The Minimally Conscious State No, it's not a new term for not enough sleep. This New York Times Magazine article, titled "What if There is Something Going On in There?" by Carl Zimmer, explores "a new category of consciousness: the minimally conscious state". New PET evidence that some individuals with traumatic brain injuries previously considered "vegetative' exhibited significant levels of brain activity. Zimmer explores some of the issues involved including ethical and practical policies.
Caution: this article requires free registration for viewing. Unfortunately, it's necessary to catch this article before next week, when it goes into the archives.
~When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe~ John Muir