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"Vegetative State" Patients Can Communicate

Posted by samzenpus on from the hello-in-there dept.

Kittenman writes "The BBC is carrying a story about researchers in the UK and Belgium who can detect the thinking processes within a patient previously thought to be in a vegetative state. The researchers ask the patient verbally to think in certain ways to indicate a 'yes', in other ways to indicate a 'no' — and have successfully communicated with 4 out of 23 patients previously thought to be in a coma."

4 of 347 comments (clear)

  1. Horrible news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    As a life-long vegetarian, I'm horrified with the idea of being able to communicate with my... oh wait.

  2. Vegetative patients say by codewarren · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Eat me, I'm nutritious."

  3. One beep for "yes", two for "no" by kungfugleek · · Score: 5, Funny
    Zap: "Is your name 'Fry'?"
    Fry: "BEEP!"
    Zap: "'Yes.' Ok. And, are you guilty!?"
    Fry: "BEEP! BEEP!"
    Zap: "Double 'Yes'!"

    Sorry -- too lazy to dig for the exact quote.

  4. Re:Terrible fear by machine321 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Especially if a land mine has taken your sight, taken your speech, taken your hearing, taken your arms, taken your legs, taken your soul, and left you with life in hell.