Leading Article: A theory of relativity
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.SIZE DOES seem to matter. The boffins dissecting the brain of the ultimate boffin, Albert Einstein, have found that the shape of specific parts of his grey matter was different and that they were - relatively - larger than the average. Albert's neurons seem to have established more connections and worked together more easily. Hence his extraordinary capacity for three-dimensional thought, mathematical reasoning and, well, genius.
The suggestion that Einstein's intellect is simply down to the physical characteristics he was born with is a startling one. It raises some awkward questions about schooling - Albert's was erratic - and suggests that Edison got it the wrong way around when he said that genius is one per cent inspiration and 99 per cent perspiration. It may be the knockout blow in the old debate between nature and nurture. If nature really does count for all, then the next logical, and unsettling, step is for the prospective parents of dim children to commission genetic engineers to clone genius- grade brains for their unborn offspring. But it was Albert who said that "God does not play dice with the universe". Why should we?
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments