The Reality Check Episode 70

Trepanation + Conspiracy Skeptic Interview + New Year Driving Risks

Trepanation

Part 1:

Trephination is a kind of medical intervention where people drill a hole into someone's head, through the skull. It exposes the dura mater in order to treat health problems that are related to intracranial diseases. A trephine is the object that is used to operate on the skull. 

The history of trepanation is not really clear, but we do have some idea how it came to be. We do have 40 trepanation head holes dated back to 6500 BCE in France. Of course, the patients survive, because on all of the skulls, there were signs of skull structure healing. It is the oldest known surgery known to be performed on humans. 

Throughout history, the trepanning tool has been developed dramatically. There are plenty of evidence of this from documents and pictures. Nowadays, it has developed into an electric drill.

When the surgery is being performed, a chunk of skull is extracted. They take note to not damage the dura mater. Then the person's head is bandaged up and eventually the skin will heal over.  The skull does heal, but only a tiny part of it.

The idea is increase the blood flow in the person's brain; it is to increase the level of consciousness as well. It is said that babies have naturally high brain blood volume. When you look at the baby's head, you can actually see the pliant tissue at the fontanel throbbing with the baby's heartbeat, pumping oxygen through the brain. It is said that as you grow up, the soft tissue hardens into bone, and your brain has no proper vent through which to breathe. Pulsation decreases and brain blood volume plummets. Then you get lethargic, depressed, and estranged. Some people say that bey doing this, someone who is middle aged can be restored to a youthful level.

You can't really find anyone who does this for you anymore. Most doctors say it's extremely dangerous, so the people who have done it these years, they must have done it at home without any professional instruments or skill. 

From what I learned in anthropology back in high school last year, I know that this kind of surgery is actually even longer than 6500BCE. Even before we were really "homo sapiens sapiens", we have found evidence of a drilled head with signs of healing. 

So, in conclusion, there are no evidence that it helps with the brain at all. Don't do it at home or anywhere.

Part 2: 

Conspiracy Skeptic Interview with Karl Mamer!

Visit the website here: The Conspiracy Skeptic Podcast

Listen to the Interview here: The Reality Check Episode 70

Science Myth of the Week: 

So, is New Year's Eve/In the morning, the most dangerous time to drive? 

People always said that people are celebrating and drinking, so it would be really dangerous. So, there are studies done on this. 

Turns out the most dangerous time to drive is on the 4th of July in the US.

Picture from Snopes