The genius brain of Einstein

Albert Einstein, one of the most well known scientist in history, has travelled to many countries and contributed greatly to the field of science.

Einstein passed away when he was 76 years old, on the 18th of April 1955 at Princeton Hospital in New Jersey. Though it has been more than half a century since his death, his legacy remains in the form of ideas, theories, and his life story. 

His body was cremated in a religious ceremony, yet none of his family members knew that the brain of the renowned physicist was missing. The pathologist who conducted Einstein’s autopsy, Dr. Thomas S. Harvey, removed Einstein’s brain without the permission of his family. Dr. Harvey then conduct various studies on the brain of the late physicist, first preserving the brain and then cut into 240 pieces for observation under the microscope. Some parts of the brain were sent to experts in different fields to study, but Dr. Harvey kept most of Einstein’s brain.

This led to a big controversy, deeming the Dr.’s action as unethical, causing him to constantly move away and seek refuge elsewhere to escape the backlash. Yet he still kept Einstein’s preserved brain with him.

In 1966, Dr. Harvey moved back to Princeton and made the decision to give the remaining preserved brain of Einstein to Dr. Elliot Krauss, who was the pathologist at Princeton Hospital at that time.

Thus, a new study on Einstein’s genius began again.

The team at Princeton Hospital brought together all the remaining parts of Einstein’s brain, took various photographs to build a 3D image of what the brain may have looked like on the day of the autopsy. What was found was baffling…Albert Einstein’s brain weighed only 1,230 grams, while the average adult human brain weighed at 1,400  

gram. Despite the mass, the team of scientists found that his brain was dense with neurons, much more than the average person.  

Furthermore, research into Einstein’s corpus callosum, the nerve fibers that connect the two hemispheres of the brain, showed high connections between the two hemispheres. Researchers suggested that it was possible that this special brain structure allowed Albert Einstein to think and imagine in such a rich and profound way, more than words can even describe.

To quote a famous saying by the man himself:

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.” – Albert Einstein

At this moment, Einstein’s preserved brain is being kept at Princeton Hospital, the same place where it was stolen more than 50 years ago.

Story from Khaosod newspaper, published on Monday 7^th March 2005.