Indisputably, Albert Einstein was one of the greatest scientific minds in history. The holy grail of genius, he is perhaps the most recognized modern day scientist. But the story about his brain is almost too fantastical, too extraordinary to believe.
What was it about Einstein's brain that enabled him to understand space, time, mass, and energy in a way that would change the world? Thanks to the pathologist that performed his autopsy and removed his brain without the consent of his family, scientists have been exploring that question since his death in 1955.
Harvey sliced Einstein’s brain into 240 pieces. He sent small slivers to a handful of scientists around the world and waited for them to report back with their findings. As he waited for the elite fraternity of his hand picked experts to unlock the secrets of this great mind, Harvey kept the remainder of Einstein’s brain tucked safely away in two mason jars.
Harvey seemed eager to share the story of his most epic autopsy. It didn't take long for him to reveal something even more epic: Einstein's brain was right there in that office! Hidden behind a Styrofoam beer cooler tucked inside an old Costa Cider box under some crumpled newspapers was a mason jar that contained unmistakable chunks of brain. Harvey confirmed they were the remains of Einstein’s cerebellum, cerebral cortex, and aortic vessels.
This discovery cemented the concept of whole-brain learning and its impact on our capacity to learn.
The difference between the best and the rest may lie in the ability to nurture and think with the whole brain and create the conditions necessary for deeper cognition and enlightened understanding. Einstein would be proud to know that he continues to make monumental contributions to science long after his death. As for Thomas Harvey, he never realized the full impact of his actions on that day in Princeton Hospital back in 1955. He died in 2007 at the age of 94.