What was wrong with Einstein's brain

When Einstein died of an aortic aneurysm at the age of 76, his body was cremated—but not before pathologist Dr. Thomas Harvey at Princeton Hospital removed his brain without proper authorization. Harvey preserved it, took dozens of photographs, and sliced it into over 200 pieces to send to researchers across the world.



For decades, most scientists saw no clear link between Einstein’s brain structure and his intellectual abilities. But in the 1980s and beyond, new studies using these samples began to find unusual features in several parts of his brain.


Unusual Anatomy, or Extraordinary Adaptation?

In 1985, a study found that Einstein’s brain had a larger-than-average inferior parietal lobe, a region involved in spatial reasoning and mathematical thought. It was also discovered that the Sylvian fissure—a groove that typically separates parts of the brain—was shorter than normal, potentially allowing neurons in that area to connect more freely. This could have enhanced Einstein’s ability to visualize complex concepts like relativity.


In 2012, a team led by anthropologist Dean Falk analyzed the photographs Harvey had taken and reported that Einstein’s brain had an unusual pattern of convolutions (gyri and sulci) in the prefrontal cortex, which is associated with planning and abstract thought. The motor cortex—responsible for movement—also showed rare configurations, possibly linked to Einstein’s well-known habit of “thought experiments,” where he imagined physical scenarios in his mind.


Another anomaly was that Einstein’s brain was 15% wider in the parietal lobe region than an average adult brain. Some researchers speculated this contributed to his superior visuospatial and mathematical abilities.


Was It Really “Different”?

Despite these findings, many neuroscientists caution against overinterpreting them. Einstein’s brain wasn’t abnormally large, nor was it malformed. The differences observed might not be unique to Einstein, and many of the studies had small sample sizes and lacked appropriate control brains for comparison. Critics argue that some conclusions could be cherry-picked or exaggerated due to the mystique surrounding Einstein’s name.


In other words, Einstein's brain wasn’t “wrong”—but it may have been unusually efficient or connected in specific ways. Whether these differences were genetic, the result of his lifelong intellectual activity, or a combination of both remains unclear.


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