The brain is a truly wondrous thing

Today, I made another hospital visit to a friend who had a serious stroke almost four months ago. He has lost the use of his right arm and right leg and struggles to put together a coherent sentence although, with physical therapy and speech therapy, he is slowly improving and hopes to be allowed home in three weeks time.

His family have gained knowledge and inspiration from the experience of American neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor. She had an opportunity few brain scientists would wish for: one morning, she realised she was having a massive stroke. As it happened – as she felt her brain functions slip away one by one, speech, movement, understanding – she studied and remembered every moment.

This is a powerful story about how our brains define us and connect us to the world and to one another. You can see her 20 minute TED talk here:


 




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