Einstein’s Brain Was Stolen And Went Missing For Decades
Introduction
In 1955, one of the most brilliant minds in human history, Albert Einstein, passed away. What followed after his death was a bizarre and shocking incident that left the world in awe. Einstein’s brain was stolen and went missing for several decades. In this article, we will delve into the mystery surrounding the theft of Einstein’s brain and how it eventually resurfaced.
Who Stole Einstein’s Brain?
On April 18, 1955, Einstein passed away at the age of 76 in Princeton Hospital. Within hours of his death, his body was taken to the hospital’s morgue. It was at this point that the story takes a strange turn. According to reports, Thomas Harvey, a pathologist who had never met Einstein, performed an autopsy on Einstein’s body and removed his brain without the consent of his family.
The Reasons Behind the Theft
The question arises, why did Thomas Harvey decide to take Einstein’s brain? There were many rumors surrounding the theft, including the possibility that Harvey was hoping to discover the secret behind Einstein’s genius. However, the real reason behind the theft was far less glamorous. In fact, it was a spur of the moment decision made by Harvey himself. He later explained that he wanted to study Einstein’s brain to see if there was anything unique about it that could explain his exceptional intellect.
The Aftermath
After Harvey removed Einstein’s brain, he faced severe backlash from the scientific community and Einstein’s family. However, he managed to convince Einstein’s family to let him keep the brain for further study. For the next few decades, Harvey travelled around the world with Einstein’s brain, hoping to unlock its secrets. He even cut the brain into several pieces to share with other scientists.
The Discovery of Einstein’s Stolen Brain
In the 1980s, the whereabouts of Einstein’s brain became a mystery. Harvey had moved to Kansas with the brain, but it had been misplaced. It wasn’t until 1998 that the brain was discovered in a basement at Princeton University, where it had been stored for over two decades. In 2000, a team of researchers led by Sandra Witelson, a neuroscientist at McMaster University, conducted a study on Einstein’s brain. The study revealed that the inferior parietal region of Einstein’s brain was 15% wider than that of an average brain.
Conclusion
The theft of Einstein’s brain is one of the most bizarre incidents in scientific history. The decision by Thomas Harvey to take Einstein’s brain without the consent of his family sparked a decades-long controversy. The brain went missing for several decades, until it was finally discovered and studied. Despite the controversy surrounding the theft, the study conducted on Einstein’s brain revealed that his brain was indeed unique and may have contributed to his exceptional intellect.
