Phineas Gage was a railroad foreman who survived a traumatic accident in 1848. He was filling holes with gunpowder when an explosion caused a tamping iron to shoot under his cheekbone, out through his skull. This accident destroyed a good majority of Gage's prefrontal cortex. It was incredible that he survived and was able to walk within minutes after the accident. After he found a doctor to treat his wounds, fungus began to form in his wound, which is why many expected him to die. Fortunately, he recovered within weeks and lived a normal life. It's often argued whether he was the same man as he was before. I can't see how it would be possible for him to live the same life he was living before the accident, considering the fact that the prefrontal cortex was damaged so severely. After all, it is the part of the brain that is responsible for a person's thinking, planning, and language.
This is a concept that I will be able to remember very well over the next five years. I believe this to be true because I am so amazed that anyone could survive such a terrible accident and still be able to live a "normal" life. Also, the picture of Gage's skull with the tamping iron sticking out of it is a nauseating visual that I don't think I'll be able to get out of my head. Nonetheless, I still find this story to be very intriguing and a great one to share with people who are unfamiliar with it.
For more information and details on the story click on this link below.
http://neurophilosophy.wordpress.com/2006/12/04/the-incredible-case-of-phineas-gage/
The story of Phineas Gage is incredibly interesting because he is one of the only people to survive such a debilitating accident, albeit with unexpected consequences. Psychologists can study the case of Gage and determine the effects of damage to specific parts of the brain.