Albert Einstein, who revolutionized physics, is considered the epitome of genius. But what made him one of the greatest physicists of all time? Was there something different and special about his brain? Yes...
A new study, which examined 14 photographs of Einstein's brain, suggests that certain uncommon features of his brain could be related to his extraordinary cognitive abilities.
Note that after Einstein died in 1955, his brain was removed and photographed from multiple angles with the permission of his family. The brain was sectioned into approximately 240 blocks of tissues from which histological slides were prepared.
The study led by Florida State University evolutionary anthropologist Dean Falk compared the photographs of Einstein's brain to 85 "normal" human brains.
According to the researchers, while the overall size and asymmetrical shape of Einstein's brain were normal, the prefrontal, somatosensory, primary motor, parietal, temporal and occipital cortices were extraordinary. This uniqueness might explain the great physicist's remarkable cognitive abilities, for instance, visuospatial and mathematical abilities, says Falk.
The study titled, "The Cerebral Cortex of Albert Einstein: A Description and Preliminary Analysis of Unpublished Photographs," is published Nov. 16 in the journal Brain.
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