Some of the most dreaded diseases and problems in neurosurgery occur at the base of the skull. This area, which acts as the floor of the brain and the ceiling of the face, is a complicated, tricky area which challenges the best of surgeons. Tumors arising here can impair cranial nerve function, destroying vision and hearing. What makes them so difficult to treat is the very nature of their location. Fortunately, the field of skull base surgery has seen significant advances over my career, and the advent of focused irradiation such as the cyber knife offers new hope to patients.

I bring this up because the acoustic nerve courses from the ear and, along with the facial nerve, travels through the acoustic foramen and into the brainstem. Acoustic neuromas may indolently grow here and reach a large size before being recognized. The eighth cranial nerve, the acoustic nerve is always at risk of injury when these tumors are treated. What the acoustic nerve carries are impulses from the inner ear, one of the most marvelous designs ever seen. The inner ear is buried in the skull base and is hard to even dissect without injury. But what careful dissection reveals is the cochlea. And even casual inspection of the cochlea reveals a shell from the sea.

The cochlea is perfectly formed to help us differentiate a whisper from a symphony and everything in between. It converts sound waves to electrical impulses and sends those impulses to the brain for further understanding. It does not have to have the shape of a conch, but it is unmistakable nonetheless. This similarity, and the dozens of others we see everyday, lead me to believe that there is a code right in front of us. You do not have to travel to far away museums to find clues to a mystery. Why are there seashells in your head? Who designed that? Why? I’ll submit there are only two possible answers. Either, against astronomical odds, random chances have conspired to create a universe of apparent but only accidental similarity. Or there is a Creator who loves certain patterns. It’s one or the other; one must be true, but they can’t both be true. So is there a code right in front of us? Are these clues to an eternal mystery staring us in the eye? I’d love to hear what you think!