From newshub.ccs.yorku.ca!torn!utcsri!rutgers!sun-barr!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!sequent!muncher.sequent.com!bfish Thu Jul  9 16:20:13 EDT 1992
Article 6395 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: bfish@sequent.com (Brett Fishburne)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
Subject: Re: Intelligence without a brain? Just the facts.
Summary: Personal experience
Message-ID: <1992Jun30.154051.19263@sequent.com>
Date: 30 Jun 92 15:40:51 GMT
References: <BILL.92Jun26113658@cortex.nsma.arizona.edu> <1992Jun29.155614.21541@cs.ucf.edu>
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I have followed this thread with interest.  I had an older brother who
suffered from hydrocephallus (sp?).  He was born in 1963, while the shunt
operation was still considered radically dangerous.  My parents did discuss
the possiblity of a shunt with the originator or the operation, but elected
not to have it (as they were told my brother would die within a few months
regardless).  My brother lived to the age of 24, spending almost his entire
life with 24 hour care in a crib.  Although a shunt was performed in the late
60's (1968?), it was too late to recover from much of the damage.  He knew
two words (sh*t and hi), the former thanks to a poor nursing facility.  By
no means was he capable of caring for himself and his understanding of the
world around him was limited to the moment (like most babies he liked 
bright colors and flashy objects, but retained no long-term interest in these
items).  He did have good fundamental "reaction" capabilities and appeared
to have some dexterity when he could see his hands.  

My brother did not have alot of brain.  What had not been outright crushed by
the pressure had been spread so very thin that coordinated, sequential
activities seemed to be beyond him (so said the psycholigists).

I think it is necessary to prevent this net from having the idea that these
children are fine despite the cavities in their heads and the dispersed 
brain matter.  My brother did not benefit from the shunt like so many children
have today, but perhaps even his rudimentary abilities are a testiment to the
resiliency of the human brain, not a lack of intelligence derived therefrom.
Please understand that even with the shunt many of these children suffer
from learning disabilities (I know from personal contact).  My experience
has been biased towards those who have suffered rather than those who have
overcome this handicap, but I think that the point being made here is valid.
Simply because some children can continue to function with a brain which has
been compressed against their skull, does not support the argument that the
intelligence which they exhibit is not contained _within_ that brain.  Moreover,
it does not support the position that if the matter which was destroyed had
not been destroyed, it would be unused.  Unfortunately, this experience can
only serve as anacdotal evidence that the brain can survive enormous 
trauma.

-- Brett

bfish@sequent.com


