Ignorance Is Bliss (House)
Encyclopedia
"Ignorance Is Bliss" is the ninth episode of the sixth season of House
. It aired on November 23, 2009.
and the team take on the case of James Sidas (Esteban Powell
), an exceptionally brilliant physicist (IQ
178) who traded his successful career for a job as a courier to be with his intellectually inferior wife (IQ 87). For the ailing patient, intelligence is a miserable burden that alienates him from others. The team eventually suspects he suffers from TTP
, but the splenectomy
they perform does not improve his situation, ruling that condition out. However, it is later revealed that a depression
as a teenager due to his loneliness as a child prodigy
led him to attempt suicide, and House realizes that the ribs he broke back then made his spleen split into several parts, which is why the procedure had no effect – it was TTP all along. The remaining symptoms are explained after the discovery of his addiction
to DXM (mixed with alcohol to prevent brain damage
), which he used to reduce his intellect. As Sidas regains his genius
while off his addictive medicine, he begins work in applied physics
, drawing a schematic for a toroidal
helicon plasma
device, and is reassured that he cannot relate to his wife with his original intellect. House, relating to his situation, essentially helps "lobotomize
Einstein" by giving him back his meds, as the patient wishes to be dumb and happy rather than smart and miserable.
House tries to break up Lucas and Cuddy
at Thanksgiving dinner. However, Cuddy gives him the wrong address on purpose to stop him from messing up the evening. Afterwards, House breaks into Lucas' home, faking a drunken stupor, tells Lucas about how much he wants to be with Cuddy. Cuddy arrives the next morning at House's apartment, lying about how she and Lucas had split up. Later in the episode, House finds out she lied after she did not accept free tickets he offered her.
Meanwhile, Chase wants to deal alone with the fact that Cameron left, but everybody keeps on wanting to comfort him. As a result, Chase ends up punching House in the face. He later apologizes and tells House it was a way of keeping the others away.
Taub
has problems with his wife, because she thinks that even at the age of 40 he's still doing an intern's job, instead of having his own private practice. Taub convinces her that he confronted House for keeping him from Thanksgiving dinner by showing her a picture of House's beaten-up face (by Chase), claiming he was responsible, which soothes her.
, widely considered one of the smartest human beings to ever live.
This character has also some parallels with "Ben" from episode 56 (#6 of season 4) of the reality TV series Intervention
– a high-IQ genius addicted to DXM.
The edition's title comes from Thomas Gray's "Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College":
"No more ; where ignorance is bliss,
’Tis folly to be wise."
House (TV series)
House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in...
. It aired on November 23, 2009.
Plot
On the eve of Thanksgiving, HouseGregory House
Gregory House, M.D., or simply referred to as House, is a fictional antihero and title character of the American television series House, played by Hugh Laurie. He is the Chief of Diagnostic Medicine at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, where he leads a team of diagnosticians...
and the team take on the case of James Sidas (Esteban Powell
Esteban Powell
Esteban Louis Powell is an American actor.He attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, a magnet school of the Houston Independent School District...
), an exceptionally brilliant physicist (IQ
Intelligence quotient
An intelligence quotient, or IQ, is a score derived from one of several different standardized tests designed to assess intelligence. When modern IQ tests are constructed, the mean score within an age group is set to 100 and the standard deviation to 15...
178) who traded his successful career for a job as a courier to be with his intellectually inferior wife (IQ 87). For the ailing patient, intelligence is a miserable burden that alienates him from others. The team eventually suspects he suffers from TTP
Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura
Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura is a rare disorder of the blood-coagulation system, causing extensive microscopic thromboses to form in small blood vessels throughout the body...
, but the splenectomy
Splenectomy
A splenectomy is a surgical procedure that partially or completely removes the spleen.-Indications:The spleen, similar in structure to a large lymph node, acts as a blood filter. Current knowledge of its purpose includes the removal of old red blood cells and platelets, and the detection and fight...
they perform does not improve his situation, ruling that condition out. However, it is later revealed that a depression
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
as a teenager due to his loneliness as a child prodigy
Child prodigy
A child prodigy is someone who, at an early age, masters one or more skills far beyond his or her level of maturity. One criterion for classifying prodigies is: a prodigy is a child, typically younger than 18 years old, who is performing at the level of a highly trained adult in a very demanding...
led him to attempt suicide, and House realizes that the ribs he broke back then made his spleen split into several parts, which is why the procedure had no effect – it was TTP all along. The remaining symptoms are explained after the discovery of his addiction
Substance dependence
The section about substance dependence in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not use the word addiction at all. It explains:...
to DXM (mixed with alcohol to prevent brain damage
Brain damage
"Brain damage" or "brain injury" is the destruction or degeneration of brain cells. Brain injuries occur due to a wide range of internal and external factors...
), which he used to reduce his intellect. As Sidas regains his genius
Genius
Genius is something or someone embodying exceptional intellectual ability, creativity, or originality, typically to a degree that is associated with the achievement of unprecedented insight....
while off his addictive medicine, he begins work in applied physics
Applied physics
Applied physics is a general term for physics which is intended for a particular technological or practical use.It is usually considered as a bridge or a connection between "pure" physics and engineering....
, drawing a schematic for a toroidal
Toroidal and poloidal
The earliest use of these terms cited by the Oxford English Dictionary is by Walter M. Elsasser in the context of the generation of the Earth's magnetic field by currents in the core, with "toroidal" being parallel to lines of latitude and "poloidal" being in the direction of the magnetic field...
helicon plasma
Helicon (physics)
A helicon is a low frequency electromagnetic wave that can exist in plasmas in the presence of a magnetic field. The first helicons observed were atmospheric whistlers, but they also exist in solid conductors or any other electromagnetic plasma....
device, and is reassured that he cannot relate to his wife with his original intellect. House, relating to his situation, essentially helps "lobotomize
Lobotomy
Lobotomy "; τομή – tomē: "cut/slice") is a neurosurgical procedure, a form of psychosurgery, also known as a leukotomy or leucotomy . It consists of cutting the connections to and from the prefrontal cortex, the anterior part of the frontal lobes of the brain...
Einstein" by giving him back his meds, as the patient wishes to be dumb and happy rather than smart and miserable.
House tries to break up Lucas and Cuddy
Lisa Cuddy
Dr. Lisa Cuddy, M.D., is a fictional character on the Fox medical drama House. She is portrayed by Lisa Edelstein. Cuddy was the Dean of Medicine and hospital administrator of the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in New Jersey. She also becomes House's love interest through the...
at Thanksgiving dinner. However, Cuddy gives him the wrong address on purpose to stop him from messing up the evening. Afterwards, House breaks into Lucas' home, faking a drunken stupor, tells Lucas about how much he wants to be with Cuddy. Cuddy arrives the next morning at House's apartment, lying about how she and Lucas had split up. Later in the episode, House finds out she lied after she did not accept free tickets he offered her.
Meanwhile, Chase wants to deal alone with the fact that Cameron left, but everybody keeps on wanting to comfort him. As a result, Chase ends up punching House in the face. He later apologizes and tells House it was a way of keeping the others away.
Taub
Chris Taub
Christopher Michael "Chris" Taub, M.D., is a fictional character on the Fox medical drama House. He is portrayed by Peter Jacobson. He becomes a member of House's new diagnostic team in the Season 4 episode titled "Games".-Professional life:...
has problems with his wife, because she thinks that even at the age of 40 he's still doing an intern's job, instead of having his own private practice. Taub convinces her that he confronted House for keeping him from Thanksgiving dinner by showing her a picture of House's beaten-up face (by Chase), claiming he was responsible, which soothes her.
See also
There has been speculation that James Sidas's character was based on real life genius William James SidisWilliam James Sidis
William James Sidis was an American child prodigy with exceptional mathematical and linguistic abilities. His IQ was estimated to be between 250 and 300 - one of the highest ever recorded - he entered Harvard early at age 11, and as an adult was conversant in over 40 languages and dialects...
, widely considered one of the smartest human beings to ever live.
This character has also some parallels with "Ben" from episode 56 (#6 of season 4) of the reality TV series Intervention
Intervention (TV series)
Intervention is an American television program about the realities facing addicts of many kinds.Each program follows one or two participants, each of whom has an addiction or other mentally and/or physically damaging problem and believes that they are being filmed for a documentary on their problem...
– a high-IQ genius addicted to DXM.
The edition's title comes from Thomas Gray's "Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College":
"No more ; where ignorance is bliss,
’Tis folly to be wise."