Albert Einstein (1879-1955) is a world renowned scientist whose concepts on the behaviour of electrons and protons (quantum theory) changed the way the world saw the universe. He also gave theories on time, space and relativity.
Due to Einstein’s work, lasers, space travel and televisions, computers have been developed. Without them, our lives would not have been so comfortable. Though this science was used for making atomic bombs, he remained a prominent campaigner for world peace. When he heard rumours of his theory paper leaking to Nazi scientists who were trying to split Uranium atom to make the atomic bomb, Einstein sent a letter to the U.S. President i.e. Franklin D. Roosevelt, asking him to tell the scientists of the U.S.A. to make a similar bomb. But before the Nazis could test their bomb, they were out of the war. So the U.S. took the opportunity and tested their bomb by dropping them on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. They killed at least 180,000 people and injured around 300,000 more.
It was Einstein’s last wish that after his death, his brain should be examined thoroughly so as to find out why he was such a genius. In the 1950s tests conducted on his brain showed no significant difference and therefore, the case of Einstein’s brain disappeared in the mist. It was however revived when a journalist for a London based newspaper wanted to see it and examine it in one piece.
So he called upon Dr. J. Howard, the person who has cut Einstein’s brain into 240 pieces. Since it was a mighty task finding all the 240 pieces, the journalist asked for photographs of the brain from all angles before it was cut. He then took these photos and converted them to a 3-D model so that it was easier to study the brain. He sent the 3-D image to the Florida Research Centre where they made astonishing discoveries. Firstly, it was discovered that the brain weighed only 1.35 kg, which was about 150 gm lesser than the weight of an average brain. Secondly, an area of the brain, responsible for concentration, was partly connected to other parts in the average brain, but it was fully connected to the other parts in Einstein’s brain. This meant that Einstein's brain had a defect which triggered the genius in him. This discovery brought up the issue whether one can become a genius by temporarily stopping a part of the brain from functioning. Many top scientists are currently working on the issue.
Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler. -Albert Einstein
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