Phineas Gage--What Really Happened?

Phineas Gage is the most well-known neuroscience patient in history.  Teachers of all topics like to trot out his picture and talk about his accident when the explosion drove the tamping iron through his skull. After that, he survived, but, as was indicated in the early Psychology/Brain videos, "Gage was no longer Gage."  I enjoyed reading the author's examination of the early press accounts and how the stories about Gage changed throughout time.  There is also a great deal of context added that many of us have not read about,

Today, Slate.com printed an extended essay discussing the history of the stories about Gage and how they have changed through the years, perhaps being influenced by neuroscientists personal preconceptions.  It is a fascinating read and possibly a great one for this post-AP exam time for those students who love both psychology and history.

The Slate link: http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2014/05/phineas_gage_neuroscience_case_true_story_of_famous_frontal_lobe_patient.html?wpisrc=newsletter_slatest_morning_newsletter&mc_cid=a9e5dfa92a&mc_eid=924356369f

This photos below are ones I had not seen before.

posted by Chuck Schallhorn

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Can You Handle More on Phineas?

Most of us have seen and seen again so much about our "poster boy" of brain damage, Phineas Gage--we've even included a few posts about him in our blog:
http://teachinghighschoolpsychology.blogspot.com/2009/09/phineas-gage-newly-discovered-picture.html
http://teachinghighschoolpsychology.blogspot.com/2010/05/phineas-gage-news.html
http://teachinghighschoolpsychology.blogspot.com/2012/08/another-modern-day-phineas-gage.html


Recently, the folks at Mind Hacks did another followup linked here:
http://mindhacks.com/2013/03/23/the-postmortem-portraits-of-phineas-gage/

In the comments, I found these links from Vermont and their claim to Phineas:
The Phineas Gage Info Page
http://www.uakron.edu/gage/

The 150th Anniversary Page
http://www.uakron.edu/gage/anniversary.dot

The Phineas Gage Memorial
http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/phineas-gage-memorial

The Rutland, Vermont Newspaper Story
http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20100520/NEWS02/5200388

More links:
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/10858
http://scienceblogs.com/neuronculture/2010/05/20/see-exactly-where-phineas-gage/



posted by Chuck Schallhorn

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Phineas Gage: Newly Discovered Picture

Recently, a picture believed to be that of Phineas Gage holding the tapping iron which pierced his skull has surfaced. For thirty years Jack and Beverley Wilgus have own the photograph not knowing its significance. The possibility of the shot being of Gage came out when they placed it on Flickr, a picture sharing website. The couple have written an article, "Face to Face with Phineas Gage", for the July 2009 issue of the Journal of the History of the Neurosciences (http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/0964704X.asp) or go to http://brightbytes.com/phineasgage/index.html.

Newspaper and blog accounts of the photograph can be found at:

LA Times Website
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-sci-gage16-2009jul16,0,6843461.story

The Boston Globe Website
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/07/22/newly_discovered_image_offers_fresh_insights_about_1848_medical_miracle/

The New York Times Website
http://tierneylab.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/22/the-curious-case-of-phineas-gage-refocused/

Advanced in the History of Psychology Blog
http://ahp.apps01.yorku.ca/?p=730

The Neurophilosophy section of the Science Blogs
http://scienceblogs.com/neurophilosophy/2009/07/meet_phineas_gage.php

The September 2008 issue of The Psychologist from the British Psychological Society, includes an article which deputes many of the common beliefs of Gage's story at http://ahp.apps01.yorku.ca/?p=515#more-515

A special thanks to Tack Chace, Shrewsbury High School, Shrewsbury MA, whose initial posting on the AP Psychology Electronic Discussion Group provided the impetus for this posting.

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