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Asterix and Obelix and Neuroscientists…

Friday, June 17th, 2011

The only comic I was ever serious about as a child was Asterix, so I suppose I ought to be pleased that the adventures of the indomitable Gaul have been given the academic scrutiny, the particular subject of analysis being the occurrences of traumatic brain injury in the books. Read Guardian article here…

Yet as interesting to a long term fan such titbits as that of the 704 cases of brain injury, over 50% were caused by Asterix and Obelix, or that 20 of the victims were Goths, might be, one’s initial amusement soon gives way to disbelief that a bunch of neuroscience researchers can find no better use for their skills. And the groundwork is already being laid for future projects, as a neurosurgeon at the University of Geneva is quoted in the article as expressing an interest in studying head injuries in other comics, such as the Pink Panther. And with that pronouncement dawned my enlightenment: this is not a case of scientists wasting their time on trivial research and ‘dumbing down’. On the contrary, this is evidence if evidence were needed that scientists are jolly clever fellows. They worked out that to get paid, earn the praise of their colleagues, and get their names in the papers they didn’t have to suffer the stress of conducting life or death surgery – they just had to sit in the pub and read children’s comics. By Toutatis, that’s brilliant!

Georgina Phipps, Editorial Administrator

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