UK scientists hit by lack of brains

Well, at a guess

I'd imagine some people would have a problem with donating the brain of a person who was in no fit state to decide whether or not they wanted it used in such a way.

or make your own card

my (self made) donor card clearly states that my body may be used for transplant-medicine and/or research. i dont really get why regular donor cards lack that option.

Just open up more Brain Depositories

"After 5pm, please deposit brain through door"

Presumed consent?

For organ transplant and scientific use a UK national can simply have their bits used (not as if they will need them any more, being so much dead meat). Why people are so connected to their soon-to-be worm-food carcass is beyond me. This also means there is no stress in pestering family members, unless they make it known that the deceased did not want their body used.

Or how about a tax break? Donate your body and death-duty is only 20% rather than 25% of the estate?

Purile unfunny remark

duuhhh

Leading By Example

I was thinking that perhaps our leaders needed to set an example but then I realised that either they already have donated or have nothing to donate.

new business

Think I'm going to open up "Igor Inc.". Fetch stuff for scientists. Maybe get bonus. Like arm.

@Michael

There are a few fallacies in your statement.

First, they clearly say that they are interested both in healthy brains as well as brains of Parkinson's sufferers. Let's pretend you decide today to donate your brain: when you die, it may be healthy or not but you have taken the decision while you were healthy and in full possession of your mental capacities. No issue there.

Second, Parkinson's sufferers don't suddenly become mentally incompetent from day 1. In fact, the illness has usually been there for several years before it is detected. And even when it is diagnosed, people still have all their mental and motor abilities, they degrade slowly through time. Same for all neurological deseases in fact, which is part of the problem because the person and her family see her degrade slowly and this can be quite traumatic. So sufferers can very well make that decision while they have all their mental abilities even after being diagnosed. For example, nobody would consider Stephen Hawkins or (Sir) Terry Pratchett to be mentally unable to make such a decision even though they both have been diagnosed with a neurological desease.

That's a common misconception of such deseases: it's not like having a car accident, breaking your spine and being wheelchair bound, in need of 24/7 assistance and unable to make decisions for yourself from one day to the next. A Parkinson's sufferer will get to that stage but it takes several years to reach it and a lot of people live an active life for as long as they can after being diagnosed with the illness.

A pint of Brains?

"A pint of Brains please, barman". Of course I mean Brains SA available in hostelleries in South Wales.

I'd like to upgrade...

It needs some work: It's got some focus problems, undersized and faulty memory, and mal-adjusted. Maybe I could get a refurbished model for the old brain and some cache?