One of the most curious stories of science is what happened to the brain of this German-born American scientist after his death.
The modern, technology-enabled world we live in is built on the contribution of several brilliant minds. These geniuses have the most bizarre stories attached to their celebrated lives and careers which are out of the ordinary. One of the most curious curious stories about a genius is one which happened after the death of this German-born American scientist.
The genius scientist we are talking about is perhaps one of the most well-known across the world - Albert Einstein. However, not many know the curious case of the theft of Einstein’s brain which took place after the great physicist breathed his last. It involves a doctor stealing his brain, keeping parts of it hidden for years and even smuggling them in a cookie jar.
Thomas Harvey, who received Einstein’s body for routine autopsy, carved out the genius’ brain from his mortal remains without his family or any authority’s approval. Einstein had died on April 18, 1955 from an aortic aneurysm at the age of 76. Harvey was the pathologist at the Princeton Hospital at the time. The doctor believed that the grey matter of Einstein may give a clue into what spurred his genius and so decided to commit the shocking and unethical act.
Einstein had wished that his body be cremated after his death. While most of his body was turned into ashes as per his wish, Harvey decided to keep hold of the genius’ brain and even refused to surrender it to the hospital before eventually getting the nod of Einstein’s son to use his brain for scientific purposes. Harvey dissected part of Einstein’s brain and kept the rest in a jar. The eccentric doctor was fired from his job five years later in 1960.
The doctor, however, tried unsuccessfully for years to get experts to study Einstein’s brain. He kept the remains with him in a cardboard box as he changed jobs and moved cities. He reportedly brought the brain from the US to Canada in some cookie jars in his car’s trunk, effectively smuggling the brain. The customs did not believe Harvey when he tried to declare the unusual possession. The doctor finally returned Einstein’s brain to the University Medical Center of Princeton during his old days. One interesting observation from the photographs of the brain the doctor took showed that Einstein, who was famed for his brilliant mind, actually had a brain that was physically small in size.
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 "This genius’ brain was stolen after his death, was kept hidden for years, smuggled in a jar, he is....")
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