February 11, 2026
Less brain, more drama
Scientists research man missing 90% of his brain who leads a normal life (2016)
Internet debates: miracle brain or just squished gray matter
TLDR: A rare hydrocephalus case shows a man living normally with much of his skull filled with fluid, pushing scientists to rethink brain plasticity and consciousness. Commenters argue whether it’s truly “missing brain” or just compressed tissue, debate hidden deficits, and joke about brain wrinkles and everyday compute needs.
A French man shows up with a skull full of fluid and only a thin layer of brain tissue—yet he’s living a normal life. Scientists call it a rare hydrocephalus case that challenges neat theories of consciousness, but the comments section lit up like Times Square. The loudest chorus: is 90% of his brain actually missing, or just compressed by fluid? JMKH42 demanded receipts: “Is it missing or just squished?” Meanwhile, skeptics came in hot. Citing writer Gwern, lavelganzu pointed out that reported IQ scores (one case had 75) are low, warning that “volume loss ≠ neuron loss,” and predicting hidden deficits that pile up in complex tasks. Translation: not magic, just messy reality.
On the other side, the pragmatists shrugged: wartywhoa23 deadpanned that “normal life” doesn’t require full human compute, implying everyday functioning runs on far less brain power. And of course, the meme-makers arrived: pengaru’s “But how many wrinkles?” became the thread’s favorite quip, while rcakebread did the classic self-check joke: “Phew. I checked, it wasn’t me.”
Back in the lab, psychologist Axel Cleeremans says the case screams plasticity—the brain’s ability to adapt—and suggests consciousness isn’t stuck in one spot, but emerges as the brain learns. Cue a fresh round of “distributed consciousness” debates, links to The Lancet and hydrocephalus, and a comment section asking if our brains are more flexible (and funnier) than we think.
Key Points
- •A 44-year-old French man with severe hydrocephalus had a skull largely filled with fluid and only a thin layer of brain tissue.
- •Despite extensive brain tissue loss, he led a normal life with family and work; his IQ was measured at 84, slightly below normal.
- •The case was first documented in The Lancet in 2007 and later drew attention from cognitive psychologist Axel Cleeremans.
- •Cleeremans presented the case at the Association for the Scientific Study of Consciousness conference in Buenos Aires.
- •Cleeremans highlighted extensive brain plasticity and argued that consciousness depends on learning rather than a single localized brain region.