A new study suggests that Albert Einstein's extraordinary genius may
have been related to a uniquely shaped brain. Researchers compared Einstein's
brain to 85 'normal' human brains to determine, what, if any, unusual features
it possessed. 'Although the overall size and asymmetrical shape of Einstein's
brain were normal, the prefrontal, somatosensory, primary motor, parietal,
temporal and occipital cortices were extraordinary,' said Dean Falk, the Hale
G. Smith Professor of Anthropology at Florida State, told Science Daily. 'These may have provided the neurological underpinnings
for some of his visuospatial and mathematical abilities, for instance.'
Genius: Researchers now believe the unique shape of Einstein's brain may have helped boost his cognitive abilities
Using 14 recently discovered pictures of the genius' brain; Falks and
her colleagues were able to describe Einstein's entire cerebral cortex. Their study, 'The Cerebral Cortex of Albert Einstein: A Description and
Preliminary Analysis of Unpublished Photographs,' will be published Nov. 16 in
Brain, a journal on neurology.
Pioneer: Dean Falk and her colleagues were able to present for the first time a clear description of Einstein's cortex
Legend: Researchers used photos taken of Einstein's brain upon his death in 1955 to advance their findings
With permission from his family, Einstein's brain was removed and
photographed upon his death in 1955. It was even sectioned into 240 blocks to
make histological slides. The paper will also outline a 'roadmap' to Einstein's
brain made in 1955 by Dr. Thomas Harvey. Most of those photos, blocks, and
slides have been lost from the public eye, and the photographs used by Falk's
team are held by the National Museum of Health and Medicine.
Source: Daily Mail UK
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