To: WSFAlist at keithlynch.net
Date: Sun, 3 Nov 2002 21:01:59 -0500
Subject: [WSFA] two heads must be better than one
From: ronkean at juno.com
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

On Sun, 03 Nov 2002 14:19:09 -0500 Steve Smith <sgs at aginc.net> writes:

 There was a TV show on
>
> "Discovery Health" (aka "The Freakshow Channel") about a two-headed
>  child.  From what little I remember of the show, she was (they
> were?) about 9 years old and doing quite well.  Others, I am sure,
remember
>
> more.  IIRC, they considered tehmselves to be separate people,
> although they had to cooperate quite closely to control their body.
It'll be
> interesting to see what happens when they're old enough to vote.
>

I'm not surprised they consider themselves two separate people,
considering that the brain is presumably the seat of consciousness.  But
the need for cooperation between the two brains for motor control
compromises their separateness, in that limited sense.  So it's not the
case that the right head controls the right arm, and the left head
controls the left arm.  They must really be conjoined twins, and calling
them a 'two headed baby' is simply a misnomer.

I suppose they will need two social security numbers.  If they get a job,
do they deserve two paychecks?  If they give birth to a baby (a
one-headed baby, one would hope), I guess the baby would have two
mothers.

Ron Kean

.

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