logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2016
17m 18s

16 - Phineas

Adam Rodman, MD, MPH, FACP
About this episode

Everyone knows the story of Phineas Gage, the young man who had a tamping iron shot through his brain in a freak accident and miraculously survived, only to have extreme personality changes. But the true story is far more complex -- and more interesting. In Episode 16 of Bedside Rounds, I revisit the primary sources on Gage's injury, delve into modern research into what actually happened, and take a field trip to visit the man himself.

Up next
Sep 2023
74 - R2D2
What does it mean when a computer can make better medical decisions than a human? The progress in large language models, and in particular the popularity of ChatGPT, has brought these questions to the forefront in 2023, but we've been discussing this for over 50 years. In this ep ... Show More
33m 22s
Jun 2023
73 - Seadragon
What happens when a patient far from surgical care – say, at the bottom of the Pacific ocean on a submarine, or at a research base in Antarctica in the middle of the winter – develops a surgical abdomen? This dilemma was the impetus to build the first truly effective clinical dec ... Show More
27m 57s
Mar 2023
72 - Problems
American doctors spend the majority of their time during the day on the computer, either writing or reading notes about their patients; only a small fraction is spent with the human beings in their care. Technology itself – especially the electronic medical record – has often bee ... Show More
52m 3s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2022
The Man With The Hole In His Head
Phineas Gage, a foreman on the New England railroads, was pierced through the head with a 13-pound tamping iron on 13th September, 1848. The rod went straight through his skull and landed several yards away. Despite this, Gage was able to present himself at a physician, and antic ... Show More
12m 4s
Feb 2015
The Case of the Missing Brains with Dr. Rachel Berman
One man's very, very unfortunate accident made him one of the most famous patients of all time. Dr. Rachel Berman shares the story of how this man helped scientists figure out what the brain does. Music in this episode is by Podington Bear. Photo of Phineas Gage from the collecti ... Show More
14m 47s
Nov 2016
7 | Phineas Gage
We explore the man who committed suicide and the circumstances leading to his death. Plus the mysterious suicide note. 
30m 19s
Jun 2022
Why was Phrenology a Thing? Part I: The Rise of Dr. Finger
Once upon a time, a young man named Franz Joseph Gall thought "That's weird... all my school chums with big eyes are good at memorizing things." Years later, he took this idea and ran with it, assuring people that bumps on their skulls held profound insights about both their flaw ... Show More
45m 21s
Jan 2019
Henry Fraser
<p>Henry was paralysed from the neck down after an accident on holiday. He was seventeen.</p><p>Now, ten years later, he speaks to Fearne about how his life changed that day and made him the person he is proud to be: the sporty kid who became a bestselling author, motivational sp ... Show More
30m 48s
Dec 2023
Firefighter Wakes Up From a 10 YEAR Coma
In the early 2000s, a shocking story unfolded that forced doctors to suddenly change the way they thought about consciousness. Viewer discretion is advised. My name is Andy Jiang and I do vigorous, detailed dives into some of the most fascinating, bizarre, and unreal true stories ... Show More
12m 29s
Dec 2022
Fix Up, Look Sharp: Willie Sutton
Guy meets girl. Guy loses girl. Guy learns to rob banks. Guy robs banks. Guy likes to look fly. Guy gets arrested. Guy escapes prison. Guy gets caught again. Guy writes memoirs. Guy inspires generations of medical students to better diagnose patients? See omnystudio.com/listener ... Show More
49m 21s
Oct 2011
What Happens Next: Part 2
The accidental tourist who turned out to be a full blooded revolutionary. The family tale of Queen Alexandra attempting suicide. And finding the POW father who returned to Germany after the war. Sally and Nick discover new information and lasting repercussions as they revisit thr ... Show More
28m 6s
Nov 2025
The Ridiculous History of Dog Food
<p>Here on Ridiculous History, we are avowedly pro-dog. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max dive into a strange evolution of slave, to companion, to family member, tracing the evolution of dog food as it blossoms into a multi-billion dollar marketing phenomenon (and one heck of ... Show More
36m 9s