1 00:00:10,119 --> 00:00:14,800 Speaker 1: Welcome to Unexplained Extra with me Richard McClane Smith, where 2 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:17,520 Speaker 1: for the weeks in between episodes, we look at stories 3 00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 1: and ideas that, for one reason another didn't make it 4 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:25,239 Speaker 1: into the previous show. In last week's episode, Death's Pale Flag, 5 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:29,360 Speaker 1: we explored the Haitian zombie myth through the seemingly miraculous 6 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:34,680 Speaker 1: story of Clavius Narcis. In nineteen sixty four, Clavius was 7 00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:39,120 Speaker 1: declared dead by two separate doctors and subsequently buried underground, 8 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:42,880 Speaker 1: only to reappear in his home village eighteen years later 9 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:48,239 Speaker 1: very much alive. Some, thanks to the prevalence of the 10 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:52,919 Speaker 1: zombie myth in Haitian folklore, were convinced that Clavius had 11 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:58,160 Speaker 1: himself returned from death as a zombie. In nineteen eighty two, 12 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:03,440 Speaker 1: ethnobotanist Weighed Dave traveled to Haiti to investigate Clerviius's story. 13 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:07,959 Speaker 1: As it turned out, according to Davis, Clerviius was just 14 00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:10,720 Speaker 1: one of many individuals who would have fallen victim to 15 00:01:10,800 --> 00:01:15,039 Speaker 1: an apparent zombification process being carried out by voodoo priests 16 00:01:15,319 --> 00:01:19,440 Speaker 1: in return for money. After analyzing a powder thought to 17 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:22,160 Speaker 1: have been used in this process, Wade found it to 18 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:29,000 Speaker 1: contain traces of tetrodotoxin, a potent neurotoxin extracted from pufferfish. 19 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:32,880 Speaker 1: Although even a small dose of tetrodotoxin is lethal to humans, 20 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 1: with just the right amount, its effects, including severe paralysis 21 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:40,920 Speaker 1: and the slowing of the body's metabolic rate, can lead 22 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 1: the recipient appearing clinically dead before they eventually recover from it. 23 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:53,440 Speaker 1: Could this thought Wade account for Clerviius's apparent resurrection, regardless 24 00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:56,640 Speaker 1: of what exactly had happened. That Clerviius could ever have 25 00:01:56,680 --> 00:01:59,560 Speaker 1: been declared dead in the first place raises a deeply 26 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 1: un settling question. Just how exactly do we determine whether 27 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:08,560 Speaker 1: somebody has well and truly died. It may be surprising 28 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:12,639 Speaker 1: to discover that it isn't by any stretch an exact science. 29 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:22,960 Speaker 1: In years gone by, the death of a human individual 30 00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:26,240 Speaker 1: was believed to have occurred simply when breathing had stopped 31 00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:31,440 Speaker 1: or the heart was no longer beating. More recently, we 32 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:34,919 Speaker 1: have come to understand that absolute death comes only when 33 00:02:34,919 --> 00:02:40,560 Speaker 1: the brain has irreversibly ceased to function. However, it wasn't 34 00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:43,880 Speaker 1: until nineteen sixty eight that a definition of brain death 35 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:50,560 Speaker 1: previously referred to as irreversible coma, was first formalized according 36 00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:53,359 Speaker 1: to the Harvard Medical School Committee that to find it. 37 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:58,840 Speaker 1: The process for confirming brain death is fourfold. First, the 38 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:03,280 Speaker 1: body's responsiveness is taken into consideration, whether even the most 39 00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:08,639 Speaker 1: painful stimuli failed to elicit a reaction. Next, the body 40 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:12,839 Speaker 1: is monitored for signs of spontaneous movement and breathing. Does 41 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 1: it require a ventilator to remain alive, for example. Thirdly, 42 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:22,040 Speaker 1: the body's reflexes will be assessed, most commonly by examining 43 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:25,200 Speaker 1: whether pupils respond to light or whether they are fixed 44 00:03:25,240 --> 00:03:29,960 Speaker 1: and dilated. Finally, having taken all of that into account, 45 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:35,400 Speaker 1: an electroencephalogram or EEG should be used to test for 46 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:39,720 Speaker 1: any sign of brain activity. Only after all the correct 47 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:43,280 Speaker 1: criteria have been met could an individual be determined to 48 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:47,560 Speaker 1: have well and truly died. Although this definition has been 49 00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:52,200 Speaker 1: refined somewhat since nineteen sixty eight, with today's modern fMRI 50 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:56,000 Speaker 1: scanners a far more sophisticated way to measure brain activity, 51 00:03:56,680 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 1: the basic process for determining the death of an individual 52 00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:05,119 Speaker 1: remains more or less the same. And yet, just as 53 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:07,560 Speaker 1: we used to think that a stopped heart or final 54 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 1: breath was evidence of death. Might it also be the 55 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:15,640 Speaker 1: case that the criteria for supposed brain death could also 56 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:18,440 Speaker 1: one day prove to be an inadequate measure of a 57 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:23,000 Speaker 1: complete demise. Perhaps, just like in the days before we 58 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:26,039 Speaker 1: were able to measure brain activity, there might yet be 59 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:31,000 Speaker 1: some future more sophisticated technology to reveal the horrifying truth 60 00:04:31,720 --> 00:04:36,120 Speaker 1: that brain death is in fact not a permanent, irreversible state. 61 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:40,040 Speaker 1: Could what appears to be a dead brain in fact 62 00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:47,719 Speaker 1: still remain one with the potential to regain consciousness? Are 63 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:50,679 Speaker 1: you always taking care of your family? Do you often 64 00:04:50,720 --> 00:04:53,760 Speaker 1: take care of others and not yourself? Now it's time 65 00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:57,000 Speaker 1: to take care of yourself, to make time for you 66 00:04:57,000 --> 00:04:59,760 Speaker 1: you deserve it. Tell a DOC gives you access to 67 00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:02,760 Speaker 1: a licensed therapist to help you get back to feeling 68 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:07,080 Speaker 1: your best, to feeling like yourself again. With TELEDOC, you 69 00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:09,920 Speaker 1: can speak to a licensed therapist by phone or video. 70 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:13,719 Speaker 1: Therapy appointments are available seven days a week from seven 71 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:17,520 Speaker 1: am to nine pm local time. If you feel overwhelmed 72 00:05:17,560 --> 00:05:22,120 Speaker 1: sometimes maybe you feel stressed or anxious, depressed or lonely, 73 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:25,040 Speaker 1: or you might be struggling with a personal or family 74 00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:29,960 Speaker 1: issue teledoc can help. Teledoc is committed to facilitating great 75 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:33,480 Speaker 1: therapeutic matches, so they make it easy to change counselors 76 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:37,920 Speaker 1: if needed. For free teledoc therapy is available through most 77 00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:42,320 Speaker 1: insurance or employers. Download the app or visit teledoc dot 78 00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:47,000 Speaker 1: com forward slash Unexplained podcast today to get started. That's 79 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:57,599 Speaker 1: teladoc dot com slash Unexplained podcast. In early twenty nineteen, 80 00:05:58,080 --> 00:06:01,760 Speaker 1: a team of neuroscientists from Yale School of Medicine, led 81 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:05,760 Speaker 1: by its Vonomere vi Celia and Stefano Danielli, published a 82 00:06:05,839 --> 00:06:09,960 Speaker 1: remarkable paper in Nature which, although not providing proof by 83 00:06:09,960 --> 00:06:13,320 Speaker 1: any stretch that an individual might recover consciousness from a 84 00:06:13,320 --> 00:06:17,760 Speaker 1: supposed brain death, has nonetheless reignited the debate over just 85 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:22,480 Speaker 1: what is or isn't irreversible. It is well understood that 86 00:06:22,560 --> 00:06:25,560 Speaker 1: reducing oxygen and blood flow to the brain can have 87 00:06:25,720 --> 00:06:30,480 Speaker 1: rapid and devastating consequences. Just a few seconds without oxygen 88 00:06:30,839 --> 00:06:34,600 Speaker 1: will result in a loss of consciousness. After five minutes 89 00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:39,200 Speaker 1: a dino scene, triphosphate or atyp the body's primary source 90 00:06:39,240 --> 00:06:44,320 Speaker 1: of cellular energy, will run out. If perfusion, the flow 91 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:48,000 Speaker 1: of blood and oxygen is not restored, a progressive and 92 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:53,799 Speaker 1: largely irreversible spiral of mechanical failure ensues from the build 93 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:57,400 Speaker 1: up of carbon dioxide to the emergence of enzymes that 94 00:06:57,560 --> 00:07:00,520 Speaker 1: begin to break down the nerve tissue, which will lead 95 00:07:00,520 --> 00:07:05,279 Speaker 1: inevitably to the death of the brain. Although in the past, 96 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:09,560 Speaker 1: individual cells taken from brains long after death have been 97 00:07:09,560 --> 00:07:13,960 Speaker 1: shown to continue to function, performing processes such as making proteins. 98 00:07:14,680 --> 00:07:18,680 Speaker 1: What Vesselia and Danielli's team wanted to know was could 99 00:07:18,680 --> 00:07:22,600 Speaker 1: a whole brain be revived a number of hours after death. 100 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:28,600 Speaker 1: To test this out, researchers collected thirty two severed heads 101 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:32,040 Speaker 1: of pigs that had been slaughtered in an abatoir close 102 00:07:32,120 --> 00:07:36,600 Speaker 1: to the team's laboratory. The brains, having been removed from 103 00:07:36,600 --> 00:07:39,840 Speaker 1: the skulls, were then placed in a chamber and fitted 104 00:07:39,880 --> 00:07:44,920 Speaker 1: with catheters. After waiting four hours from the moment of decapitation, 105 00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:48,640 Speaker 1: each brain was given an EEG to confirm a flat 106 00:07:48,640 --> 00:07:52,560 Speaker 1: line of brain activity before a warm substance containing nutrients 107 00:07:52,600 --> 00:07:57,360 Speaker 1: and oxygen was slowly pumped into them. The system, known 108 00:07:57,400 --> 00:08:01,360 Speaker 1: as brain X, developed especially for the experiment, is essentially 109 00:08:01,400 --> 00:08:05,520 Speaker 1: a brain specific dialysis machine designed to mimic the original 110 00:08:05,560 --> 00:08:09,440 Speaker 1: host's blood flow. Although they didn't expect the brains to 111 00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:12,840 Speaker 1: regain consciousness, the team used a chemical agent in the 112 00:08:12,880 --> 00:08:17,680 Speaker 1: solution to reduce the possibility of this happening. With the 113 00:08:17,760 --> 00:08:21,240 Speaker 1: solution cycling through the brains, all the scientists had to 114 00:08:21,280 --> 00:08:27,120 Speaker 1: do next was stand back and wait. After six hours 115 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:32,079 Speaker 1: of tests, the results were startling. As an experiment to 116 00:08:32,120 --> 00:08:35,320 Speaker 1: test the efficacy of the brain X system, things could 117 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:39,480 Speaker 1: not have gone better, as almost complete circulation was restored 118 00:08:39,520 --> 00:08:43,240 Speaker 1: to the brains. Blood vessels remained in such good shape 119 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:46,680 Speaker 1: throughout the experiment that they continued to function in the 120 00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:52,080 Speaker 1: manner of a living brain. The system also succeeded in 121 00:08:52,160 --> 00:08:56,280 Speaker 1: preserving the global structure of the brain. Tissue areas that 122 00:08:56,320 --> 00:09:01,199 Speaker 1: are particularly susceptible to a lack of oxygen include the hippocampus, 123 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:04,439 Speaker 1: which plays a vital role in the consolidation of memories, 124 00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:09,400 Speaker 1: were also well preserved. Comparing the solution as it flowed 125 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:13,120 Speaker 1: to and from the brains. Research has also discovered signs 126 00:09:13,160 --> 00:09:17,520 Speaker 1: of metabolic activity as individual cells began to function again, 127 00:09:18,040 --> 00:09:24,160 Speaker 1: generating carbon dioxide while absorbing glucose and oxygen. But most 128 00:09:24,160 --> 00:09:28,000 Speaker 1: striking of all, when small slices of tissue were tested 129 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:32,040 Speaker 1: after treatment, the team discovered that at least some neurons 130 00:09:32,280 --> 00:09:37,880 Speaker 1: remained capable of neural activity, a process thought fundamental for 131 00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:48,319 Speaker 1: generating consciousness. As the team from Yale were keen to stress, 132 00:09:48,880 --> 00:09:54,040 Speaker 1: their findings did not signify a resurgence of normal brain function. However, 133 00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:58,040 Speaker 1: as others, including science journalist Sarah Reardon and the brain 134 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:02,160 Speaker 1: X team themselves have pointed out, since significant measures were 135 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:05,120 Speaker 1: taken to prevent this from happening, there is no knowing 136 00:10:05,160 --> 00:10:10,240 Speaker 1: as yet what might have occurred under different circumstances, and 137 00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:12,920 Speaker 1: even if the brain EX system was not enough to 138 00:10:12,960 --> 00:10:16,240 Speaker 1: resurrect a consciousness from a dead brain, it would not 139 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:18,360 Speaker 1: be the end of the road for such a pursuit. 140 00:10:19,240 --> 00:10:22,000 Speaker 1: It may be the case that some additional, as yet 141 00:10:22,120 --> 00:10:25,760 Speaker 1: unknown action might be needed to kick start this into life. 142 00:10:26,880 --> 00:10:30,640 Speaker 1: After all, only in nineteen forty seven, thanks to the 143 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:35,040 Speaker 1: Maverick instincts of cardiac surgeon Claude Beck, was it confirmed 144 00:10:35,120 --> 00:10:40,400 Speaker 1: that an electrical shock could restart a human heart. Certainly, 145 00:10:40,480 --> 00:10:43,160 Speaker 1: it remains to be seen if an individual's sense of 146 00:10:43,200 --> 00:10:46,720 Speaker 1: consciousness could be restored after their brain has been declared 147 00:10:46,800 --> 00:10:51,920 Speaker 1: clinically dead by today's standards. However, if history is anything 148 00:10:51,960 --> 00:10:55,079 Speaker 1: to go by, that we haven't discovered yet how this 149 00:10:55,160 --> 00:10:58,880 Speaker 1: might be achieved is no indication that it cannot be done, 150 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:05,440 Speaker 1: And with this comes some unsettling ideas just how much 151 00:11:05,440 --> 00:11:09,040 Speaker 1: of a brain is required, or more specifically, how many 152 00:11:09,040 --> 00:11:12,040 Speaker 1: of its constituent parts are necessary for a sense of 153 00:11:12,080 --> 00:11:17,200 Speaker 1: consciousness and self awareness to emerge, even if we think 154 00:11:17,360 --> 00:11:20,120 Speaker 1: not enough sections have been reactivated for this to occur. 155 00:11:20,960 --> 00:11:23,679 Speaker 1: Might the brain be able to construct modes of conscious 156 00:11:23,679 --> 00:11:26,720 Speaker 1: self awareness that we are not yet aware of and 157 00:11:26,920 --> 00:11:30,439 Speaker 1: therefore wouldn't even know if they had been activated or not. 158 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:35,160 Speaker 1: And if, by some miracle it were possible to restore 159 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:38,240 Speaker 1: a sense of self awareness in a previously dead brain, 160 00:11:39,040 --> 00:11:43,440 Speaker 1: whose self awareness would it be the individual that existed 161 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:49,760 Speaker 1: before death or something else, perhaps before we dismiss entirely 162 00:11:49,800 --> 00:11:53,559 Speaker 1: the more alarming possibilities, As pointed out by the authors 163 00:11:53,559 --> 00:11:56,959 Speaker 1: of a recent Comet piece about the remarkable brain X experiment, 164 00:11:57,679 --> 00:12:00,160 Speaker 1: we might do well to ponder the wise word sub 165 00:12:00,200 --> 00:12:04,839 Speaker 1: miracle Max from the nineteen eighty seven film The Princess Bride. 166 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:09,079 Speaker 1: There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. 167 00:12:10,120 --> 00:12:20,200 Speaker 1: Mostly dead is also slightly alive. If you enjoy listening 168 00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:23,200 Speaker 1: to Unexplained and would like to help support us, you 169 00:12:23,240 --> 00:12:27,240 Speaker 1: can now go to Unexplained podcast dot com, Forward slash Support. 170 00:12:28,320 --> 00:12:32,640 Speaker 1: All donations, no matter how large or small, are massively appreciated. 171 00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:38,440 Speaker 1: All elements of Unexplained are produced by me, Richard McClain smith. 172 00:12:39,240 --> 00:12:42,439 Speaker 1: Please subscribe and rate the show on iTunes, and feel 173 00:12:42,440 --> 00:12:44,840 Speaker 1: free to get in touch with any thoughts or ideas 174 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:48,440 Speaker 1: regarding the stories you've heard on the show. Perhaps you 175 00:12:48,480 --> 00:12:50,720 Speaker 1: have an explanation of your own you'd like to share. 176 00:12:52,120 --> 00:12:56,040 Speaker 1: You can reach us online at Unexplained podcast dot com, 177 00:12:56,200 --> 00:13:01,360 Speaker 1: or Twitter at Unexplained Pod and Facebook at Facebook dot com. 178 00:13:01,400 --> 00:13:09,880 Speaker 1: Forward Slash Unexplained Now, it's time to take care of yourself. 179 00:13:10,320 --> 00:13:14,040 Speaker 1: To make time for you, teledoc gives you access to 180 00:13:14,120 --> 00:13:17,280 Speaker 1: a licensed therapist to help you get back to feeling 181 00:13:17,320 --> 00:13:21,040 Speaker 1: your best. Speak to a licensed therapist by phone or 182 00:13:21,120 --> 00:13:25,000 Speaker 1: video anytime between seven am to nine pm local time, 183 00:13:25,480 --> 00:13:29,360 Speaker 1: seven days a week. Teledoc Therapy is available through most 184 00:13:29,360 --> 00:13:34,080 Speaker 1: insurance or employers. Download the app or visit teledoc dot com, 185 00:13:34,200 --> 00:13:38,719 Speaker 1: Forward Slash Unexplained Podcast Today to get started. That's t 186 00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:43,239 Speaker 1: e ladoc dot com, slash Unexplained podcast