Welcome to Philosophy is not boring by Kidopoly.com. I'm Mira! And I'm Finn! Finn, let me ask you a weird question to start us off. If you scrape your knee, you're still Finn, right? Well, yeah, just a Finn with a bandage on. And if you broke your arm, you'd still be exactly who you are, with the exact same jokes and favourite foods? Haha, of course. I'd just be a little clumsier for a while. But what if something happened to your brain? Would you still be you? Wait, what do you mean? How could I not be me? Today, we are talking about one of the most famous medical mysteries in human history. In 1848, a railroad worker named Phineas Gage survived an impossible accident that changed his brain forever. He survived, but what happened to his brain? That is exactly the amazing part! His accident actually unlocked a huge secret about where our personality lives inside our heads. Let's get into it! Okay, so who was this Phineas Gage guy? It was 1848, and Phineas was a 25-year-old railroad construction foreman in Vermont. Back then, trains were a brand new, super exciting way to travel. So he was the boss of a team building the train tracks. Exactly. He was the perfect person for the job. Everyone liked him. He was a great boss, calm, friendly, and very smart about managing his workers. But you said there was an accident. Trains sound dangerous. It wasn't a train actually. They had to clear huge rocks to make the ground completely flat for the tracks. They would drill a deep hole into the solid rock, pour gunpowder inside, and then pack sand on top. How did they pack the sand? They used a heavy tool called a tamping iron. It was a solid metal stick, over three feet long, and weighed 13 pounds. But one day, Phineas was using it, and the powder accidentally exploded before he was ready. Oh no! What happened to him? The giant iron rod shot straight up, like a rocket. It went right through his left cheek, passed behind his eye, and shot right out the top of his head. Whoa! But you said he survived, right? He didn't just survive, he was knocked backward. But just minutes later, he was standing up, walking and talking. Wait, really? He just got up and walked away. It's true! He even sat on a porch and chatted with his landlord while waiting for the doctor to arrive. Phew! Humans are super tough. So he just got a bandage and went back to work. His body did heal surprisingly well. A doctor named Dr. John Harlow took really careful care of him, and within a few months, Phineas was feeling physically better. That's awesome! Good job, Dr. Harlow. It was a medical miracle, but his friends and family started noticing something very strange. His body was completely healed, but his personality was different. He didn't act like Phineas anymore. Different how? Like he liked different foods or wanted to play different games? Bigger than that. Before the accident, remember, he was polite, patient, and the absolute best boss. After the accident, he was grumpy, he used rude words, and he got angry over tiny little things. But wait, if a giant metal rod went right through my head, I'd probably be pretty grumpy too. Maybe he was just having a bad day. That is such a good point, Finn. And that's exactly what doctors wondered at first. Was he just understandably upset about the terrible injury? Yeah, healing is hard work. It totally makes sense he'd be cranky. But it wasn't just a passing bad mood, it was a permanent change. He couldn't make decisions anymore. He would change his mind constantly, and he actually lost his job because he was so difficult to work with. Oh no, that's really sad. He loved his job. It is very sad. His friends even wrote down that he was no longer gage. He seemed like a totally different person inside. But how is that possible? How can your personality just change? Isn't your personality just who you are as a soul? That is the exact question that changed science forever. For a long time, people thought who you are, your mind and your personality, was totally separate from your physical body. Right. Like a ghost driving a car. Exactly. But Phineas Gage's accident proved something completely new. You see, the rod had destroyed a specific part of his brain called the left frontal lobe. The frontal lobe? That sounds like it's in the front. Is that the part right behind your forehead? You got it. Back then, nobody really knew what the frontal lobe did. Some scientists even thought the front of your brain didn't do anything at all. Well, clearly Phineas proved them wrong about that. He really did. His accident was the very first big clue that our personality, our patience, and our choices actually live right there in that specific part of the physical brain. Wait a second. So the part of me that decides to share my toys, or tells a funny joke, or stops me from yelling, that's my frontal lobe. Yes. Think of the frontal lobe like the brakes on a bicycle or the conductor of an orchestra. It helps you control your sudden impulses. So when the rod damaged his frontal lobe, it was literally like his brain lost its brakes. Exactly! He couldn't stop his quick angry reactions, because the physical part of his brain that says, wait, take a deep breath, was damaged. That is wild. Our brains are basically incredible, squishy computers running everything about us. They really are. And even though it was a hard thing for Phineas, he actually found a way to keep going. He lived for 12 more years, and even got a cool job driving stagecoaches in Chile. Okay, so Phineas Gage helps scientists figure out how the brain works. But what does that mean for me today? Well, think about a little toddler throwing a massive tantrum in the grocery store because they can't have a toy. Why do they act like that? Because they really, really want the toy? Yes, but also because their frontal lobes are completely brand new. They physically don't have the brain brakes yet to stop their big feelings. Oh, so they literally can't stop themselves. Their conductor is still learning how to wave the little stick. Exactly! And here is a crazy fact that might blow your mind. Your frontal lobe isn't fully built until you were in your mid-20s. Wait, seriously? So my brakes are still under construction right now? Yep, you and me both. So next time you get super frustrated about a math problem, or you argue with a friend, remember, your brain is literally still building the physical tools to handle it. That makes me feel a lot better, actually. It's just my frontal lobe doing its best. And speaking of amazing facts, did you know that after Phineas died in 1860, his skull and the actual tamping iron were kept to help doctors learn? Really? They saved them! Where are they? They are still on display today at the Warren Anatomical Museum at Harvard University. You can literally go see the iron rod that completely changed how we understand the human mind. Alright Finn, time for the quiz! Are you ready? Okay, I'm ready. First question. What year did Phineas Gage's accident happen? Next one. What was his job before the accident? Question three. What specific part of his brain was injured? Here's number four. What changed about him after the accident? Last question. What country did he move to later to drive stagecoaches? Great job! Let's see how you did. The first answer is it happened in 1848. For question two, he was a railroad construction foreman. Number three, the answer is his frontal lobe, specifically the left side. Question four, his personality changed, and he became very grumpy and impatient. And the final answer is he moved to Chile. Wow! It's just incredible to think that who we are and all our choices are protected right up there behind our foreheads. It really is. The human brain is the most complex, mysterious thing we know of, and we are still learning about it every single day. I'm definitely going to take good care of my frontal lobe. If you think brains are as amazing as we do, please leave us a five-star review. Just scroll down and tap the stars. It really helps out. Oh, and don't forget to check out our site, kidopoly.com. We've got tons of fun learning games and activities there. And if you want your name on the show or just want to say hi, send us an email at hello at kidopoly.com. Thanks for exploring with us today. See you next time on Philosophy is not boring. Bye, everyone.