General anaesthesia has been used since the 1840s and is very safe. Yet scientists still do not fully understand how it turns off awareness. Studying it is one of the best clues we have to what consciousness is.
Truth label: Established. Strong evidence and broad agreement among experts.
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Lost connections
One leading idea is that anaesthetics break communication between brain regions, so information no longer comes together.
Not like sleep
Brain activity under anaesthesia looks quite different from natural sleep.
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- The first public use. In 1846, ether was demonstrated during surgery in Boston, and the idea spread worldwide within months.
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When did general anaesthesia come into use?
1840s. Ether was publicly demonstrated in 1846.
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