While this column is a sucker for tales of the wild, wacky and weird, it steers clear of that which lies just beyond, namely the fully freaky zone. However, now and again, the freaky zone oozes in. Take, for instance, a seemingly innocent press release from Stanford University, one of the world’s most prestigious research institutions.

The release was, at first blush, merely an explanation of the ongoing work Stanford researchers are doing involving brain malfunctions – everything from chronic…