Most of us are well-acquainted with Einstein’s impact on both science and pop culture. E=MC2, the classic tongue-out photo, the Nobel Prize. But did you know that Einstein’s brain continued a remarkable journey long after his death? In this episode of Smarticus Tells History, Marty shares the truly bizarre story of the theft of Einstein’s brain. Taken by an opportunistic pathologist during the autopsy, Einstein’s most valuable asset has spent the last nearly seven decades being sliced, diced, and shared among the scientific community. But will it ever reveal the secret to Einstein’s genius?

Highlights: 

The theft of Einstein’s brain infuriated his family but yielded no scientific value until nearly three decades after his death. Highlights of this week’s episode include: 

• A brief look at Einstein’s impactful scientific career
• Einstein’s death and the opportunity it presented to Dr. Thomas Harvey, who stole his brain during the autopsy
• How Einstein’s family reacted to the news and why Harvey was ultimately allowed to keep the brain
• How a newbie reporter unearthed the hiding place of Einstein’s brain in 1978
• A look at the scientific findings that have been published about the brain and why they should be taken with a grain of salt
• What happened to Einstein’s brain after Harvey died
• Where you can view slices of Einstein’s brain yourself

Links: 

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Sources: 

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/the-tragic-story-of-how-einsteins-brain-was-stolen-and-wasnt-even-special

https://allthatsinteresting.com/albert-einstein-brain

https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1921/einstein/biographical/

https://learnodo-newtonic.com/albert-einstein-accomplishments

https://www.biography.com/news/einstein-love-life-wives-affairs-letters

https://www.nytimes.com/1995/07/31/obituaries/dr-harry-zimmerman-93-dies-founded-albert-einstein-college.html

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/may/22/science.research

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/how-einsteins-brain-ended-mutter-museum-philadelphia-180954987/

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