Author Archives: Andrea

Communicating with the help of an fMRI

The Guardian Long Read: How science found a way to help coma patients communicate. “After suffering serious brain injuries, Scott Routley spent 12 years in a vegetative state. But his family were convinced that he was still aware – could a pioneering ‘mind-reading’ technique prove them right?” By Adrian Owen.

“In recent years, thanks to the invention of fMRI, we have made extraordinary breakthroughs in understanding the mental life of people trapped in the grey zone. We have discovered that 15% to 20% of people in the vegetative state, who are widely assumed to have no more awareness than a head of broccoli, are in fact fully conscious, even though they never respond to any form of external stimulation. They may open their eyes, grunt and groan, and occasionally utter isolated words. They appear to live entirely in their own world, devoid of thoughts or feelings. Many really are as oblivious and incapable of thought as their doctors believe. But a sizeable number are experiencing something quite different: intact minds adrift deep within damaged bodies and brains. We have even figured out how to communicate directly with such people.”

Link via MetaFilter.

See also the BBC Panorama documentary ‘The Mind Reader – Unlocking My Voice’ in which Prof. Adrian Owen communicates with several vegetative state patients using fMRI.

A friend I knew since kindergarten was in a persistent vegetative state (PVS) for almost 15 years after a car accident. She passed away this spring.

“You’re amazed at the innate good in people. People will rally to a cause to help out their fellow human beings.”

LinkedIn: The inside story of what it took to keep a Texas grocery chain running in the chaos of Hurricane Harvey. “In Texas, a grocery chain is now inspiring memes. One goes like this: “State and federal resources are struggling to get into impacted areas. H.E.B. — outta the way, we’re coming.” Another adds: “I’ll see your FEMA and Red Cross and raise you my Texas grocery store chain.””

“One of my stores, we had 300 employees; 140 of them were displaced by the flooding. So how do you put your store back together quickly? We asked for volunteers in the rest of the company. We brought over 2,000 partners from Austin, San Antonio, the Rio Grande Valley. They hopped into cars and they just drove to Houston. They said, we’re here to help. It’s shitty work. For 18 hours a day, they’re going to help us restock and then they’ll go sleep on the couch at somebody’s house.”

Dear Mr. President

CNN: Exclusive: Read the Inauguration Day letter Obama left for Trump. “Obama, when writing the letter, didn’t disclose the content even to his closest aides. Since then, however, Trump has shown the letter to visitors in the Oval Office or his private White House residence. CNN obtained a copy from someone Trump showed it to.”

“Dear Mr. President –

Congratulations on a remarkable run. Millions have placed their hopes in you, and all of us, regardless of party, should hope for expanded prosperity and security during your tenure.

This is a unique office, without a clear blueprint for success, so I don’t know that any advice from me will be particularly helpful. Still, let me offer a few reflections from the past 8 years.
[…]
Third, we are just temporary occupants of this office. That makes us guardians of those democratic institutions and traditions — like rule of law, separation of powers, equal protection and civil liberties — that our forebears fought and bled for. Regardless of the push and pull of daily politics, it’s up to us to leave those instruments of our democracy at least as strong as we found them.”

“I will hugely miss the freedom of floating and moving with the lightest of touch”

NPR the two-way: ‘American Space Ninja’ Back On Earth After Record-Breaking Flight.

“Imagine more than 600 days in space; that’s 21 months cruising the cosmos, or close to two years without flush toilets or pizza.

On Saturday, Astronaut Peggy Whitson touched down in Kazakhstan at 9:21 p.m. EDT alongside a fellow American and a Russian in their Soyuz capsule, wrapping up a record-breaking mission.

Whitson spent 288 days — more than nine months — on this latest mission aboard the International Space Station. But over the course of her career, she has been away from earth for three long-duration missions, an accumulation of 665 days — longer than any American ever and more time than any woman worldwide.”

North Korea and the Hydrogen Bomb

NPR the two-way: Here Are The Facts About North Korea’s Nuclear Test.

“Perhaps the greatest unknown is what Kim Jong Un will do with his nuclear arsenal. Traditionally, nations have used these weapons have been to deter attacks by others, and so far, the young leader’s actions seem to suggest he wants to preserve his power, according to Wolfsthal.
But, he adds, “The problem with deterrence is that it works up until the point it doesn’t.””

Deutsche Welle: North Korea claims successful hydrogen bomb test.

“North Korea has claimed a successful hydrogen bomb test that analysts said was more powerful than previous ones. The test ratchets up tensions after North Korea has conducted repeated ballistic missile tests.”

Deutsche Welle: Nordkorea meldet “erfolgreiche” Zündung von Wasserstoffbombe.

“Kim Jong Un dreht an der Eskalationsschraube. Nordkoreas Machthaber will eine Wasserstoffbombe getestet haben. Fest steht: Die Erde bebte und Südkorea und Japan glauben, dass es ein neuer Atomtest war.”

Nordkoreas Atomtest weltweit verurteilt. “Die jüngste Provokation aus Nordkorea schockiert die internationale Gemeinschaft. Rufe nach weiteren Sanktionen werden laut. Ungewöhnlich zurückhaltend reagierte US-Präsident Donald Trump.”

Kommentar: Die Rakete war Kims Gesprächsangebot. Von Martin Fritz, Tokyo. “Der jüngste Raketentest zeigt, dass Sanktionen und Drohungen Nordkorea nicht einschüchtern. Das Land will auf Augenhöhe mit den USA verhandeln, meint Martin Fritz aus Tokio. Die USA täten gut daran, darauf einzugehen.”