The man with his head in his hands.

[brettDbass]

Seen this?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/5151612.stm?ls
Skull or Skin - opinions?


Ok, so that's put me off my breakfast. :boggled:
Thanks, me.

[MRC_Hans]

It looks like the outer layer of the bone, which also corresponds to their description of a hardening layer below.

Hans

[richardm]

It looks like the outer layer of the bone, which also corresponds to their description of a hardening layer below.


So the top split off the skull, like spalled stonework?

[MRC_Hans]

AFAIK, there is marrow or something like it even in the skull's bones, so they are effectively two-ply. I imagine the outer ply could come off, given proper circunstances.

Of course it could also be a complete hoax.

Hans

[Meffy]

Agreed, Hans. Could be on the up-and-up, or it might be genuine... but someone else's.

[sickstan]

How grotesque.
... and yet so engrossing...

[brettDbass]

I agree that it has the distinct appearance of skull, rather than skin.
Hans's suggestion about the 2-ply regenrative bone is very interesting (if grim) - my knowledge of biology leaves something to be desired though, so, a few questions.
Is it possible for bone to form this way with only the basis of marrow to work from? Or without the protective covering of skin? Plus it's such a huge area, not like healing a clean break...

man, if this is a hoax using someone elses skull, well, just yuck!

[CFLarsen]

Well....I guess someone has to ask.

Does it fit?

[TheChadd]

No X-ray done yet? :/ Doctors claim it's already 'regrown' ? I don't think it's really his skull.

[MRC_Hans]

Lets see:

- No thorough investigation done
- The owner will not submit the skull piece to the hospital, but boasts it has made him famous
- The whole case is unprecedented
- This happend in India

I think the by far most plausible conclusion is fraud.

Hans

[Ashles]

And yet bizzarely I have a sudden craving for pork scratchings.

[Silly Green Monkey]

The skull is a membranous bone, one that forms entirely within a membrane. If the membrane was intact, it's possible that it could have formed again. I know of no precedents though.

[Dogdoctor]

The picture looks like skull bones and you can see the suture lines or fibrous joints of the skull bones in the picture. Most bones have a marrow cavity covered by hard bone. It is possible that the outer layer of bone was killed leaving the inner layer and bone forming cells still intact which formed a new outer layer pushing the dead piece of bone out while never exposing the brain to bacteria. It seems plausible to me. Why would he make it up?

[kevin]

For some reason this reminds me of a story I read in a comic book (way more accurate than this new fangled internet thingy) several years ago where a guy gets shot in the back of the head with a small caliber pistol, the bullet doesn't penetrate the skull but follows along the skull under the scalp, then exits the scalp at the front of the head. This leaves the appearence of an entrance and an exit wound but the guy isn't dead.

According to the author this was based on a true story. Anyone ever hear of such a thing?

[Dogdoctor]

For some reason this reminds me of a story I read in a comic book (way more accurate than this new fangled internet thingy) several years ago where a guy gets shot in the back of the head with a small caliber pistol, the bullet doesn't penetrate the skull but follows along the skull under the scalp, then exits the scalp at the front of the head. This leaves the appearence of an entrance and an exit wound but the guy isn't dead.

According to the author this was based on a true story. Anyone ever hear of such a thing?
I saw a dog shot in the head. The bullet entered through the ear traveled under the scalp hitting the skull where it (the bullet not the skull) shattered into many pieces exiting along with a good piece of the scalp. It was pretty confusing at first to see what happened because it entered through the ear and the ear was folded so it had multiple perforations, but from that I would say it sounds completely plausible to have such a wound. In my case I finally folded the ear over and ran a probe through all the holes and they all lined up and found bullet fragments left in the skull so I knew it was shot.

[c4ts]

I just want to see him bow, tip his skull chunk like a hat and say "Good day, gentlemen!"

[MRC_Hans]

The picture looks like skull bones and you can see the suture lines or fibrous joints of the skull bones in the picture. Most bones have a marrow cavity covered by hard bone. It is possible that the outer layer of bone was killed leaving the inner layer and bone forming cells still intact which formed a new outer layer pushing the dead piece of bone out while never exposing the brain to bacteria. It seems plausible to me. Why would he make it up?Yes, I think that is the most plausible explanation, assuming it is genuine.

Why would he make it up? Well, India is ... let's say, not as fact based as we are wont, elsewhere. He is a poor electrician, with a big medical bill. This has made him famous, and that has an income potential.

What arouses my suspision of fraud is the apparant unvillingness in providing objective evidence, for instance in the form of X-rays. Could be a cost proble, of course.

Hans

[Beerina]

In the bigger picture, what's the big deal? A part of his body got sick, died, and fell off. Sucks to be him, but there's nothing special about it outside of the wince factor.