6 ms·

I found Einstein's Brain

66 points by steven 11y ago

tzm 11y ago
> The next piece of news would come from me. Although the article is fascinating, I don't buy the dramatic claim. I grew up in southwest Missouri (near the Kansas border) and have read this (typeof) story before. It may not be widely known, but it wasn't a deep secret as far I knew. Einstein's brain was in Kansas and with a scientist. I've seen pictures of it in previous articles growing up as a kid. I remember this fondly actually as it was just as fascinating then as it is now.
- crazypyro 11y ago
  The story/article being described was originally written and published in 1978. Are you saying it was common knowledge before 1978 that his brain was in Kansas?
  - tzm 11y ago
    No. Thanks for clarifying. The article wasn't immediately obvious. Appears to be the same author talking about it again, this time on Medium.
kqr2 11y ago
There is also a quirky documentary about a Japanese professor who searches for Einstein's brain: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0192519/ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0192519/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relics:_Einstein%27s_Brain http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relics:_Einstein%27s_Brain
- static_noise 11y ago
  This documentary is really something out of the ordinary. I am torn between "they can't be serious" and "you can't make that up".
  - rwmj 11y ago
    Especially when William Burroughs turns up in it. I recall when it was on TV, and people were wondering if it was a fake or not (it seemed so obviously fake). And then it turns out to be real.
darkhorn 11y ago
I don't think that this is specific only to Einstein. Probably European Jews have similar brains. We all know their success in science.
Codhisattva 11y ago
Oddly enough - no mention of this book. Great read - highly recommended. http://www.amazon.com/Driving-Mr-Albert-America-Einsteins/dp/038533303X http://www.amazon.com/Driving-Mr-Albert-America-Einsteins/dp...
- crazypyro 11y ago
  Is this a different story than the one referenced by the link? "It led to some unfortunate consequences, such as the episode in which he agreed to accompany a writer on a cross-country road trip, with the brain in the back seat. It made for an amusing narrative, but the account stripped dignity from both Harvey and poor Albert Einstein’s biomass."
marincounty 11y ago
"His health was failing; he had been told that he suffered from a heart aneurism. His response: “Let it burst.” I will always remember that quote.
- Kenji 11y ago
  A man who made peace with the fact that he's mortal. A rarity in western society.
  - eurleif 11y ago
    I'm so at peace with being mortal, I've stopped eating food. Why would I want to put effort into staying alive longer when I'm mortal anyway?
asciimo 11y ago
There a reference at the foot of the article to the author's TEDx talk on the "matter." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9_jWyHycIY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9_jWyHycIY

66 points by steven 11y ago

tzm 11y ago

> The next piece of news would come from me. Although the article is fascinating, I don't buy the dramatic claim. I grew up in southwest Missouri (near the Kansas border) and have read this (typeof) story before. It may not be widely known, but it wasn't a deep secret as far I knew. Einstein's brain was in Kansas and with a scientist. I've seen pictures of it in previous articles growing up as a kid. I remember this fondly actually as it was just as fascinating then as it is now.

crazypyro 11y ago
The story/article being described was originally written and published in 1978. Are you saying it was common knowledge before 1978 that his brain was in Kansas?
- tzm 11y ago
  No. Thanks for clarifying. The article wasn't immediately obvious. Appears to be the same author talking about it again, this time on Medium.

kqr2 11y ago

There is also a quirky documentary about a Japanese professor who searches for Einstein's brain: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0192519/ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0192519/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relics:_Einstein%27s_Brain http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relics:_Einstein%27s_Brain

static_noise 11y ago
This documentary is really something out of the ordinary. I am torn between "they can't be serious" and "you can't make that up".
- rwmj 11y ago
  Especially when William Burroughs turns up in it. I recall when it was on TV, and people were wondering if it was a fake or not (it seemed so obviously fake). And then it turns out to be real.

darkhorn 11y ago

I don't think that this is specific only to Einstein. Probably European Jews have similar brains. We all know their success in science.

Codhisattva 11y ago

Oddly enough - no mention of this book. Great read - highly recommended. http://www.amazon.com/Driving-Mr-Albert-America-Einsteins/dp/038533303X http://www.amazon.com/Driving-Mr-Albert-America-Einsteins/dp...

crazypyro 11y ago
Is this a different story than the one referenced by the link? "It led to some unfortunate consequences, such as the episode in which he agreed to accompany a writer on a cross-country road trip, with the brain in the back seat. It made for an amusing narrative, but the account stripped dignity from both Harvey and poor Albert Einstein’s biomass."

marincounty 11y ago

"His health was failing; he had been told that he suffered from a heart aneurism. His response: “Let it burst.” I will always remember that quote.

Kenji 11y ago
A man who made peace with the fact that he's mortal. A rarity in western society.
- eurleif 11y ago
  I'm so at peace with being mortal, I've stopped eating food. Why would I want to put effort into staying alive longer when I'm mortal anyway?

asciimo 11y ago

There a reference at the foot of the article to the author's TEDx talk on the "matter." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9_jWyHycIY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9_jWyHycIY