçirdi. Hayatta kaldı, yürüdü ve konuştu — ama onu tanıyanlar karakterinin değiştiğini söyledi ve modern sinirbilim böyle başladı.

Phineas Gage (1823-1860)

Sıkıştırma demiri elmacık kemiğinin altından girip başının tepesinden çıktı ve sol ön lobunun büyük bölümünü yok etti. Dakikalar içinde bilinci yerindeydi, haftalar içinde ayaktaydı. Fevri ve güvenilmez hâle geldiğine dair anlatımlar, beynin belirli bölgelerinin yalnızca hareket ve konuşmayı değil kişilik ve muhakemeyi de yönettiğine dair ilk güçlü kanıttı. Sonraki araştırmacılar 'artık Gage değil' öyküsünün abartıldığını düşünüyor — sonrasında Şili'de posta arabası sürücüsü olarak çalıştı ki bu hatırı sayılır bir yeterlilik ister.

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Background reading: Phineas GageAttribution and context are revised when stronger evidence appears. Corrections are welcome through the editorial page.

Open in the iPhone app Editorial method

Next in the open archiveAfter a walk in the Alps in 1941, George de Mestral grew curious about the burrs stuck to his dog. Under a microscope he found tiny hooks catching in loops of fur — and spent the next decade turning that into Velcro.Q1570

In 1848 a railway explosion drove a metre-long iron rod through Phineas Gage's skull. He survived, walked and talked — but those who knew him said his character had changed, and modern neuroscience began.

The idea in context

Aynı kart, başka bir dilde.

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