Phantom limb

me to want to help people such as Will, and additionally sparked my interest in neurology and the pathology of the brain. From a young age, I knew that was what I wanted to study. Reading books about the anomalies of the brain, I learned about phantom limbs, amnesias and agnosias; so many pathologies that seemed like science fiction but were real things that could be studied and treated. That enthusiasm and sense of wonder to learn about the brain and other scientific phenomena never ceased- I…

In Volume 1 of Mary Shelley‘s ‘Frankenstein’, horror and terror are themes that evidently run strongly throughout, for example the horror of the creation and the awakening of the Creature, and Victor Frankenstein’s fearful response. According to James. B. Twitchell – “Horror – horrére means to stand on end or bristle”, which most definitely applies to Frankenstein. Written in the early 19th century, Shelley took inspiration from society at the time – particularly science – with the use of…

young white male, prone to depression, desperately trying to relieve his woes. Therefore, Ishmael hires himself out as a sailor, believing that a whaling trip would provide some much needed relief; He ends up embarking on a voyage in search of this phantom whale, in an effort to turn away from “the pistol and ball”. Despite being both the main focus, and the narrator of the story, Ishmael is incredibly reluctant to discuss himself. As the story progresses, it becomes evident that our narrator is…

Simulation Theory “There’s a one in billions chance we’re in base reality,” claims Elon Musk, product architect of Tesla Inc., founder of SpaceX, and more. In recent years, the simulation-argument has gained serious traction as we further advance technologically, and intellectually. However, not everyone is on board with the “simulation argument”—a term coined by Nick Bostrom (Philosophy Professor at Oxford University) when he published a journal stating: [A]t least one of the following…

witches. The inhabitants of both Salem Town and Salem Village, Massachusetts were exclusively Puritan, and as Puritans they believed in “two entirely different worlds”: the Natural World and the Invisible World, the latter of which was filled with phantoms, the Devil, and other evils such as witches’ spirits (Schanzer 13-14).…

themselves being on the island, neither of them ever come into contact with a supernatural presence; they always just see the results of its actions. For this reason, it is plausible to believe that they use their proprioception in sensing that some phantom being is at hand. For example, when they are in the tent for the night, both the protagonist and “the Swede” admit to hearing “little patterings” and experiencing “a sense of disturbance” (Blackwood 8). There is no explanation for feeling…

It wasn't supposed to happen like this, everything was going so well. Pain sears through my leg, I can see Paul through the corner of my eye, he’s hit too. This won't end well for me, Paul should be fine but, I'm hit in the knee; I can feel my body quiver with every throb that is sent through my leg. Why couldn’t I have been hit only a little higher up the leg? Paul keeps trying to tell me that it’s a few inches above my knee, we both know he's only lying to make me worry less. It's not helping.…

technology brings and dependency one it means that people, especially the younger generations tend to be at a loss without it. When people forget their phone and do not have it on their person, they often feel the phantom vibrations of the phone that is not there, much like a lost limb. There is less of a need to maintain knowledge and learn a language when we can just use automated translators and pocket-dictionaries and maintain normal social interactions when the majority of our friendships…

No, she cannot divorce. She gives up on her family; she realizes that she is the string that is out of tune, when her husband tries to keep the world in tune. The wife needed a way to make him suffer, and she has found the outlet. She found her phantom limb, leaves him when she discovers her independence. I worked hard, pursued degrees in interesting subjects, seeked noble professions. I was genuinely looking to make a difference. The piano tuner’s wife has found her freedom, but when will I…

Deep brain stimulation is a technique where an electrode is placed within certain areas of the brain. Electrical impulses are then created by the electrode to regulate abnormal impulses. Under the patient’s skin near the collarbone, the electrode is connected to a stimulator or pacemaker (Pluta, 2011). Deep brain stimulation requires locating the target part of the brain and then drilling a small hole in the skull to allow the placement of an electrode. During the implantation of the…