The woman with no fear

A brain-damaged Iowan woman who apparently does not feel fear has helped scientists to identify some of the brain structures responsible for that emotion. From The Telegraph:

The mother-of-three, who experiences all other emotions, is thought to be unique in the world in her ability to be completely unfazed by danger.

Her condition means she constantly puts herself at risk and in her 44 years has been threatened with a knife, held at gunpoint and assaulted on different occasions.

Yet she has come away completely untouched emotionally by her experiences.

She often just strolls away from the scene and has to be told to report them to the police.

Known simply as SM, the woman from Iowa in America, suffers from a condition called Urbach-Wiethe disease which has destroyed a part of her brain known as the amygdala.

Fascinating stuff. Read more here.