See photos of Einstein's brain

 

Sunday 18 November 2012 10:52 EST
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An actual human brain displayed inside a glass box, as part of an interactive exhbition 'Brain: a world inside your head', in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on August 21, 2009
An actual human brain displayed inside a glass box, as part of an interactive exhbition 'Brain: a world inside your head', in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on August 21, 2009 (Getty Images)

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We all know Albert Einstein was a pretty brainy guy, but did his intelligence manifest in any cerebral abnormalities?

Researchers at the Department of Anthropology in Florida State University have produced a study which compares observations of the physical characteristics of Einstein's brain (which was removed after his death in 1955) with a "road map" created by scientists in the 50s.

"Amongst the observations made by the team was that Einstein had an 'extraordinary prefrontal cortex' -- something which could relate to the brain structures underlying his extraordinary cognitive skills, particularly his talent for thought experiments," writes Philippa Warr in Wired. "Also of note were Einstein's unusual parietal lobes -- which have been previously linked to his visuospatial and mathematical abilities."

You can see pictures of Einstein's actual brain (not the one pictured above) in the study.

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