--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For them, the last option was to have…" description: "\"“For them, the last option was to have brain surgery, which involved removing parts of the skull and exposing the brain. (Since the brain has no pain s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61c/michio-kaku-907_brain-surgery_for-them-the-last-option-was-to-have-bra_319301.jpg" --- # For them, the last option was to have brain surgery, which… ![“For them, the last option was to have brain surgery, which involved removing parts of the skull and exposing the brain. (Since the brain has no pain sensors, a person can be conscious during this entire procedure, so Dr. Penfield used only a local anesthetic during the operation.)” quote by Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61c/michio-kaku-907_brain-surgery_for-them-the-last-option-was-to-have-bra_319301.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61c/michio-kaku-907_brain-surgery_for-them-the-last-option-was-to-have-bra_319301.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61c/michio-kaku-907_brain-surgery_for-them-the-last-option-was-to-have-bra_319301.jpg) > ““For them, the last option was to have brain surgery, which involved removing parts of the skull and exposing the brain. (Since the brain has no pain sensors, a person can be conscious during this entire procedure, so Dr. Penfield used only a local anesthetic during the operation.)”” [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote describes an extreme neurosurgical method where patients remain conscious because the brain lacks pain receptors, allowing direct observation of brain function. **In simple terms:** Brain surgery can be done while the patient is awake because the brain feels no pain. Key Takeaway Consider the ethical implications of conscious brain surgery. Themes neuroscience ethics consciousness medical innovation Mood thoughtful serious inquisitive Type scientific ethical educational When to use this quote - clinical research - patient consent - neurosurgical education - psychology - bioethics Key Concepts neuroscience pain perception surgical technique Questions to Reflect On - What are the moral responsibilities of surgeons performing awake brain operations? - How does consciousness affect our perception of pain? A Different Perspective The procedure raises concerns about patient trauma and the limits of experimental surgery. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brain surgery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain-surgery/) [Last Option](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/last-option/) ## Related quotes > [Egotism is the anesthetic given by a kindly nature to relieve the pain of being a damned fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bellamy-brooks/egotism-is-the-anesthetic-given-by-a-kindly-nature-to-relieve-the/) Bellamy BrookS > [I would not like to live in the past because you don't get anesthetic when you go to the dentist. You don't get antibiotics.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/i-would-not-like-to-live-in-the-past-because-you-don-t-get-anesthetic/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [ “One \[event\] is the discovery of the anesthetic properties of chloroform \[in 1847\] by James Simpson of Scotland. Following the reports of \[William\] Morton’s… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-wilcox-haggard/one-event-is-the-discovery-of-the-anesthetic-properties-of-chloroform/) Howard Wilcox Haggard > [“Here are condoms lined with a topical anesthetic for prolonged action. What a paradox. You don't feel a thing, but you can fuck for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/here-are-condoms-lined-with-a-topical-anesthetic-for-prolonged-action/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Why must all of the operations in life be performed without an anesthetic?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/why-must-all-of-the-operations-in-life-be-performed-without-an/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [Not everybody is strong enough to endure life without an anesthetic. Drink probably averts more gross crime than it causes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/not-everybody-is-strong-enough-to-endure-life-without-an-anesthetic/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Ten minutes of genuine belly laughter had an anesthetic effect and would give me at least two hours of pain-free sleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/ten-minutes-of-genuine-belly-laughter-had-an-anesthetic-effect-and/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [With a novelist, like a surgeon, you have to get a feeling that you've fallen into good hands - someone from whom you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/with-a-novelist-like-a-surgeon-you-have-to-get-a-feeling-that-you-ve/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [“Because there wasn’t anything else to do, he settled at the kitchen table with a bottle of mead and nearly emptied it. The anesthetic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-gimpel/because-there-wasn-t-anything-else-to-do-he-settled-at-the-kitchen/) Ann Gimpel > [Perfume acts as an anesthetic. By the time she floats a little your way, you'll promise her anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hope/perfume-acts-as-an-anesthetic-by-the-time-she-floats-a-little-your/) [Bob Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hope/) > [“She came and took away all his miseries, his sorrows !! Then SHe went and left him restlessly numb. He was her painkiller. SHe,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/self/she-came-and-took-away-all-his-miseries-his-sorrows-then-she-went-and/) Self > [If devils exist, their first aim is to give you an anesthetic -- to put you off your guard. Only if that fails, do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/if-devils-exist-their-first-aim-is-to-give-you-an-anesthetic-to-put/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [“Dentists and surgeons frequently used nitrous oxide as an anesthetic. Travis”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/dentists-and-surgeons-frequently-used-nitrous-oxide-as-an-anesthetic/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [With plastic surgery, the general anesthetic is like a black-velvety sleep, and that's what death is - without waking up to someone clapping and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/with-plastic-surgery-the-general-anesthetic-is-like-a-black-velvety/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [I want my whole life lined with a topical anesthetic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/i-want-my-whole-life-lined-with-a-topical-anesthetic/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) ## More by Michio Kaku > [“My fundamental premise about the brain is that its workings—what we sometimes call “mind”—are a consequence of its anatomy and physiology, and nothing more.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/my-fundamental-premise-about-the-brain-is-that-its-workings-what-we/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [I have nothing against investment banking, but it's like massaging money rather than creating money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/i-have-nothing-against-investment-banking-but-it-s-like-massaging/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [I am a figure skater, which helps me appreciate Newton's theory of mechanics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/i-am-a-figure-skater-which-helps-me-appreciate-newton-s-theory-of/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [If space is a fabric, then of course fabrics can have ripples, which we have now seen directly. But fabrics can also rip. Then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/if-space-is-a-fabric-then-of-course-fabrics-can-have-ripples-which-we/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [The best theory comes from string theory, which states that dark matter is nothing but a higher vibration of the string. We are, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/the-best-theory-comes-from-string-theory-which-states-that-dark/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [The media, of course, loves to make claims about the fountain of youth. Don't believe it. No one has it. But we're getting close.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/the-media-of-course-loves-to-make-claims-about-the-fountain-of-youth/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [Consciousness-one level is understanding where we are in space. Consciousness two is where we understand our position in society: who's top dog, who's underdog…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/consciousness-one-level-is-understanding-where-we-are-in-space/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [It would take a civilization far more advanced than ours, unbelievably advanced, to begin to manipulate negative energy to create gateways to the past.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/it-would-take-a-civilization-far-more-advanced-than-ours-unbelievably/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [A human body can think thoughts, play a piano, kill germs, remove toxins, make a baby all at once. Once it's doing that your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/a-human-body-can-think-thoughts-play-a-piano-kill-germs-remove-toxins/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [“I’m as fond of my body as anyone, but if I can be 200 with a body of silicon, I’ll take it. —DANIEL HILL,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/i-m-as-fond-of-my-body-as-anyone-but-if-i-can-be-200-with-a-body-of/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [Science is about principles. It's about concepts. It's not about memorizing the parts of a flower. It helps to know some of these things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/science-is-about-principles-it-s-about-concepts-it-s-not-about/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [A related aspect of intelligent consciousness is delay of gratification: the wisdom to accurately predict whether delay rather than acting on impulse will yield…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/a-related-aspect-of-intelligent-consciousness-is-delay-of/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [“There are an estimated 100 billion neurons residing inside the skull with an exponential amount of neural connections”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/there-are-an-estimated-100-billion-neurons-residing-inside-the-skull/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [“But on the question of whether the robots will eventually take over, he { Rodney A. Brooks } says that this will probably not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/but-on-the-question-of-whether-the-robots-will-eventually-take-over/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [The idea that excites me the most concerns the two greatest puzzles in science: the origin of the universe, and the origin of consciousness.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/the-idea-that-excites-me-the-most-concerns-the-two-greatest-puzzles/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) [Explore all 328 Michio Kaku quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) ## More Brain surgery quotes > [“operative risk, it was the best kind of tumor to have, and the best place to have it; surgery would almost certainly eliminate her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kalanithi/operative-risk-it-was-the-best-kind-of-tumor-to-have-and-the-best/) [Paul Kalanithi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kalanithi/) > [The press don't like to say nice things because nice is boring. It's much better to label me the devil. What we do is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bay/the-press-don-t-like-to-say-nice-things-because-nice-is-boring-it-s/) [Michael Bay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bay/) > [“...something can be a good thing and yet not a necessary thing. It is good for people to be expert at brain surgery. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-lee-austin/something-can-be-a-good-thing-and-yet-not-a-necessary-thing-it-is/) Victor Lee Austin > [“New Rule: Now that liberals have taken back the word "liberal," they also have to take back the word "elite." By now you've heard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/new-rule-now-that-liberals-have-taken-back-the-word-liberal-they-also/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [What makes you think painting is any less difficult than brain surgery?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-willard/what-makes-you-think-painting-is-any-less-difficult-than-brain-surgery/) [Christopher Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-willard/) > [Fashion and style is just that. Fashion and style. It's not brain surgery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-crawford/fashion-and-style-is-just-that-fashion-and-style-it-s-not-brain/) [Cindy Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-crawford/) > [So long as I get some sleep and get to take care of myself and eat healthy and that sort of thing, I'm OK.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-rinna/so-long-as-i-get-some-sleep-and-get-to-take-care-of-myself-and-eat/) [Lisa Rinna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-rinna/) > [I'm an actor - it's not brain surgery. If I do my job right, people won't ask for their money back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-connery/i-m-an-actor-it-s-not-brain-surgery-if-i-do-my-job-right-people-won-t/) [Sean Connery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-connery/) > [A close friend of mine's daughter was diagnosed with Epilepsy and battled seizures her first 2 years so this cause hits close to home.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demarcus-cousins/a-close-friend-of-mine-s-daughter-was-diagnosed-with-epilepsy-and/) [DeMarcus Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demarcus-cousins/) > [Language is the means of getting an idea from my brain into yours without surgery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-amidon/language-is-the-means-of-getting-an-idea-from-my-brain-into-yours/) Mark Amidon > ['Why do you think it is...', I asked Dr. Cook ... 'that brain surgery, above all else-even rocket science-gets singled out as the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/why-do-you-think-it-is-i-asked-dr-cook-that-brain-surgery-above-all/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [The interesting thing with acting, actually, is that you get to be so many different people that you get to do so much research…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-gugino/the-interesting-thing-with-acting-actually-is-that-you-get-to-be-so/) [Carla Gugino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-gugino/) > [I think I'm still trying to find my feet as an actor. And I know it ain't brain surgery, but it confuses me and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-farrell/i-think-i-m-still-trying-to-find-my-feet-as-an-actor-and-i-know-it/) [Colin Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-farrell/) > [Cut the top off the Jag, call it open brain surgery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/young-dro/cut-the-top-off-the-jag-call-it-open-brain-surgery/) [Young Dro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/young-dro/) > [“But people have an unfortunate habit of assuming they understand the reality just because they understood the analogy. You dumb down brain surgery enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-watts/but-people-have-an-unfortunate-habit-of-assuming-they-understand-the/) [Peter Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-watts/) [Browse all 94 Brain surgery quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain-surgery/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“For them, the last option was to have brain surgery, which involved removing parts of the skull and exposing the brain. (Since the brain has no pain sensors, a person can be conscious during this entire procedure, so Dr. Penfield used only a local anesthetic during the operation.)”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michio Kaku" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/for-them-the-last-option-was-to-have-brain-surgery-which-involved/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Brain surgery" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/for-them-the-last-option-was-to-have-brain-surgery-which-involved/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61c/michio-kaku-907_brain-surgery_for-them-the-last-option-was-to-have-bra_319301.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61c/michio-kaku-907_brain-surgery_for-them-the-last-option-was-to-have-bra_319301.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61c/michio-kaku-907_brain-surgery_for-them-the-last-option-was-to-have-bra_319301.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“For them, the last option was to have brain surgery, which involved removing parts of the skull and exposing…” — Michio Kaku", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Michio Kaku", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“For them, the last option was...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/for-them-the-last-option-was-to-have-brain-surgery-which-involved/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/for-them-the-last-option-was-to-have-brain-surgery-which-involved/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```