133. Split-Brain

0:32 Split brain. This is the title given to the research into whether each hemisphere of the brain can learn independently from the other a neurologic highway mending to two, hemispheres called corpus. Callosum, was long, believed to be a communication pathway that ultimately links. The two sides together, making a cognitive individual known, as you many experiments were trialled. In order to essentially temporarily, shut down, our put sleep, one hemisphere of rain, while directly study, Responses to different stimuli in the other hemisphere. Michael gazzaniga is well known as one of the leading researchers in the field of cognitive neuroscience and has spearheaded many branches of such studies on surprisingly. One of these being split brain in his early studies at the California Institute of Technology. Gazzaniga worked with rabbits using a procedure in which he injected an anesthetic into the left or right carotid artery, which is the artery that is responsible for supplying blood to left or right hemisphere of the brain. Via the heart.

1:33 This essentially induced sleep in one side of the brain. While leaving the other half awake in order to ensure neurological awareness gazzaniga. Equipped, a piece of Machinery, commonly known as an EEG to his rabbit subject. And by teaching the rabbit to Blink when hearing a specific sound. This test was finally ready. Long story short, this propelled gazzaniga and his mentor. Dr. Roger Sperry into many different experiments that eventually led to surgically. Or separating two hemispheres of looming. Human subjects leading to a massive explosion of incredible knowledge about our Consciousness. I'm sorry, both of our consciousnesses.

2:14 You heard me right Travelers? Essentially, there are two of you one in the left hemisphere of your brain, that we all are aware of. This is what we know as us or you or me. This is the side that is responsible for conversation and other tasks that we rely on every day and then there's the one on the right hemisphere of your brain. Now that is and has been muted blocked and hidden away for your entire life. You don't believe me good. Let me help change your mind, welcome back, Tim's and Ravenel. Welcome back to infinite Rabbit Hole, everybody. I'm your host Jerry. And today we'll be diving deep within ourselves to try to find out whether we share space within our minds with a second Consciousness that we have never met split brain.

3:03 Research has been a touchy subject for many within the realm of Neuroscience for the better part of a century. And two parties have emerged with different beliefs on the subject. One that believes that we have not just one Consciousness but to and with the trials and research that will soon dive into, you may just join them in that belief. The other party feels the opposite. They feel that there is but only one Consciousness within our cells. Now, before we dive down that rabbit hole, let's first start off with the question. What exactly is consciousness The Oxford living dictionary defines Consciousness as the quote, the state being aware of, and responsive to one's surroundings, quote, a person's awareness or perception of something. And quote, the fact of awareness, by the mind of itself and the world, in other words, it is the ability to experience feel.

3:55 It is said that the Consciousness can be broken down into three different elements of experience, perception ideas and emotion. Consciousness is also considered to be a purely natural or biological phenomenon. Now in the 1940s, a group of patients were the first to undergo a surgery that would several large group of nerves that connect to the left and right hemisphere of the brain called the corpus callosum. The neurosurgeon in charge of that procedure was a man by the name of William P Van Wagon. It dr. Van Wagon was driven to conduct such surgeries due to a realization that one of his epileptic patients was found to have a tumor on his corpus callosum and is seizing events, drastically. The good doctor would go on to gather 26 willing severe epilepsy, patients to test the sectioning of the corpus.

4:40 Callosum, this would theoretically remove the brains electrical impulses across the hemispheres, that was now believed to listen, their seizures post treatment of these patients by the neurologist, Andrew J. Akalitus revealed that their number of seizure events were drastically reduced without any noticeable Behavior or cognitive changes. This was an incredible fine as stayed in Cool literature for many years, following the surgeries. And the procedure would eventually be giving on title of a comma sarada me. Now in Michael gives Anika's book Tales from both sides of the brain. He highlights his early years in a 60s as a graduate student at Caltech when he was given the chance to perform post-care experiments that he developed in his senior year at Dartmouth on a man by the name of Bill Jenkins that he simply refers to as W J in his report.

5:29 So that is how I'll refer to them as well. It was his responsibility. Ability to assess the psychological and neurological changes in WJ and it was his belief that he was simply going to confirm the findings of an wagon and a colitis, which they published that their patients saws 0 effects on the surgeries other than the reduction of epilepsy episodes. Now as a note, before we go any further with a groundbreaking experiments with WJ by gazzaniga and Sperry, I feel that it is important to explain a little bit about the brain self and what we know about the two hemispheres. In the 19th century. France, Physicians, Mark Dax all broken discovered that the location. The brain used for speech is located in the left hemisphere. There are many things that the two hemispheres do differently. A few of the differences are that the left hemisphere along with speech is responsible for tasks such as Reading Writing, listening math.

6:19 Computations analyzing information. Time awareness, sequence, understanding logic reasoning and controls the right side of the body. The right hand is fear, however is nonverbal, but it is responsible for For organizing information. Looking for context deciphering, spatial information visual understanding, facial recognition, emotion imagination, motion detection and controls. Of course the left side it is thanks to the corpus callosum that the two hemispheres are able to communicate and share such information which leads to you being able to do all the tasks. I listed above and more for the topic of his gazzaniga initial experiments. I find it extremely important to understand that the right side of the brain, controls the left side of the body.

7:01 Including the eye and the signals and sends rain. Vice versa for the right hemisphere that we got that out of the way because Anika's initial tests that he developed and used to test WJ consisted of a few simple visual obstacles. A screen was placed in front of WJ at close distance on the screen. Gazzaniga place a small Dot and told WJ to focus on the dot for only 100 milliseconds, a square flash on the screen to the right of the dot signaling. The left side of the brain, when asked what he saw. A WJ replied with nothing, I saw nothing. Zanuck was shocked that the answer was very excited when it was time to move on to the second test.

7:41 This time WJ would stare at the same dot. Same distance and random dots would appear in random places on the screen. This task was to Simply point to the dots as they appear with any hand that he felt fit to do the task. When the experiment was completed, gazzaniga was even more surprised to find that when the random Dots here, Right side of the screen, the right hand troll by the left hemisphere, or instead of dots in the same, went for the left side, the left hand, okay? So this meant something astronomical to, because the Anika this meant that the right hemisphere was seeing the left side of the screen and without the prompt of moving the hand to point at the object, with the first experiment with a square, the right side, had no way to communicate that it was seeing Square. Remember the right hemisphere is nonverbal, but when you give the The right side of tool to communicate with such as a finger point is clear that it does. In fact, see, and deciphers the info in front of the left eye. Now I have to tease you all here and trust me this gets way better going to stop here with gazzaniga and his experiments with WJ.

8:49 And we are going to first dive into a little bit of history. And why gazzaniga was so interested in conducting. These tests on human subjects eventually disproving than wagon and akalitus has quote unquote. All facts that he now believed may be false. To be clear experimentations in the field. The split brains did not start with gazzaniga in the 1950s, a man by the name of Ronald Myers, who was working on his MD and PhD at the University of Chicago began a similar project on the Optics, in reference to a cat's brain. As brains are wired slightly different than ours visual signals from both eyes are given to both hemispheres of a cat's brain simultaneously by way of having the singles blend together in a section under the brain called the optic. Chiasm Myers is goal was to sever this chasm, in order to eliminate the ability for the two hemispheres to bowl seat and put it information from both eyes by doing this, it would create a brain that works more similarly to that of a human's. But instead of the eyes, Crossing hemispheres with their information, they would just go directly to their sites, hemisphere meaning left.

10:00 I left hemisphere right eye, right in the sphere and by creating a brain that works similar to that of humans. Myers would then be able to prove that a prediction of his that the corpus callosum was the driving influence of information sharing between hemispheres of the brain. Why would you do that as well back? Then, there were two major parties in urologist that believe to separate facts about the corpus callosum. One believed that it was the informational Highway between the two hemispheres of the brain. Talk about that one. And the other led by a man, by the name of Karl Lashley, who believed that? It was a structural part of the brain and prevented the hemispheres from drooping Myers plan to give the Cat with a severed Chasm of problem. That if the cap reacted, normally that would mean that the information from one I was being processed correctly in the same with the other.

10:45 We now with the chasm separate he was certain that only one I was correlated with one side of the brain. The Next Step was to sever the corpus callosum and prove that the cat would act at normally to the exact same problem. This would prove that the corpus callosum was indeed the informational Highway between the two hemispheres and knowledge structural support Myers went on to conduct a Every on a cat's optic, chiasm, the roof of its mouth and the science of physiological psychology was never the same, dr. Joseph, A Bogan was the first neurosurgeon post bandwagon and surgeries to perform a complete Severance of the corpus callosum, after performing practice runs on multiple corpses, at his hospitals, Morgan the summer of 1960. His first patient to receive a full sectioning of the corpus. Callosum was a man with a life-threatening epileptic conditioned by the name of Bill Jenkins whom we know as W J. So now we're all caught up on the brief history lesson. Let's jump back into the W.

11:44 J trials. Now that the initial tests with visual stimulations targeting, the individual size of the brain done and some very exciting discoveries were made. It was now time to dive deeper into, well this actually meant so the next step was to begin trials on other senses and what they landed on was tackling the sense of touch first Now, it is important to understand that, informational signals travel to the brain and it's hemisphere slightly different with the sense of touch than it does with eyesight details. Such as weight size shape texture. Travel to the hands Associated side of the brain just like in signals of sight left hand right, Hemisphere and right hand left hemisphere. But the simple knowledge that there is something in either of your hands goes to both hemisphere this of course, made this particular set of Trials difficult to plan and conduct Gazzaniga start off simple that EJ was blindfolded, and give it a simple object.

12:39 In his right hand, when asked what it was WJ, would break least eight, what was in his hand. But when the exact same object was swapped to the left hand later on, WJ confirmed that there was something in his hand, but he had no idea what it was the object. Was he? Now this confirmed, the original visual test with the squares, the right side of the brain had no way of telling the verbal side of the brain, what it was feeling in this Hand. But gazzaniga noticed something remarkable WJ exhibited habits that could be perceived as an attempt to communicate. When the key was in W, J's left hand. His fingernail, follow the grooves of the teeth. On the key. Slid, his finger through the key ring and drop the key, which left the key dangling below his finger.

13:24 And before WJ place the key down, this handheld the key correctly as if he was attempting to use it a lot. When gazzaniga asked of you J, what he was doing with his left hand, WJ answered that he wasn't doing anything at all. Just saying whatever it was Morning to One Source. A second trial was then done in response to. This is an ago, would visit WJ at his house often and bring various tests that narrowed down the capacities of the different. Hemispheres, post, callosum Severance, but one particular tests it out when I was doing my research. Trust me. If I went over all of them, this presentation would never end in this particular trial, WJ was presented with large, wooden blocks that were shaped sort of like, Legos. Some had three pegs on the top and three. Three holes on the bottom.

14:11 Some had for some had one. And excetera gazzaniga went on to blindfolded subject and place. One of these blocks and W J's. Right? Hand the task was to be given five seconds with the block. Take it away, makes it into a pile. Other blocks and time, how long it took for the subject, find the block again without visual input. The right hand did very well out of six blocks, WJ was able to find the block that was previously in his hand and only about 12 seconds on average. Surprisingly, the left-handed better by an average of almost three seconds with the exact same task force. This was repeated multiple times with varying time results in both sides, winning their fair share trials. But the absolute most amazing Discovery was found during the first trial with his left.

14:57 Hand went w. J claim to not be able to find the block that he was asked to find. He claimed to have no idea what he could do to find something. He didn't know anything about WJ. Angry. But after only about nine seconds, he was holding the correct blocking his hand while actively complaining that this was a waste of time. In one Monumental trial is an igneous @wj down and place the set of cose blocks which is a sort of simple block puzzle in front of both. His left hand and his right hand in my best description, cose blocks or set of blocks with two sides painted, one color, two other sides, painted another color and the remaining two sides are paying half first color, and half a second color, these colors are typically, white or red but have been produced in almost every company. The trial began with gazzaniga arranging a pattern using for cose blocks in a two-block by 2 block formation. This was an incredibly simple pattern and was meant to be the beginning of the trial.

16:03 There was no blindfold and no restrictions on either hand to a surprise WJ is left hand, was able to recreate the pattern that gazzaniga had created almost instantly. While the right hand had incredible difficulty with the seemingly simple task. Over and over again. This played out almost exactly the same. The right hand, which is powered by the left, hemisphere of the brain hemisphere known for being dominant in the essential was losing the race. Most times not even finishing, sometimes having issues even creating a two-by-two formation with the blocked on multiple runs the right hand left the blocks in the 3x1 formation, with the fourth block, under or above one of the three in a straight line or simply putting them all in the four by one line.

16:48 This was truly impressive but not only unbelievable. The right hemisphere of the brain has been proven time and time again to be the PowerHouse for complex puzzles. This simply provided further confirmation, someone else's previous science, but then the second part of the experiment had, it's time to shine this time. Instead of giving each hand the same image to recreate using the coast blocks. The hands were given their own puzzles, separately at separate times again. No restraints to Vision or the non testing hand, the trials, began with the Right. Hand during the first run, something became glaringly clear. The left hand or the right hemisphere of the brain wanted to help or so, it seemed she'll the left hand.

17:30 Literally would go in without WG trolling it. Fix any issues at the right hand was making with the pattern. Whoa, both WJ and gazzaniga over shock. WJ was not only getting furious that his body was acting completely without his control. He was also beginning to get a little frightened. The Next Step was to have WJ sit on his left hand into the trial, this help, but still made the task difficult when the trial was switched. To the left hand, the men did not see the same response from the right hand, the left hemisphere of the brain behave and allow the right hemisphere do its task. The last part of this experiment involved operative teamwork between the two hemispheres of the brain to recreate a slightly harder pattern made out of 16 blocks at a 4x4 formation.

18:21 Want to guess what happened? That's right. The two hands fought over dominant control of the re-creation. They both either change what the other had. Just done by way of limitation will block. Or by removing a recently placed block from the formation all together, the hands were even witness pushing the other one out of the way and WJ. Was growing very much frustrated by the situation. Eventually this got better fact all the reactions both hemispheres became better throughout all. Trials with repetition these trials acted as exercise with brains neurological abilities and sooner rather than later WJ was functioning during the trials, as if the surgery had never happened and hemispheres were working again, as one just not nearly as good as a fully connected and undamaged, brain should do the same time. I chose to skip the explanation.

19:09 On this and will simply refer to you to research the somatosensory system and how it applies to help damaged brains recover, simple motor skills by using the somatosensory senses and expanding on internal and external stimuli as well as where the person's body is perceived by these stimuli and physical space, I would just like to point one thing out about somatosensory system, so it's not confused as a solution to the next portions problem. And that is that this particular system relies on the sense of touch Such as its primary source of information gathering. And with such info, we can make a decent guess to the answer of a problem. Good, let's move on after the trials, with WJ at Caltech.

19:50 Another patient of the sectioning of the corpus, callosum procedure which shine light on new, and deeper information about the two brains, and communication between 20 Severance view patient. Dr. In the 1980s, a woman referred to as Dr. Would be one of gazzaniga is first subjects in his new digs at Dartmouth. Right from the get-go. Dr. Showed critical new information about the relationship between the hemispheres of the brain and how even though they can sometimes argue like siblings about what the correct formation of color boxes. They can also act like a team when it comes to problems when one or the other blacks all or some of the abilities to solve set problem.

20:31 The first example of this was with a similar screen setup, like the early experiment, with the shapes flashing on different sides of the screen aiming to Cific Lee Target one, hemisphere the time, same concept but this time instead of shapes it was a number one through nine targeting the left, hemisphere with the right eye. The response was fast as normal as you would expect a reaction to be the left. Eye was similar but also noticeably different. Although the response is quick, it seemed as the higher number was, that was flashed to the left eye for the right hemisphere the longer it took to respond. In fact, during observation of this new obstacle, it was found time measured between each increasing number was almost exactly the same. What I mean is that if we use the example saying that, let's say the difference in the time it takes for the patient to recognize the number two or number one was exactly a half of a second.

21:29 By following that pattern, the difference between recognizing the number 3 and 2 was an additional half of a second. The difference between three and one would be a whole second. So the time that the patient would take to recognize the number 9, it would have been four whole seconds before the Patient responded with their answer. This was incredible and only meant one thing. The two separate hemispheres of the brain were communicating when the left, I was looking at the number on the screen for the right hemisphere. But I wasn't communicating what salts or left hemisphere, so that the patient could speak the answer. The answer turned out to be head knots. Each half second was represented by the slightest of head nods. Now this may not sound like it, this was huge. This meant that the right hemisphere was taking in information from the left eye.

22:20 Non verbally communicating to the left hemisphere by way of a morse code of sorts. Without the left hemisphere recognize another body was moving at all or that. Was any communication going on between the hemispheres? The right hemisphere was using a tool. It was recognizing the lack of ability to communicate. It was adapting to solve a problem by way of using the patient's body. As a tool to have its voice heard in response. Is immediate goal was to further the research with the numbers by eliminating, the numbers portion replacing with something that could not be counted. The purpose was to try and take away the option for the hemispheres to communicate using the head nods, the first trial began with Has Annika asking Dr. To hold out her hands, parallel to the ground and in front of her body while holding a fist.

23:04 The command was then given to make a hitchhiking signal this. Of course, being the symbol thumbs up the left hemisphere reacted to the command quickly and correctly as predicted, then the command was given to do the same. With the left hand. Same quickness was witnessed with the correct answer. The next part of the trial was the swap. The order of hands performing, a new command, the okay signal was requested before him by the left. First, the okay, single being the hand opened up with only the pointer and thumb touching tips. The left hand could not perform this task, the hand motion like it wanted to try, but but had not the slightest clue what to do when the command was given to the right hand though, the task was completed quickly and correctly without hesitation.

23:51 Then when re asking the left hand to do the signal, it act quickly and correctly. After the right hand at already performed a correct answer. Sir, this meant that the left I was being used by the right hemisphere to mimic the actions right hand to get the correct answer. The next step was simple. Yeah, the blindfold the VR and asked her to perform another signal with her left hand. First again, unable to perform a task. He moved on to request the same from the right-hand who performed it fast correct. Then when he followed up with requesting, the left hand, to do the signal, a left hand remained. Unable to do. It was requested the right. His fear was no longer getting the visual inputs 2, cheats way to Victory after the Dr. Trials had begun to new patients were discovered and willing to be part of these trials. Angie was a bright young woman of unknown age and lb was a 12 year.

24:44 Old boy would become the youngest-ever, be studied as a split brain patient. Both patients were incredibly bright and suffers from severe, epileptic episodes. Prior to the surgery. Both also had incredibly unharmed, right, hemispheres of the brain that were not seen. In previous patients, do tears of repetitive life-threatening. Epileptic events. These two would be the first to really tell the world. Something about what really goes on in. Everyone's head Angie's. First trial was an advanced one compared to Prior trials, and focus almost exclusively with the right hemisphere as it was, well, proven that the left hemisphere was typically normal for the most part in patients, post-surgery life. The real questions were with the right Hemisphere.

25:25 And with these trials, the true mysteries of our mind finally found an opportunity. Unity to unravel. From this point on dr. Roger Sperry of a very close friend and mentor to Michael gazzaniga would insert himself into gazzaniga as work and provide the Boost that the real strangest need to shine. Now to be clear, Roger Sperry working parallel with Michael gazzaniga, had his own trials going on and I highly recommend you guys go and check those out because those are amazing. I for this particular subject I chose the follow Michael gazzaniga because I really enjoyed this book But in order for time, kind of cut out, Roger Sperry, but by all means, check his stuff out really good.

26:10 Ol, the trials ran by that dr. Roger Sperry the trials began with NG in the search for a personality in the right hemisphere of the brain. Angie was set up like the subjects before her with a dot. In the middle of the screen. This first test was one that was set up more as a warm-up before the real personality trial began but much like Others it became yet. Another very important fine on each side of the dot, a word with flash to a particular eye which would again intern grasp, the attention of the opposite, hemisphere of the brain. On each side of NG there were random objects place that match the words that would be flashed on the screen. The task was simple.

26:51 Read the word allow out and with the same side hand search for the object, matching the word, without looking at the group of objects. The first, Word up was flashed the right, I remember this. The left hemisphere and with NG's right hand, she was able to find the Styrofoam cup. A respectable amount of time. The next word was ball. It was being flashed, the left eye, or the right Hemisphere, and G, simply stared and never said the word out loud. Well, her left hand, found the ball and was holding. It is Anna, get asked her to read the word, and she replied that there was no word read. Then he followed up the question then, what are you holding your hand?

27:35 Which NG replied surprisingly that she she didn't know if you do, there's something she doesn't know. She actually seemed really shocked that there was anything in her hand, like he had just snuck in there. When given the permission to look at her hand and she was visibly. Shocked to see that she was holding a ball, but then she did something strange. She created a nonchalant reaction to the situation and simply said, that she was always a fan of baseball. Now, for those of you that know, How the brain works. This is a very natural reaction. Brain when it has a lack of information, it kind of just fills in the gaps. And this is actually one of the issues that we as researchers, and 40 and subjects actually have to deal with quite a bit.

28:19 This is something that we have to keep in mind when we're dealing with things, such as Bigfoot, more on that later. Now, gazzaniga had evidence of what we know as lizard brain being witnessed. And then G, many people believe that lizard brain is something that we unknowingly do in reaction to witnessing an extreme event. Tis true. But the broader definition is defined by which Nary.com is quote, any part of a person's psyche or personality dominated by instinct or impulse rather than rational thought you would expect NG to be shocked or possibly even scared that she was completely unaware of the fact that her left hand reach for something matching description of where that she didn't see without her even noticing. But instead of her left, brain attempted to explain it as something non-threatening with a simple statement that failed to capture the magnitude of Of the act or any emotion behind her findings.

29:08 This led nicely into the main part of the trial this time. And she was sitting in front of the same screen, and as a picture of something popped up, she was instructed to say what it was she was seeing as predicted anything that appeared before the ride. I was quickly met with the correct response and as predicted, the object being shown to the left. I was met, but nothing but a blank stare and no verbal response until a picture. It was flashed on the screen. In order to induce a reaction by NG's nonverbal, right brain. This picture was a lewd picture of a woman and it flashed on the screen and gazzaniga asked her what she saw. She replied nothing but then she smiled and the smile turned into a smirk which turned into a short of giggle or chuckle. A response gazzaniga asked her why she was laughing. And then Jesus response was that she thought the screen in front of her was a funny Contraption.

30:03 He had successfully communicate with the Right. Brain without the left brain. Noticing the response of her trouble was a direct response to a newly created inside joke, between gazzaniga and NG's other Consciousness. During these trials, there were many other experience being performed animals. In the attempt to understand more about each side of the brain and what made each hemisphere and individual Consciousness. The first trial I thought was important to mention was one that gazzaniga had performed on chimps with a A student from NYU by the name is Alan Gibson. This particular trial was determine if the two hemispheres had individual traits and in this experiment, if focus on tastes, the hypothalamus is the part of the brain that determines our eating behaviors reference. The Taste texture quantity are all examples of our hypothalamus has influences and your desire for food. Among other things.

30:59 Such as body, temperature, heart rate and your mood located at the base of the brain, the experiment. Was to damage the left side of the hypothalamus and watch for changes in The Chimps habits with Foo. Sure enough. Turns out the right hemisphere didn't fat favor food that were not typically favored by the animal prior to the experiment. A trial with another graduate student, by the name of JD Johnson was stages determine at The Chimps. Right hemisphere would show another personality trait jealousy. The task was to push a button with his right hand. When seeing the number one on the screen. The only other option was the number zero, which would not give a tasty reward, no blindfold was used so that the right hemisphere would witness the test.

31:43 The chimp learned to push the button every time. The number one was on the screen and in return, the tree would be forfeited over as a reward to the left hemisphere. If ad press the button during a zero, there would be no treat. The twist was that the chimp had to get two correct answers. In order to get that tree, This was inserted into the test to teach the champ that pushing the button on the Zero would have a negative effect. Instead of a neutral. One ultimately discouraging the act of pressing the button on zero, the task went on for a while and after an undisclosed amount of time, an eye patch, was placed over the right eye, removing the left hemisphere from the game leaving the right.

32:24 Hemisphere of the only active participant of the next task. The button was then switched over to the left hand and the game began. But this time no treat was given for what was perceived by the chimp as a correct answer. And in response to Chimp got angry, the chimp ultimately gave up and even trying without realizing that if it had just I pressed the button during a 0. It would have then realized that the roles is game had slightly chain game was then, given back to the left hemisphere and the flow of treats continue, then the left hand slap right hand and jealousy. I've been discovered and the separate hemisphere.

33:07 With the events of the last test still fresh in his mind because Anika and ministered. Another interesting test in the trials on patient and G in Santa Barbara California. So Angie was given a similar test with ones and zeros which rewarded Angie would either the word right or wrong depending on if she got the answer correct or not be on the change in a reward. The only other difference was at the right hemisphere was not allowed to see the game being played why? Because instead of looking for Jealousy this time they were looking for the ability to learn separately from the left hemisphere. So the left eye was covered with an eye patch and the right eye was left to learn the same game as the chimp.

33:49 Click the button, when the one Flash and G's lamps left hemisphere was rewarded with the word record flashing on the screen. Click the button during a zero and she was admonish with the word wrong or is it did not take very long for NG to catch on to this game. And so it quickly became time for the right hemisphere to step up to the plate. But this time the right hemisphere was only roared over the word. Correct when shown the number zero. This, of course, did not take long either. The next task was to remove the eye patch all together and Flash different numbers on each far, side of the screen at the same time. That only the peripherals were targeted. Ultimately leaving, no chance for the other eye to see what was going on.

34:32 In the other hand, this for side, Angie was given a button in both hands and the test was activated both hemispheres began successfully playing their own games just as they did when they were playing with the other eye blindfold. The Next Step was the flash, the numbers at separate intervals, and watch to see if both hemispheres would continue playing their own games when not being asked to do. So, at the same time, this was is done by showing one on both sides of the screen. The right hand will push the button, and the left hand would not both sides, would show the word. Correct. This repeated with ones and zeros and the proof that the two sides of the brain can learn completely separate from each other, and perform separate tasks independently from each other was proven to be true. This was Monumental.

35:18 We had just proven that. There is another consciousness Like in many different studies throughout history, there are subjects or data points referred to as outliers. And the case of patient, PS teenage boy from Vermont and outlier in the studies of split brains would finally appear. This was not a typical outlier. Instead of being a typical unimportant useless. Data point caused by many different possible variables. PS had an exceptionally smart right hemisphere Is Right. Hemisphere was so smart and not only could he see a printed noun such as apple with his left eye, or right Hemisphere and point out a picture of the word but he can also read a command and acted out.

36:03 This has never been done before in led to one of the most incredible discoveries in the history of Neuroscience. After removing the left hemisphere from the conversation the right hemisphere was given Scrabble letter blocks it was soon found that the silent weaker. Dumber, less Advanced right. Hemisphere was not that at all silent. Yes, but dumb, we less Advanced. Absolutely not. the right hemisphere would spell out answers with Immaculate spelling the right hemisphere of knew the name of the person that shared with the left hemisphere but past that one question all answers were completely different from the answers given by left hemisphere there for showing that each hemisphere and the Consciousness associated with them showed individuality Michael gazzaniga coined term.

36:54 Now used to describe a phenomenon in which the left hemisphere unknown Lee attempts to interpret the emotions actions reactions to stimuli targeted to the right. Hemisphere is an ago refer to this as The quote/unquote Interpreter in. This was in reaction to a plethora of different observations made During certain tests. One such test was to give the right hemisphere of PS, a command such as stand up. PS would then stand up. And when asked why he stood up, he asked his left hemisphere were interpret the action by saying that he felt like stretching. Another such test was given to a female patient referred to as VP and when she was shown a dramatic scene in which, a man was pushed into a fire to only her right hemisphere in response to her right hemisphere acting out to the shocking footage.

37:44 VP began sweating breathing heavier and was unable to stand still. When asked what was wrong? She replied. I know I like dr. Gazzaniga right now, I am very scared of him. The Superstar. Right brain? Yes. Had one more really big Discovery up its sleeve. Is Annika and his undergrads discovered just nearly two years after PS is called awesome section. Surgery that the right hemisphere was discovering the power of speech. The right hemisphere began by giving simple stuttered, yes-no answers but soon evolved into confident one word answers to even complex questions. This was discovered during a trial which two separate objects were shown to each hemisphere.

38:33 When asked what they were, they were surprised at the answer of orange followed immediately by the word Apple. After a picture of an apple was shown to the verbal left hemisphere and an orange was shown to nonverbal, right? Hemisphere. This test was then repeated multiple times as an exercise shorts and eventually, whatever was shown to the right hemisphere was confidently. Vocalized by the right brain. This would prove true in other patients as well, but much much slower than yes. One thing that seemed to catch PS up when it came to answering was a question, are the images the same? This question was always met with an answer of?

39:14 I don't know, even after each hemisphere answered their individual image correctly, This proved that there was still no communication happening between the hemispheres by way of neurons and the sectioning was still present. Throughout the years, there have been many that have stepped up to the plate to dismiss. The split brain, theory of there, being two separate intelligent Consciousness has in every brain. I mean, let's be honest. It is extremely unsettling to think that there could possibly be a second you inside of your head. Someone that you have never met that just goes along for the ride day in and day out someone who sees what you do and knows your reasoning behind them. Donald and Valerie McKay were two of such that wish to dismiss the claims that gazzaniga Sperry and many others associated with the massive study that span decade. It would seemingly begin the rebuttals by the scientific Community with an article on their findings in the well-known scientific journal Nature.

40:19 Among many others, another nature article by an up-and-coming neuro psychologist named Justine. Sergeant reiterated her study with JW where she studied the reaction time between hemispheres. In the brain and acknowledging. If the letter being shown was a consonant or a vowel, I read through a few articles about these journal entries and from what I can see, both parties had decent points. But ultimately was gazzaniga is response to these articles. That I personally like the most he explained that what these and many other publish articles failed to understand was that through their Decades of research in the subject, the discovery of minut tips that one side of the brain will give the other in order to help out such as the The head nod mentioned earlier.

41:02 The explanation went further by comparing the two hemispheres of the brain to that of a long-term friendship or partnership on most occasions counterparts will be able to tell you what their friend or partner is thinking before they say anything. Now, add that the two hemispheres have been working together towards one goal. Since the day that they were born. Is it really hard to believe that one hemisphere couldn't predict in some way what their counter atmosphere is thinking or going to do? With all said and done there. Remains great evidence that there are in fact, two different Consciousness has living within every whole brain. Dr. Roger whoa, cots Perry would go on to be the Nobel Prize recipient for physiology and Medicine in 1981 for his incredible work and discoveries and split, brain research. You find this to be an interesting topic. I recommend taking your own Deep dive into the work that has been done with split brain, patients for decade. there are many sources on this subject and the evidence does, in fact weigh heavily towards us, sharing our mind with a roommate that we have never met So, what do you think, Travelers? I'll leave you here to think about that. Until next time, we crack open, our next case, from The Archives of the infinite Rabbit Hole.

42:18 See you guys. Bye.