To Be or Not to Be... Immortal

picture by Lauren Burgess
Have you ever heard the tale of Phineas Gage?  I have read about it in psychology.about.com by Kendra Cherry, and it made me think.

In 1848, a young man named Phineas Gage suffered a traumatic brain injury that astonished doctors and continues to fascinate scientists today.

On September 13, 1848, the then 25-year-old Gage was working as the foreman of a crew preparing a railroad bed near Cavendish, Vermont.  He was using an iron tamping rod to pack explosive powder into a hole.  Unfortunately, the powder detonated, sending the 43 inch long and 1.25 inch diameter rod hurtling upward. The rod penetrated Gage's left cheek, tore through his brain, and exited his skull before reportedly landing some 80 feet away.  Shockingly, Gage not only survived the initial injury but was able to speak and walk to a nearby cart so he could be taken into town to be seen by a doctor, Dr. Edward H. Williams.

Soon after, Dr. John Martyn Harlow, took over the case. It is through Harlow's observations of the injury and his later descriptions of Gage's mental changes that provide much of the primary information that we now know about the case.

In the months that followed, Gage returned to his parent's home in New Hampshire to recuperate.  Unable to return to his railroad job, Gage held a series of jobs including work in a livery stable, a stagecoach driver in Chile and farm work in California.  Popular reports of Gage often depict him as a hardworking, pleasant man prior to the accident.  Post-accident, these reports describe him as a changed man, suggesting that the injury had transformed him into a surly, aggressive drunkard who was unable to hold down a job.

Since there is little direct evidence of the exact extent of Gage's injuries aside from Harlow's report, it is difficult to know exactly how severely his brain was damaged. Harlow's accounts suggest that the injury did lead to a loss of social inhibition, leading Gage to behave in ways that were seen as inappropriate.

In 1968, Harlow presented the first account of the changes in Gage's behavior following the accident:

"The equilibrium or balance, so to speak, between his intellectual faculties and animal propensities, seems to have been destroyed. He is fitful, irreverent, indulging at times in the grossest profanity (which was not previously his custom), manifesting but little deference for his fellows, impatient of restraint or advice when it conflicts with his desires, at times pertinaciously obstinate, yet capricious and vacillating, devising many plans of future operations, which are no sooner arranged than they are abandoned in turn for others appearing more feasible. A child in his intellectual capacity and manifestations, he has the animal passions of a strong man. Previous to his injury, although untrained in the schools, he possessed a well-balanced mind, and was looked upon by those who knew him as a shrewd, smart businessman, very energetic and persistent in executing all his plans of operation. In this regard his mind was radically changed, so decidedly that his friends and acquaintances said he was 'no longer Gage.'"

All that you can read at Kendra’s blog, but Phineas’ tale is not what I wanted to talk about.

René Descartes (1596-1650) was a philosopher who believed in free will.  According to him, a person consists of two ingredients, a body and a soul.  While bodies are like machines made of matter and are subject to the laws of science, souls are immortals and the origin of free will.  We have to understand that it was in an age when mankind had to feel special about our position in the universe compared to all other living beings – we are better than animals and anything else (oh, maybe that still sounds familiar…?)  That is the base for, I think, most of the religions known to man.  We have souls – we are responsible for our decisions – our afterlife depends on how we live this life.  Basically, if you’re a good person you are going to seize the fruits of your behavior.  Now, I understand, someone has either a good or a bad soul and, therefore, tends to be either good or bad, morally speaking.  If our bodies are merely temples of the soul, our brains should not define our character.  So, what happens in a case like Phineas Gage’s?

There are two options.  First: the brain has important influence in our behavior in the way the soul connects to the physical world.  Second: our behavior is entirely defined by how our brain works, what means we are determined by matter – atoms together in the right combination, those forming cells and electric impulses – and possibly have no souls.

Where does morality stand?  In the first scenario, how do we know if someone is naturally good?  What would be the method to identify who deserves to go to Heaven or Hell, reborn as a king or as a cockroach?  Would that be fair if we are confined in our bodies and our judgment relies on our brain capacity, like a race between a Ferrari and a bicycle with, maybe, equally good drivers?  Do we get our brains at random or there are some criteria to determine who deserves which?  If so, how can that be fair?  If there is some superior force who decides the rules of morality, how can that be fair?

The second case scenario is simple; we are determined by chemical reactions, laws of physics and mere chance.  Doesn’t that make you feel special?

Love Books

There’s nothing better for killing time in a constructive way than reading a good book.  Books expand our horizons, fill us up with knowledge, make us laugh and cry and sharp our minds. 

Here are 10 must-read books of different genres for people whose tastes are eclectic – have fun on your journey!

As a disclaimer, the websites chosen for describing the books are merely illustrative, and I do not endorse, nor am I affiliated with any party.

1 - When We Were Gods – Falconer, Colin

Cleopatra VII of Egypt was barely more than a teenager when she inherited the richest empire in the world, fifty-one years before the birth of Jesus Christ.  Colin Falconer did a great job telling her story.

Colin Falconer was born in North London.  He is a former journalist and the author of three previous historical novels, which have been published in many languages throughout the world.  He travels widely to research his novels but now lives in a small coastal town in Western Australia.

2 – The Bourne Identity – Ludlum, Robert

The Bourne Identity was named the second best spy novel of all-time, and the novel was adapted into a 1988 television movie starring Richard Chamberlain and Jaclyn Smith, and a 2002 movie starring Matt Damon, Franka Potente and Chris Cooper.

Robert Ludlum (May 25, 1927 – March 12, 2001) was an American author of 23 thriller novels.  The number of his books in print is estimated between 290–500 million copies.  They have been published in 33 languages and 40 countries.  Ludlum also published books under the pseudonyms Jonathan Ryder and Michael Shepherd.

3 – East of Eden – Steinbeck, John

The masterpiece of Steinbeck's later years, East of Eden is set in the rich farmlands of California's Salinas Valley.  Follow the intertwined destinies of two families – the Trasks and the Hamiltons – whose generations helplessly reenact the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel.

John Ernst Steinbeck, Jr. (February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was an American writer.  He is widely known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath (1939) and East of Eden (1952) and the novella Of Mice and Men (1937).  He was an author of twenty-seven books, including sixteen novels, six non-fiction books and five collections of short stories; Steinbeck received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962.

4 – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – Larsson, Stieg

Larsson's regret of not helping a young girl named Lisbeth, whom he saw being raped when he was 15, manifested in his character of the same name, also a rape victim.  Larsson writes within the crime novel, in Chapter 12, "It's actually a fascinating case. What I believe is known as a locked room mystery, on an island. And nothing in the investigation seems to follow normal logic. Every question remains unanswered, every clue leads to a dead end."

Karl Stig-Erland "Stieg" (15 August 1954 – 9 November 2004) was a Swedish journalist and writer. He is best known for writing the "Millennium series" of crime novels, which were published posthumously.  Larsson lived and worked much of his life in Stockholm, in the field of journalism and as an independent researcher of right-wing extremism.  He was the second best-selling author in the world for 2008.

5 – Sophie’s World – Gaarder, Jostein

Sophie's World is a novel about philosophy by Jostein Gaarder, published in 1991. It was originally written in Norwegian, but has since been translated into English (1995) and many other languages.  It sold more than 30 million copies and is one of the most successful Norwegian novels outside of Norway.  The book has been adapted into a film and a PC game.

Jostein Gaarder  is a Norwegian intellectual and author of several novels, short stories and children's books. Gaarder often writes from the perspective of children, exploring their sense of wonder about the world.

6 – Insomnia – King, Stephen

Old Ralph Roberts hasn't been sleeping well lately. Every night he wakes just a little bit earlier, and pretty soon, he thinks, he won't get any sleep at all. It wouldn't be so bad, except for the strange hallucinations he's been having. Or, at least, he hopes they are hallucinations.  For fans of horror books, this one is a masterpiece.

Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books.  Many of his stories are set in his home state of Maine.

7 – The Universe in a Nutshell – Hawking, Stephen

If you are an inquisitive person, that’s a must-read.  Hawking exceeds his teaching abilities in this book, where he explains with mastery very difficult concepts of theoretical physics to normal-brained people.

Stephen William Hawking (born January 8, 1942) is a British theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author. His key scientific works to date have included providing, with Roger Penrose, theorems regarding gravitational singularities in the framework of general relativity, and the theoretical prediction that black holes should emit radiation, which is today known as Hawking radiation (or sometimes as Bekenstein-Hawking radiation).  He is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a lifetime member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, and in 2009 was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States.  Hawking was the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge between 1979 and 2009.  Subsequently, he became research director at the university's Centre for Theoretical Cosmology.

8 – A Short History of Nearly Everything – Bryson, Bill

Bryson, who’s best known for his travel writing (the both amazing A Walk in the woods and Neither Here, Nor There), entertain and enlighten us through this, sometimes funny, but surely captivating, popular science book; a highly recommendable good read that will sure give you smiles.

William McGuire "Bill" Bryson, (born December 8, 1951) is a best-selling American author of humorous books on travel, as well as books on the English language and on science.  Born an American, he was a resident of Britain for most of his adult life before returning to the US in 1995.  In 2003 Bryson moved back to Britain, living in the old rectory of Wramplingham, Norfolk, and was appointed Chancellor of Durham University.

9 – The Lost Symbol – Brown, Dan

This thriller is set in Washington, D.C. and is the follow-up of the world’s best seller The Da Vinci Code; and Brown did it again.  He mixes history, religion, science and art in this electrifying book that is going to keep you up for hours.

Dan Brown (born June 22, 1964) is an American author of thriller fiction, best known for the 2003 bestselling novel, The Da Vinci Code.  Brown's novels, which are treasure hunts set in a 24-hour time period, feature the recurring themes of cryptography, keys, symbols, codes, and conspiracy theories.  His books have been translated into over 40 languages, and as of 2009, sold over 80 million copies.  Two of them, The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons, have been adapted into feature films.

10 – The Singularity is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology – Kurzweil, Ray

In the future of Ray Kuzweil’s prediction, technology will play a role in our lives much more important than we think: it will enable us to reverse aging, boost our cerebral power and fix DNA errors.  The next step in our evolutionary process will be the union of human and machine in which the knowledge and skills embedded in our brains will be combined with the vastly greater capacity, speed, and knowledge-sharing ability of our creations.

Raymond "Ray" Kurzweil  (born February 12, 1948) is an American author, scientist, inventor and futurist. Aside from futurology, he is involved in fields such as optical character recognition (OCR), text-to-speech synthesis, speech recognition technology, and electronic keyboard instruments. He is the author of several books on health, artificial intelligence (AI), transhumanism, technological singularity, and futurism.

Let's Not Talk About It

What’s your religion? Show me someone who has never heard that question before…

People have an enormous need to classify others – it isn’t enough to classify by color, gender or physical attributes; there must be something else to point a finger at.

Religious people always preach that God exists, no matter which (religion or God) one, but that’s another story. Atheists always preach that there is no God at all, and the majority of them base themselves using science as arguments – for science is efficient and based on empirical facts. So, let’s get started.

Can Christians (for instance) prove that God exists? Can they say that there is empirical proof of it, that God has actually saved their lives or something like it? Can they use an equation to prove that there is a force that rules everything and everyone?

Can Atheists prove the possibility of a superior force as not viable? That is because, from my point of view, in order to say that something is possible you better prove it; nevertheless, saying the opposite also demands a reasonable explanation. There are also the Agnostic, subsidiaries of Atheism that prefer not to get involved in deeper conflicts and do not really care for either the question or the answer. If you ask me, as I don’t stand for any specific belief, I am agnostic, in case you want to label me with something: I don’t care.

So, let’s start from premises and develop the reasoning. In order to prove or refute the existence of God first there needs to be considered the existence of distinct religions, and therefore, distinct deities. As the aforementioned deities are forged under different concepts and behave differently as well, that leaves us with two possibilities: they are either true different forces or it is one and only force that is misinterpreted – and there comes the human factor – through various cultures.

However, there is one fact in common: God is a concept, an explanation, a theory. At this particular point religion and science are alike, and it’s worth reminding that they both used to be unwieldingly tangled at the origins of the history of human thinking under the shape of mythologies, and lately, philosophy, which unfolded into the other sciences with the natural evolutional pace of knowledge gathering. As it is a concept we have to know that, after its creation, it cannot be undone or erased, even though it does not exist in the material plan. It’s an idea.

You may say that a unicorn doesn’t exist – although I am pretty sure that you would be able to describe one with precision; that’s because it is an idea fully accepted without any objection. I, at least, have never heard of anyone arguing that the unicorn should have the horn in the butt or anything like it. What is the function of a unicorn? To inhabit people’s minds. Can it be described? Yes. Does it aspire to live galloping among the rodeo horses that we see around? No. As a concept, we can claim it fulfills its purpose and it is as viable as part of theoretical physics that discusses events that can’t yet be proven. “Oh, but in the future we are going to be able to prove the existence of supercords”, you’d say; I ask you then: can you affirm that a mutation that gives horns to horses is never going to be possible, not even if by whim, in laboratory, through advances in genetic engineering?

What I am trying to explain is that a theory, by itself, has life and possibilities, but it is our choice to accept it or not. Yes; there are aspects of science that are irrefutable like the fact that Earth is elliptical and not flat, but some other subjects must be accepted as concepts. Nobody knows exactly what anti-matter looks like, but it is widely believed nowadays that half of the universe is made of it. Is it correct to say that anti-matter doesn’t exist because it’s only theoretical? Or even disbelieve it?

Using scientific reasoning, the possibility of some force that permeates and controls our existence can be proved mathematically; indeed, there are several forces that permeate and control our existence: gravity, strong nuclear force, weak nuclear force and electromagnetic force – and that’s only talking about the fundamental forces of physics, under the concept of force. However, if we plunge into metaphysic’s questions like “Why are we here” or “what’s the meaning of life”, we may find explanations in other disciplines as biology, chemistry, mathematics, or even by the chaos. Is it possible that everything is merely hap? Yes; who proves the opposite? Religious people? That would be ironic. Talking about irony, at last, I draw an ironic conclusion: regardless of all the collisions about Science versus God – encompassing all modern sciences in one word – apparently, they’re alike. Just think about it. And this useless quarrel maybe could be easily resolved by using one to explain the other. Why nobody does it? Now, THAT is a mystery…