Worst nightmare scenerio

[Sirc]

I can't image anything worse happening to me than this:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/11/24/coma.man.belgium/index.html

However, I have to wonder, how much is that nurse being paid to guide his finger. He's clearly not doing that himself. Too fast, too accurate. I can hear a voice saying letters, but his mouth isn't forming them as far as I can tell. Someone else's voice perhaps?

Watching this, I have to wonder if it's even true. If he can say letters, then he can communicate without the nurse typing with his finger. Or maybe she has some sort of Vulcan mind-meld with him or what?

On the other hand, they say that tests show his brain is fully functional. Which is scary, but I'm still not buying the typing crap. I dunno.

I call bullshit.

[(Villains) Fragjunky]

yep utter bullshit i think, the only thing he can do himself is blink as far as i can see from the video. the new scan may show he has brain activity but there is no way he is typing that himself bet its just the nurse cashing in on tv interviews n stuff.

[Bingo]

I absolutely think it could be very real. A couple of things to think about:

We know very well people can be awake during surgery even while under anesthesia - they are just unable to move or speak. How different is this other than having lasted for years rather than just while the sedation was in effect.

Also realize that he is going to have serious muscle weakness and control issues. It's not at all uncommon for people who have been bedridden for long periods of time to not have enough muscle strength to raise an arm or leg for example. We have to design wheelchair and bed supports to take this into account. I've frequently seen people who need to have limbs supported but they can still control them.

Lastly, the brain is a very odd thing that we still only barely understand. Are you really going to suggest that something like this isn't possible?

B

[Sirc]

I absolutely think it could be very real. A couple of things to think about:

We know very well people can be awake during surgery even while under anesthesia - they are just unable to move or speak. How different is this other than having lasted for years rather than just while the sedation was in effect.

Also realize that he is going to have serious muscle weakness and control issues. It's not at all uncommon for people who have been bedridden for long periods of time to not have enough muscle strength to raise an arm or leg for example. We have to design wheelchair and bed supports to take this into account. I've frequently seen people who need to have limbs supported but they can still control them.

Lastly, the brain is a very odd thing that we still only barely understand. Are you really going to suggest that something like this isn't possible?

B

Bingo I wasn't suggesting that something like this isn't possible. My main source of doubt about this video comes from the fact that the nurse clearly wasn't "assisting" him, she was in fact typing for him. I think it looks bogus.

[JIMINATOR]

eh, all that "typing for" stuff is wishful thinking. When stuff like this was previously tested, they put a blindfold on the person typing and then they get nothing or garbage. Kind of like an ouija board giving "communications". Add a blindfold to the people and get nothing.

[PJ'l_Master]

Bingo I wasn't suggesting that something like this isn't possible. My main source of doubt about this video comes from the fact that the nurse clearly wasn't "assisting" him, she was in fact typing for him. I think it looks bogus.


Agreed with sirc on this one, they'd have to pay me too for me to think that was real.

[Nick]

they probably checked with eye movement first...

like look left once for yes twice for no...

and they have a better machine where they use camera onto the eyes to track movement...


if they didn't it's stupid