Subscribe now

Mind

Man sees the world in miniature after a stroke damages his brain

By Alice Klein

19 September 2019

A shrunken world

Katrin Ray Shumakov/Getty Images

A man whose brain was damaged by a stroke now sees all objects and people about a third smaller than their actual size.

The 66-year-old had a stroke in December 2017 that cut off oxygen to the back right of his brain.

Afterwards, he noticed that everything appeared strangely smaller than normal. For example, at a clothing shop, he mistakenly picked up an extra-large T-shirt thinking it was his usual medium size. Doorways suddenly looked too small to fit through, and he thought his wife must have washed their curtains in hot water because they looked like they had…

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox! We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, subscribe today with our introductory offers

View introductory offers

No commitment, cancel anytime*

Offer ends 2nd of July 2024.

*Cancel anytime within 14 days of payment to receive a refund on unserved issues.

Inclusive of applicable taxes (VAT)

or

Existing subscribers

Sign in to your account