In 1848, Phineas Gage was 25 years-old when he was working on a railroad in Cavendish, Vermont. His job was to blow up rocks to make a way for a new rail line and in order to clear the way, he had to dig up a hole, put in an explosive charge, then place some explosive powder and pack it down with a metal bar known as a tamping iron. As he was packing down the powder, there was a spark created by the tamping iron which caused the explosive powder to detonate sending a 43- inch, 13 lb, tamping iron…
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