When Albert Einstein died on April 18, 1955, the world mourned the loss of one of its greatest minds. But as the story goes, something unusual happened in the aftermath of his passing. The question that has intrigued many is: when Albert Einstein died, was his brain stolen?
The story of Einstein’s brain being stolen began shortly after his death. According to reports, Dr. Thomas Harvey, the pathologist who performed the autopsy on Einstein, decided to keep the brain for further study. Dr. Harvey was a dedicated scientist who believed that Einstein’s brain held the secrets to his genius. However, when he approached the Einstein family for permission to study the brain, they refused. In an attempt to save the brain from destruction, Dr. Harvey decided to take it without permission.
Dr. Harvey kept Einstein’s brain in a jar of formaldehyde for the next 40 years. During this time, he performed numerous studies on the brain, hoping to uncover the mysteries behind Einstein’s remarkable intellect. Despite the secrecy surrounding the brain, rumors began to spread that it had been stolen.
The story of Einstein’s stolen brain became a topic of fascination and debate. Some believed that the brain held the key to unlocking the secrets of human intelligence, while others thought it was a mere curiosity. Regardless of the intentions, the question remained: was Einstein’s brain stolen?
In 1997, Dr. Harvey finally decided to donate Einstein’s brain to the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. The college agreed to preserve the brain and make it available for research. This move brought an end to the mystery of Einstein’s stolen brain, but it also raised new questions about the ethics of studying a famous individual’s remains.
The study of Einstein’s brain has provided scientists with valuable insights into the structure and function of the human brain. Researchers have found that Einstein’s brain was indeed unique, with an unusual number of glial cells and a larger prefrontal cortex, which is associated with abstract thinking. However, it is still unclear whether these differences directly contributed to Einstein’s genius.
In conclusion, when Albert Einstein died, his brain was indeed stolen. The subsequent study of the brain has provided fascinating insights into the nature of human intelligence. While the mystery of the stolen brain has been solved, the question of whether Einstein’s brain held the key to his genius remains a topic of debate among scientists and enthusiasts alike.
