The Curious Case of Einstein’s Stolen Brain
What happened to Einstein’s brain after his death?
The study of Einstein’s brain is a fascinating topic that continues to generate interest from both scientists and the public. While it’s true that some studies have suggested that Einstein’s brain had a higher-than-average number of glial cells, which could potentially be linked to his genius-level intellect, it’s important to acknowledge that the study of intelligence is a complex and multifaceted field. There is no clear consensus on what makes someone a genius, and it’s likely that a combination of factors, including upbringing, education, and life experiences, contribute to someone’s intellectual abilities. Albert Einstein is widely regarded as one of the greatest scientists of the modern era. He revolutionized our understanding of space, time, and the universe itself with his theories of relativity, and his famous equation E=mc² is perhaps the most famous scientific formula of all time. But what about his brain? Is there anything special about it? Let’s explore.
What happened to Einstein’s brain after his death?
After Einstein’s death in 1955, his brain was removed during an autopsy without his family’s knowledge or consent. Dr. Thomas Harvey, a pathologist at the Princeton Hospital, was the one who performed the autopsy and kept the brain with the intention of studying it to discover what made Einstein a genius.
Dr. Thomas Harvey
Dr. Thomas Stoltz Harvey was an American pathologist born on September 14, 1912, in Plainfield, Indiana. Harvey received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1936 and completed his residency in pathology at the Bellevue Hospital in New York City. In 1953, he became the chief pathologist at the Princeton Hospital in New Jersey, where he conducted Einstein’s autopsy in 1955.
Biographer Walter Isaacson, in his book “Einstein: His Life and Universe” writes in p. 545
“Hours after Einstein’s death, what was supposed to be a routine autopsy was performed by the pathologist at Princeton Hospital, Thomas harvey, a small-town Quaker with a sweet disposition and rather dreamy approach to life and death. As a distraught Otto Nathan matched silently, Harvey removed and inspected each of Einstein’s major organs, ending by using an electric saw to cut through his skull and remove his brain. When he stitched the body back up, he decided, without asking permission, to embalm Einstein’s brain and keep it.”
Harvey preserved the brain by cutting it into several sections and encasing them in a type of plastic known as celloidin. Over the years, he sent various pieces of the brain to scientists around the world for further study.
The results and findings
Dr. Harvey sent samples and pieces of Einstein’s brain to several institutions and examiners with hopes to find out the driving factor behind Einstein’s genius. Unfortunately thought, not many findings were made available after the research were done. According to Isaacson, only three scientifically significant publications were made each of which are explained below
- Marian Diamond and team, 1984: Marian Diamond (1926–2017) was an American neuroscientist who made significant contributions to the study of brain anatomy and its relationship to behavior. Diamond was also known for her work on the brain of Albert Einstein. In 1984, after Einstein’s death, she was part of a team at UC Berkeley that studied his brain and found that it had a higher than average number of glial cells, a type of brain cell that provides support and nutrition to neurons. This finding led to speculation that Einstein’s unusually high intelligence was due in part to the unique structure of his brain.
- 1996 study on cerebral cortex: Another study conducted on Einstein’s brain in 1996 published a paper claiming that Einstein’s brain had a thinner cerebral cortex and the neuron density in his brain was comparitively greater.
- Prof. Sandra Witelson and team, 1999, Ontario: In 1999, at Mc Master University in Ontario, Prof. Sandra Witelson, who at that time had a significantly larger brainbank was approached by Dr. Willian Harvey with regards to stuyding Einstein’s brain. Out of all the other researchers, Dr. Sandra was provided a significantly larger portion of Einstein’s brain to study. She led a team of researchers that studied Einstein’s brain using modern imaging techniques. They found that the parietal lobes of Einstein’s brain were larger than average, particularly in the area responsible for spatial reasoning. This finding supported earlier research on Einstein’s brain and led to speculation that his unique cognitive abilities were related to the structure of his brain.
Irrespective of the findings of these, and other, research, it isn’t absolutely clear as to where Einstein got his cognitive capabilities and imaginative power from. Walter Isaacson argues in the final chapter of his book that it was Einstein’s mind that needed to be studied and not his brain.
Abraham Pais, a physicist and colleague of Einstein’s, wrote this comprehensive biography of the scientist titled “Subtle is the Lord: The Science and the Life of Albert Einstein”. In it, he discusses the controversy surrounding the preservation of Einstein’s brain and the mixed results of the studies done on it. He also notes that Einstein himself was skeptical of attempts to reduce intelligence to purely biological factors.
Here’s what I think
The cognitive capabilities of Albert Einstein were deeply influenced by his insatiable curiosity and his passionate pursuit of scientific understanding. Einstein’s tireless drive to question established theories and seek out new knowledge was a hallmark of his approach to science. His passion for his work also helped him to stay focused and persevere through the challenges of scientific discovery. In Einstein’s own words he once said,
“I have no special talents, I’m only passionately curious.”
By cultivating his curiosity and passion, he was able to think deeply and creatively about the mysteries of the universe. His relentless pursuit of scientific understanding ultimately led to groundbreaking discoveries in the fields of physics and mathematics that forever changed our understanding of the world around us.
Thank you so much for reading. If you liked this story don’t forget to press that clap icon as many times as you want. If you like my works and want to support me then you can become a medium member by using this link or Buy me a coffee ☕️. Keep following for more such stories.
