A man with no brain is a successful French civil servant. Color me shocked. The jokes pretty much write themselves. I expect George Bush to appoint him to something or other any moment.

Seriously, I do think this reveals how much about the human mind that we still don't understand (and once again gives pause about subjects like Terri Schiavo).

[Afternoon update]

And of course, what would a topic like this be without a Free Republic thread, complete with several examples of the concept.

I remember watching a program several years ago that had three young (IIRC, mid-20s) people who had similar conditions. The report indicated their brains were compressed due to hydrocephalus. Reportedly, all three of them had normal intelligence.

The brain is a fascinating mystery. There is so much we don't know about how it functions. I've heard of people who suffered seemingly minor brain trauma but who had devasting consequences. Likewise, I've heard of people who suffered severe brain trauma (e.g. bullet wounds) but who made full recoveries.