Brain: How much brain does a man really need?

Not much, apparently, according to this recent Nature News item.

Three years ago, a 44-year-old man was admitted to hospital in Marseille, France, complaining of weakness in his left leg. He had no idea what doctors would find to be the source of the problem: a huge pocket of fluid where most of his brain ought to be.

The graphic is awesome. It reveals only a narrow rim of brain material.

No, that guy was not the brightest light on the string, but the fact that he was even alive and kicking, and had a job and family, tells you something about how adaptable the brain is. Maybe the mind makes it so?