TOOL are tangentially involved with a groundbreaking new medical achievement. According to a new article published in Science, a totally paralyzed patient suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) was given a novel brain implant that allows him to use electrodes to communicate with doctors, and one of the phrases he managed to craft was a request to listen to an album by TOOL at high volume.
The science behind it is pretty complex, but essentially, the man who's unable to move or speak had two square electrodes surgically implanted into the part of his brain that controls movement. From there, he's able to use certain pitches that indicate "yes" and "no" to communicate with the team of researchers and craft sentences one letter at a time. The article references that he's been able to say things like, "Goulash soup and sweet pea soup," and "I love my cool son." He also managed to communicate the words, "I would like to listen to the album by TOOL loud."
If there was ever a question about the dedication of TOOL fans, this guy's inspiring fortitude will crush any doubts. Hopefully the doctors had some high-quality speakers on hand, because the patient deserves the best Lateralus listening experience that money can buy. Check out the fascinating story here to learn more about the scientific process.
