Physical Characteristics
Shortly after Einstein’s death on 18th April, 1955, a pathologist named Thomas Harvey removed his brain and dissected it into 240 pieces. From this, he sent some tissue samples and photographs to interested researchers and soon after, a number of studies emerged. From these studies, questions on Einstein’s intelligence were uncovered, and some answered.
But as a whole, Einstein’s brain was not significantly different from any other human’s. His brain weighed 1.23 kilograms, while an average male brain weighs at 1.4 kilograms. However, there are more possible contributing factors to analyse his intelligence.
Physically, there are a few differences between the average human brains compared to Albert Einstein’s brain.
Early research discovered that Albert Einstein’s brain was in fact slightly smaller than the average human brain, weighing roughly 200g less. Furthermore, researchers found his brain to be 15% wider than the average. However, in June 1999, a different study concerning Einstein’s brain was published in a British Medical Journal. The aim of the study was to distinguish his brain to those of 35 other men of an average age of 57 years old. Through this experiment, many physical contrasting features were uncovered. Unlike the brain of the other 35 men, Einstein’s brain had an unusual pattern of grooves (sulci) on both left and right parietal lobes. The parietal lobe integrates sensory information from different modalities, particularly determining spatial sense and navigation. The parietal lobe includes two regions, such as the somatosensory cortex and the dorsal stream of the visual system. This therefore enables regions of the parietal lobe to map objects perceived visually body coordinate positions. This particular area of the parietal lobe is important for mathematical abilities, spatial reasoning as well as three-dimensional visualisation. Thus, Albert Einstein proved this thought to be correct due to his successes and achievements in maths, science and thinking.
Another physical characteristic of his brain was a very short lateral sulcus (or Sylvian fissure). The lateral sulcus is one of the most prominent features of the human brain, a deep large groove that divides the frontal lobe and the parietal lobe from the temporal lobe below. As Einstein’s Sylvian Fissure was truncated, it is speculated by researchers at McMaster University that the vacancy may have enabled neurons in this area of his brain to communicate better. Some researchers and scientists also hypothesise that the lack of a Sylvian Fissure may have allowed the brain cells to crowd in closer to one another, which thus enabled them to communicate much more efficiently than normal. This observation is linked to what Einstein perceived of himself, that he claimed that he thought visually rather than verbally.
In the 1980’s another experiment was set up to observe the ratio of glial cells (Neuroglia) in Einstein’s brain compared to that of 11 other preserved male brains. Glial cells are essentially non-neuronal cells that maintain homeostasis, form myelin and provide support and protection for neurons in the brain, as well as for other neurons in other parts of the nervous system. The four main functions of glial cells are:
1. To surround neurons and hold them in place.
2. To supply nutrients and oxygen to neurons.
3. To insulate one neuron from another
4. To destroy pathogens and remove dead neurons.
Additionally, they also participate in signal transmission and are the other integral component of the brain.
Professor Marian C. Diamond, who worked at the University of California, Berkeley took on this experiment. In her laboratory, she made thin sections of Einstein’s brain and then used a microscope to count the cells. The results revealed that Einstein’s brain did have much more glial cells relative to neurons. This basically meant that there were more glial cells for every neuron in Albert Einstein’s brain. However, this was only apparent in the left parietal area with the difference being significant. The part of the brain with these results was the Association Cortex, which are the regions of the brain responsible for incorporating and synthesising information from other brain regions. It may possibly explain Albert Einstein’s way of manipulating formula and information and how he integrated the messages transmitted to him.
Therefore to conclude, we can definitely say that Albert Einstein’s brain has at least three prominent features which distinguish it from the average human brain. As mentioned before, these include his unique pattern of sulci on his left and right parietal lobes, a short lateral sulcus (Sylvian Fissure) as well as a higher ratio of neuroglia cells in comparison to those of an average human brain. However, what we cannot confirm is whether the cause of his genius mind and intellectual abilities was solely reliant on these particular factors, or if not, what was the cause of these physical features.
But as a whole, Einstein’s brain was not significantly different from any other human’s. His brain weighed 1.23 kilograms, while an average male brain weighs at 1.4 kilograms. However, there are more possible contributing factors to analyse his intelligence.
Physically, there are a few differences between the average human brains compared to Albert Einstein’s brain.
Early research discovered that Albert Einstein’s brain was in fact slightly smaller than the average human brain, weighing roughly 200g less. Furthermore, researchers found his brain to be 15% wider than the average. However, in June 1999, a different study concerning Einstein’s brain was published in a British Medical Journal. The aim of the study was to distinguish his brain to those of 35 other men of an average age of 57 years old. Through this experiment, many physical contrasting features were uncovered. Unlike the brain of the other 35 men, Einstein’s brain had an unusual pattern of grooves (sulci) on both left and right parietal lobes. The parietal lobe integrates sensory information from different modalities, particularly determining spatial sense and navigation. The parietal lobe includes two regions, such as the somatosensory cortex and the dorsal stream of the visual system. This therefore enables regions of the parietal lobe to map objects perceived visually body coordinate positions. This particular area of the parietal lobe is important for mathematical abilities, spatial reasoning as well as three-dimensional visualisation. Thus, Albert Einstein proved this thought to be correct due to his successes and achievements in maths, science and thinking.
Another physical characteristic of his brain was a very short lateral sulcus (or Sylvian fissure). The lateral sulcus is one of the most prominent features of the human brain, a deep large groove that divides the frontal lobe and the parietal lobe from the temporal lobe below. As Einstein’s Sylvian Fissure was truncated, it is speculated by researchers at McMaster University that the vacancy may have enabled neurons in this area of his brain to communicate better. Some researchers and scientists also hypothesise that the lack of a Sylvian Fissure may have allowed the brain cells to crowd in closer to one another, which thus enabled them to communicate much more efficiently than normal. This observation is linked to what Einstein perceived of himself, that he claimed that he thought visually rather than verbally.
In the 1980’s another experiment was set up to observe the ratio of glial cells (Neuroglia) in Einstein’s brain compared to that of 11 other preserved male brains. Glial cells are essentially non-neuronal cells that maintain homeostasis, form myelin and provide support and protection for neurons in the brain, as well as for other neurons in other parts of the nervous system. The four main functions of glial cells are:
1. To surround neurons and hold them in place.
2. To supply nutrients and oxygen to neurons.
3. To insulate one neuron from another
4. To destroy pathogens and remove dead neurons.
Additionally, they also participate in signal transmission and are the other integral component of the brain.
Professor Marian C. Diamond, who worked at the University of California, Berkeley took on this experiment. In her laboratory, she made thin sections of Einstein’s brain and then used a microscope to count the cells. The results revealed that Einstein’s brain did have much more glial cells relative to neurons. This basically meant that there were more glial cells for every neuron in Albert Einstein’s brain. However, this was only apparent in the left parietal area with the difference being significant. The part of the brain with these results was the Association Cortex, which are the regions of the brain responsible for incorporating and synthesising information from other brain regions. It may possibly explain Albert Einstein’s way of manipulating formula and information and how he integrated the messages transmitted to him.
Therefore to conclude, we can definitely say that Albert Einstein’s brain has at least three prominent features which distinguish it from the average human brain. As mentioned before, these include his unique pattern of sulci on his left and right parietal lobes, a short lateral sulcus (Sylvian Fissure) as well as a higher ratio of neuroglia cells in comparison to those of an average human brain. However, what we cannot confirm is whether the cause of his genius mind and intellectual abilities was solely reliant on these particular factors, or if not, what was the cause of these physical features.