Finding Einstein’s Brain Cont’d

So as you read last week, there was a lot of drama in recovering and studying Einstein’s brain. So the question becomes: Did we ever get an accurate study?

Well, in 2013 a study was published in the journal Brain that showed that Einstein’s corpus callosum was thicker than a normal person’s. The corpus callosum is the part of the brain that links the left hemisphere and the right hemisphere.

If you didn’t know, each hemisphere is in charge of a different job. The left hemisphere is in charge of language, logic, and math and acts as the control center for the right side of the body. The right hemisphere is in charge of more abstract thought, is associated with creative activity, and acts as a control center for the left side of the body. As such, if Einstein’s brain did have this difference, it would mean that Einstein’s genius level intellect stemmed from his brain’s ability to bridge these two forms of thought that often seem to oppose one another.

This study used the brains of both the elderly and healthy, young men to compare the physicist’s brain to and their findings were corroborated by simultaneous studies focusing on the photos of Einstein’s brain taken after his death.

While this study is certainly more credible than prior studies, it doesn’t completely lack issues. The comparisons are, while not necessarily comparing apples to orange, but seem more like comparing Granny Smith to your home garden. While the study was blind, any differences still aren’t necessarily just because it’s Einstein’s brain compared to everyone else ever, but because it was different than the brains used. More comprehensive studies with brains of equal merit would be more beneficial to determine what makes genius.

Also, even if this difference is accurate, that doesn’t mean it is what accounts for Einstein’s brilliance. The brain, intellect, personhood are all sums that are much greater than their parts. As such, one difference between Einstein’s brain and average probably doesn’t account for the difference between Einstein and average.