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Oldest-Known Human Brain Discovered

Posted by timothy on from the does-not-belong-to-hans-delbrueck dept.

Smivs writes "The BBC report that archaeologists have found what could be Britain's oldest surviving human brain. The team, excavating a York University site, discovered a skull containing a yellow substance which scans showed to be shrunken, but brain-shaped. Brains consist of fatty tissue which microbes in the soil would absorb, so neurologists believe the find could be some kind of fossilised brain. More tests will now be done to establish what it is actually made of. The skull was discovered during an exploratory dig at Heslington Eastin, an area of extensive prehistoric farming landscape of fields, trackways and buildings dating back to at least 300 BC."

24 of 74 comments (clear)

  1. Oldest *surviving* human brain!? by danieltdp · · Score: 5, Funny

    What the heck? The brain isn't *dead*!?!?!?

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    1. Re:Oldest *surviving* human brain!? by MilesAttacca · · Score: 4, Funny

      Researchers could not be reached for further comments regarding the possibility of a zombie outbreak.

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    2. Re:Oldest *surviving* human brain!? by danieltdp · · Score: 3, Funny

      Actually, there were found, but didn't say much . Just kept walking slowly forward and saying Braaaaaaainnnnsss

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    3. Re:Oldest *surviving* human brain!? by dkleinsc · · Score: 5, Funny

      Well, it's at least revivable.

      The problem is that it belonged to some fellow named Ab Normal.

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    4. Re:Oldest *surviving* human brain!? by danieltdp · · Score: 3, Funny

      Glad you cleared that for me! ;-) Oh, wait, patent infringement. Let use :-) instead

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    5. Re:Oldest *surviving* human brain!? by SputnikPanic · · Score: 2, Informative

      How about "oldest extant human brain"?

    6. Re:Oldest *surviving* human brain!? by tmosley · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Afterwards, reporters could not be reached for comment on the lack of comments from the researchers.

    7. Re:Oldest *surviving* human brain!? by neomunk · · Score: 4, Funny

      And I always thought that meant they were hungry... Turns out that they, like O.J., just wanted their property back.

    8. Re:Oldest *surviving* human brain!? by coolsnowmen · · Score: 2, Informative

      Sigh,
            It is not "just wrong." It might be slighted shortened to a conversational form. But I assure you, the definition has been around for 100-500 years.

      From the Oxford english dictionary:
      Survive,
      1. a. intr. To continue to live after the death of another...to remain alive, live on.

      1b: transf. To continue to exist after some person, thing, or event; to last on.

      In this context, unless the brain is from a zombie, I would draw your attention to accepted definition 1b. Even you should be able to infer what the writer is trying to say.

  2. shrunken by Arancaytar · · Score: 2, Funny

    It's not fossilized, it just belongs to a [$PROFESSION|$POLITICAL_PARTY].

    1. Re:shrunken by maxume · · Score: 3, Funny

      What?

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    2. Re:shrunken by Opportunist · · Score: 2, Funny

      I was actually waiting for a few jokes revolving around "they saved"+$celebrity+"'s brain", but no hit so far either.

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  3. Re:Thanks by danieltdp · · Score: 4, Funny

    That explains a lot. They found Anonymous Coward's brain!

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  4. its not fossilized brain by circletimessquare · · Score: 4, Funny

    its fruitcake

    its hard to tell the difference without a good sniff

    and besides, if you wanted to make sure it wasn't trotted out again for another christmas, wouldn't you hide it some place disageeable and avoidable like a skull too?

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  5. so many geriatric jokes, so little time by jollyreaper · · Score: 2, Funny

    Oldest brain? Fossilized? I wouldn't even know where to begin.

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  6. Leave it alone! by gEvil+(beta) · · Score: 3, Funny

    Leave it alone! We don't want to rouse the oldest known zombie!

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  7. It's British....can you say by zappepcs · · Score: 2, Funny

    28 centuries later? I just got a really bad feeling about that in my stomach. After Reign Of Fire, that title is possible....

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  8. That happens to me all the time. by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 2, Funny

    Some mornings I wake up and after opening a book and looking at the text, I get suspicious that someone has stolen my brain when I was sleeping and replaced it with a shrunken, but brain-shaped substance. Coffee usually inflates it again. Where do I apply as an archaeological object?

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    1. Re:That happens to me all the time. by gstoddart · · Score: 2, Funny

      Where do I apply as an archaeological object?

      Well, there's rather a lengthy waiting time to get it sorted out, but it can be done with some careful planning. :-P

      Cheers

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  9. Re:Yeah right... by Anonymous+Scoured · · Score: 2, Funny

    I think we found the owner.

  10. Re:Zombies by Hatta · · Score: 2, Funny

    This is an outrage! I was going to eat that mummy.

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  11. Ritual Offering by aquatone282 · · Score: 4, Funny

    FTFA:

    The archaeologists believe the skull, which was found on its own in a muddy pit, may have been a ritual offering.

    Perhaps we should do the same for our U.S. banking and automotive executives who can't manage their companies properly.

    Instead of a multi-million dollar golden parachute we take their heads and throw them into the nearest bog.

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  12. Prehistoric? by Thunderstruck · · Score: 2, Insightful

    "The skull was discovered during an exploratory dig at Heslington Eastin, an area of extensive prehistoric farming landscape of fields, trackways and buildings dating back to at least 300 BC."

    Wait, when did 300 BC become prehistoric?

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    1. Re:Prehistoric? by aproposofwhat · · Score: 5, Informative

      it is in the UK - writing was very uncommon until the Romans came and 'civilised' us.

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