When Albert Einstein passed away in 1955, the world mourned the loss of a mind that had reshaped our understanding of the universe.
Yet, his story did not end with his death. In a twist as strange as any fiction, his brain began a journey of its own, filled with intrigue, controversy, and fascination.
Without seeking permission from Einstein’s family, pathologist Thomas Harvey removed the brain during the autopsy at Princeton Hospital.
Preserving Einstein's Brain
Harvey believed that studying it might unlock the secrets of Einstein’s genius. He preserved the brain in jars filled with formalin and later sliced it into hundreds of thin sections. Over time, he distributed portions to neuroscientists across the world.
The act itself sparked decades of ethical debate. Was it right to keep and study Einstein’s brain against his family’s wishes? Did science have the authority to trespass into such personal territory?
Harvey himself faced severe professional consequences and lived much of his later life in obscurity.
Scientific Research and Speculation
Despite the controversy, extensive research was conducted. Studies suggested unusual features in Einstein’s parietal lobe, linked to mathematical reasoning and visual-spatial skills.
Yet, many scientists dismissed these findings as speculative, arguing that no single anatomical feature could explain his extraordinary genius.
Pieces of Einstein’s brain eventually found their way into museums and medical centres, such as the Mütter Museum in Philadelphia, where small fragments remain on display.
Visitors gaze at them with awe, reflecting humanity’s enduring curiosity about the link between biology and brilliance.
Ironically, for someone whose very name has become a synonym for “genius,” Einstein’s reported IQ was around 160—high, but not unmatched!.
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