Hey, everyone! Yes, this is a post. No, I have not been inactive. What are you talking about? I’ve always been posting! Not where have I been, where have you been?

But all jokes aside, there’s a matter I’d like to talk about, so incredibly unusual, it’s a wonder why I haven’t posted it yet, and here it is:

Phineas Gage (1823-1860) was a railroad construction foreman who is known much more widely in the neuroscience community than the railroad community. You’ll see why later.

He was born in New Hampshire. Little is known about his life, but in September 1848, he got a job as a blasting foreman on a railroad construction company. Being a blasting foreman meant he got to work with explosives, and we all know good things happen with explosives, right?

On September 13, 1848, in Cavendish, Vermont, Gage was adding some materials to a mixture that would explode rock, but as he was doing it, the concoction exploded early, and a 3 ft. tamping rod went up through his cheek, then his brain, and then out on the top side.

The crazy thing? Gage survived.

He never lost consciousness after the accident and was able to speak, walk, and sit down. What did change, however, was his personality. Before, he was hard-working, a favorite among the railroad gang, and overall a great guy. But after, he became irresponsible, impatient, and the complete opposite of his demeanor above. His left side of his face became partially paralyzed, and he died in 1860 from a seizure.

But the question is, how did he survive the whole ordeal?

Well, the thing is, no one knows. Some theories suggest that the rod missed important areas of his brain, like areas that controlled his breathing and heartbeat. Some suggest the rod’s shape and speed made for a quick accident. Some suggest it was because he wasn’t bleeding a lot. Some suggest it was that Gage was healthy as a horse before the incident. Others suggest it was because of the extraordinary (at the time) medical care he received. But to this day, no one knows. But such an incident made Gage a common name in the field of neurology.

This is an example of how some things can seem impossible, but actually occurred. And it’s also another example of how you should be careful with explosives. And it’s also another example of how you’ve been gone, and I haven’t! Gosh!