Tag: Rob Houben

Rom Houben: Not communicating through facilitated communication

Rob Houben, injured by a car crash over two decades ago, was claimed to be conscious but paralyzed rather than in a persistent vegetative state, and the discredited pseudoscience of facilitated communication was claimed to give him a voice. To the lack of surprise of skeptics everywhere, these claims were not true.

/ February 20, 2010

Communicating with the Locked-In

Facilitated communication is exploitation supported by false hope and good intentions. Brain-machine interfaces are progressing with agonizing slowness, but offer true potential in actually permitting paralyzed people to communicate and even regain movement.

/ December 16, 2009

Man in Coma 23 Years – Is He Really Conscious?

Belgian citizen Rob Houben has been noncommunicative for 23 years. Has he suddenly gained the ability to communicate?

/ November 25, 2009