Skull of Phineas Gage

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Phineas Gage made history in neuroscience when a blast propelled a scorching hot tamping iron right through this railroad supervisor’s brain and skull. He managed to survive, but allegedly underwent a dramatic personality transformation as a result. This pivotal incident marked the first time scientists had reason to believe that the frontal lobe of the brain plays a key role in shaping one's personality. The complete story behind Phineas Gage is featured on the website of the Warren Anatomical Museum at Harvard Medical School, which now houses the original skull. This work is based on the CT scan taken of the Phineas Gage Skull, as discussed in "The Tale of Phineas Gage," and has been digitally remastered (Ratiu, P et. al., 2004). The Warren Anatomical Museum at Harvard Medical School’s Countway Library kindly gave permission for its sharing. Graham Holt created this model using advanced tools at the Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience at Boston Children's Hospital, including 3DSlicer , MeshLab and NetFabb Basic. This model is also available on Thingiverse.com and the NIH 3D Print Exchange.