brain

Anxious people get sick less because their brain detects risks before the rest

by

There is a deeply rooted stereotype in our society: the anxious person, the one who worries about everything, the one who checks their symptoms on the internet at three in the morning, is condemned to live less. We tend to think that constant stress, that label of being the “pussy” or the “anxious” of the group, is a one-way ticket to physical and mental exhaustion. However, science has given a fascinating twist to this belief. What if living in a state of alert was not a factory defect, but a sophisticated survival mechanism? Psychology and medicine have begun to discover an extraordinary paradox: always being on alert has a hidden reward. Certain levels of anxiety and constant worry make people less sick from serious ailments, simply because their brain works as an anticipatory radar that detects risks long before the rest of us, allowing them to dodge bullets that the most “relaxed” do not even see coming. The dual nature of neuroticism For decades, the medical community has warned about the dangers of neuroticismdefining it as the general tendency of an individual to experience negative emotions such as worry, depression, irritability and emotional instability. Traditionally, it has been associated with a greater susceptibility to physical and mental disorders, a lower quality of life and, epidemiologically, with a higher risk of mortality. However, as explained in an article published in the scientific journal Science Bulletinwe were missing half the movie by ignoring the evolutionary perspective. From this point of view, having minimal reactions to threatening stimuli—that is, being an extremely relaxed person or with very low neuroticism—is generally not advantageous for survival. To mitigate risks and ensure survival, both animals and our human ancestors needed automatic responses to immediate and future threats. This biological need manifests itself through adaptive emotions such as fear and its anticipatory form: anxiety. The study even rescues an ancient Chinese proverb that perfectly summarizes this philosophy of survival: “Life springs from pain and calamity; death comes from ease and pleasure.” Thus, scientists propose that neuroticism is a paradox. It has evolved in different dimensions to adapt to ecological and cultural changes, influencing our lifestyle in very diverse ways. The claim of the worried We all know someone who is hypersensitive to environmental risks, or perhaps we ourselves suffer from that constant worry about health, the future or security. This new scientific approach offers gigantic emotional validation: that anxiety is not necessarily a weakness, but rather an ancient protective shield. Understanding this changes the rules of the game. It shows us that channeling this hypervigilance well translates into tangible benefits. That inner voice that forces you to go to the doctor when you notice a strange mole, the one that makes you put on your seat belt without thinking or the one that stops you from making a reckless decision, is the evolutionary legacy of your ancestors keeping you alive. But this is not just an abstract evolutionary theory; Clinical data are already demonstrating this. To understand how anxiety saves our lives, we have to look under the hood of personality. Recent large-scale research, such as the macro study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychologyhave shown after analyzing more than half a million people that our personality traits are a key driver that directly impacts our mortality risk. Going one step further to break down which parts of that personality protect us, an exhaustive meta-analysis published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research analyzed longitudinal data from six studies with 335,715 participants. Their conclusion was blunt: putting all anxiety and neuroticism in the same bag masks vital relationships between personality and health. Researchers found that neuroticism has different “facets,” and not all of them are bad. While traits such as pessimism or cynicism increase the risk of mortality, there are other dimensions that act as real life jackets. The survival mechanism has two aspects: The “Worried-Vulnerable” facet: Data revealed that people with high scores on this dimension have a reduced risk of dying from all causes, highlighting significant reductions in mortality from cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and respiratory diseases. As explained in the studyWorried people tend to be extremely vigilant about their health care. They become concerned at the slightest symptom and seek medical help much sooner, resulting in early diagnoses and life-saving treatments. The “Inadequacy” facet: Characterized by shyness and the feeling of incompetence in the face of adversity, surprisingly also reduces mortality. The key here is danger avoidance: these people are much more cautious and less likely to expose themselves to cumulative risks over time. On the contrary, the study confirm that the destructive facets are cynicism and pessimism, since these individuals tend to abandon themselves, smoke more and, above all, underuse health care services. The reward comes with age If youth and early adulthood are the battlefield where our “threat radar” (neuroticism) works overtime to keep us alive, old age is the time to reap the rewards. There is a false belief that older people become grumpy or rigid. However, the psychology has been demonstrating for decades that aging is, in reality, a process of psychological refinement. Based on the theory of the big five personality traits (Big Five), it has been observed that the passage of time sculpts us for the better. After the age of 60, an astonishing positive evolution occurs. Conscientiousness increases (we become more responsible and focused), kindness increases and, most importantly in this context, neuroticism drops dramatically. The emotional storms of youth and that constant hypervigilance that protected us from danger give way to profound emotional regulation and calm. The human brain appears to be programmed to prioritize stability and social cohesion as we age. Furthermore, current research shows a clear “advantage boomer“. Those born between 1946 and 1964 are aging better than their predecessors, maintaining high levels of extraversion, curiosity and personal agency. Reports like the Mental State of the World by Sapien Labs reflect a generation gap where those over 65 and 70 years old … Read more

We knew that octopuses were very intelligent. But not to the point of having a “brain” in each arm

by

Octopuses are invertebrate animals, but the absence of a central nervous system like that of birds or mammals does not make their brains less interesting than the rest. Brains, emphasizing the plural since neuronal systems of each of its extremities They have a degree of independence, which leads many to consider them as such. A nervous system not at all central. In January 2025, a group of researchers has studied the nervous systems of these cephalopods to better understand how these nine neural organs operate together and to what extent they maintain their independence. What they observed is that each of these brains had the ability to operate individually. The team responsible for the study believes that it is thanks to the unique segmentation of the nervous system of octopuses that these animals achieve the level of skill in the management of extremely flexible organs that serve these animals to move, feed, sense their environment, and even copulate. “If you are going to have a nervous system that is going to control such dynamic movement, that is a good way to organize it,” explained in a press release Clifton Ragsdale, co-author of the study. “We think it’s a feature that evolved specifically in soft-bodied cephalopods with suction cups to carry out these worm-like movements.” Studying segmentation. The study focused on segmentation of this curious neuronal system, analyzing the distribution and function of the neurons in these arms, taking as reference an octopus of the species Octopus bimaculatus. Neurons that together add up to a greater number than the neurons located in the “central brain” of the animal, which is responsible for coordinating actions that require the use of various arms. These neurons in the extremities are concentrated, explains the teaminto an axial nerve chord (ANC), which “snakes” the limb to each of the animal’s suction cups. Neural columns. The ANC analysis showed that neurons in the octopus’s limbs were grouped into “columns” that in turn formed segments that the team compared to corrugated pipes. The segments were in turn separated by gaps called “septa” from which nerves and blood vessels made their way to the muscles of the limb. “From a modeling perspective, the best way to organize a control system for this long and flexible arm would be to divide it into segments,” Cassady Olson added.co-author of the study. “There must be some kind of communication between the segments, which you can imagine attenuates their movements.” Job details can be found in an article published in the magazine Nature Communications. Much to investigate. In fact, a subsequent joint study between Florida Atlantic University and the Marine Biological Laboratory analyzed 4,000 arm movements, captured on video, from three different species and came to a surprising conclusion: although all arms can perform any movement, according to his research, the front arms are used for exploration, while the rear arms are used for everything that has to do with movement. The arms of octopuses are very versatile limbs that allow this animal to navigate the seabed, but also, through their suction cups, allow these octopods to perceive the world around them, hunt and feed on their prey. Knowing the details of the functioning of such complex limbs will still require new research. In Xataka | Octopuses are not aliens, and scientists have had to come out to explain why Image | Theasereje, CC BY-SA 4.0 This article was originally published in 2025, but we have updated it with new information

Science explains why your brain prefers paper to keyboard to learn

by

In an era dominated by mechanical keyboards, touch screens and cutting-edge tablets, the ancestral gesture of slide a pen over the paper seems like an anachronism reserved for people who haven’t updated. And this is a reality in areas of study such as, for example, universities, where it is rare to see someone studying by hand. But the reality is that, to be much more productive while studying, it may be best to put the laptop aside and start writing. The ‘magic’ of the pen. Here science, in its different disciplines, has concluded that taking notes by hand significantly improves retention and comprehension compared to actively using digital devices. And it’s not a question of romanticism, it’s a question of neural processing. A transcription effect. One of the pillars of this evidence is in a study published in 2014 which pointed out that students who use laptops to take notes become authentic transcribers of what the teacher says. And we have reached the point where many people can write faster than teachers speak and become “transcription machines” without processing the information. and stay with what is most important. I have even seen that even jokes end up being copied. On the contrary, who writes by hand You can’t write it all down. This requires you to engage in active cognitive processing: you must listen, digest, synthesize, and rephrase the idea in your own words. This “desirable difficulty” generates a much deeper encoding in memory that lasts even a week after the study. Better paper. Beyond the transcription effect, neuroscience has confirmed that the benefit is not only strategic, but also physical. Here, a study from 2021 published by the University of Tokyo demonstrated using electroencephalograms that handwriting activates brain areas critical for memory, language and fine movement. This is why, when using a pen, it has been seen that the hippocampus is significantly activated, which is essential for memory and spatial coding of information. But it does not stop there, since up to 25% more neuronal connectivity has been detected in complex tasks when the analog method is used. This explains why students in highly demanding careers tend to perform better cognitively when they opt for neural methods such as engineering. Less distractions. Beyond neurons, paper offers a competitive advantage in the study environment, since it is a closed system. This is very important because a tablet or laptop It is also a tool with open doors to notificationssocial networks and messaging apps that can be a temptation when it comes to interrupting the study quite easily. In addition, it facilitates word recognition and visual memorization, something vital for competitive exams or high-level exams such as a competition. And while well-designed digital notes may be superior for quickly remembering a single fact, paper wins by a landslide in conceptual understanding. Images | yanalya in Magnific In Xataka | The 2-7-30 method has become one of the fashionable systems to study faster. Science has doubts

It’s your “hypertrophied” amygdala resetting your brain.

by

When we are sad or stressed, it is easy to let out a deep sigh almost automatically, which draws a lot of attention to those around us, who immediately understand that something ‘bad’ is happening to us. And it is not because there is a lack of oxygen, nor is it a reflex from the lungs, but rather it has an origin that could be in the amygdala of our brain. What do we know? Recently, the neuroscientist and popularizer Nazareth Castellanos pointed out to amygdala hypertrophy as one of the causes of these stress-related sighs. And here the bibliography agrees when it comes to saying that our brain ‘gets fat’ due to stress and forces us to sigh, although with some nuances. The amygdala It is nothing more than a small almond-shaped structure that acts as a large threat radar in our brain, and is responsible, for example, that we are afraid. Under normal conditions, its activity is perfectly regulated, but in the face of chronic stress and constant anxiety, its function and structure are altered, causing any slightest thing to cause anxiety. And although the term “tonsil hypertrophy” is a great informative formulation To understand what is happening, science allows us to talk about an increase in activity and its volume, as was seen in different imaging studies which pointed out that an increase in volume in the first years of life is directly linked to a greater intensity of symptoms. The sigh. But… What does the increase in the amygdala have to do with breathing if they are elements that are very far away? To understand it, we must keep in mind that when the amygdala increases its functions enough, it has a function of “hijacking” the emotional responseand one of its first hostages is the respiratory system. Because? According to researchers and popularizers, in a state of anxiety the amygdala causes an abnormal prolongation of the pause we make just after exhaling the air. It is a kind of “induced apnea” or temporary respiratory block. And to compensate for this imbalance and that pause that exists after expelling the air, the body rebalances and It physically translates into a long, deep sigh. In this way, it is not that we are short of breath when we are stressed, but rather it is the overactive amygdala directly influencing respiratory patterns related to mood. And this is something that is not literally found in a neurology manual, but it does have an important scientific basis to point out that hyperactivation of the amygdala alters our breathing. Images | freepik In Xataka | Scientists have discovered something strange: city birds are more afraid of women than men

science explains what happens to your body (and your brain) depending on the time you choose

by

In social circles, the truth is that there are sometimes very interesting debates about common customs, such as whether it is better to shower first thing in the morning or just before getting into bed. Here, while there is a group of people who defend tooth and nail the revitalizing power of water in the morning to “start” the day, others say that there is nothing like hot water at night to conclude sleep. And here science has something to say. It makes us sleep better. If you have trouble falling asleep, the science here suggests that a nighttime shower may be a good idea, and explained in a meta-analysis published in 2019 in the magazine Sleep Medicine which analyzed 17 different studies. Here it was concluded that bathing or showering with hot water between one and two hours before going to bed reduces the time to fall asleep by approximately 36%. Because? Here hot water is our main ally, since it warms the skin and, therefore, increases blood flow to the extremities such as the hands and feet. From here, when you get out of the shower, that heat dissipates quickly, causing a drop in the body’s core temperature. And this is the key, because this thermal drop mimics the natural cooling that our body experiences before sleeping, which sends an unequivocal signal to the brain to release melatonin, which is the sleep hormone, and reduce levels of cortisol, which is related to stress. It depends on the time. From a psychological point of view, morning and night showers fulfill completely opposite functions and it depends precisely on the time at which we take them. In the case of the morning showerthe goal is increase performance with the activation of the sympathetic system by stimulating muscle tone and, above all, preparing us for the stress of the day. In the case of the night shower, as we have said before, an attempt is made to activate the parasympathetic system with a longer and more leisurely duration of the shower with the aim of reducing the accumulated physical and mental tension, fulfilling the function of an authentic ritual of transition and disconnection. According to psychology. Here we enter territory that is not so clear, but which indicates, for example, that people who prefer a shower at night do so because they have a lower tolerance for dirt, which is why they prefer to remove all the sweat of the day before going to bed. But it is also noted that people who prefer solitude tend to prefer nighttime showers, precisely because, after a day full of stimuli, the bathroom becomes a capsule of sensory disconnection. In the end, it is a way to relax from everything that has happened throughout the day. Images | freepik In Xataka | Cooling down is the forgotten step in our exercise routines. And that affects how we shower

The truth behind the medical milestone that has returned activity to a frozen brain

by

One of the wishes of many people is to live forever and they may have in mind ending up with their head stuck in a jar like in the Futurama series or becoming cryogenized for an eternity until the key to eternal life is found. But we are still quite far from that, although right now science has been able to recover the activity of a brain after ‘killing’ it. Far from the resurrection. In recent days we have been sold the idea that we are facing a new way of ‘resurrecting’ the dead or achieving the wish of eternal life, but the reality is that the latest thing science has done is recover short-term functional activity in mouse brain tissue after subjecting it to vitrification. What was done. Historically, the great enemy of cryopreservation of human tissue have been ice crystals. This is because when we freeze tissue, the water in the cells expands and crystallizes, perforating the cell membranes and destroying the structure from within, making it impossible for that tissue to come back to life. Something that generates a lot of damage and that goes against the famous cryogenization cabins that promise to wake us up in the future when science has advanced a lot. But now, instead of traditional freezing, the latest experiment used powerful cryoprotectants and took mouse brain tissue to -150ºC. This process transforms the liquids into a glass-like state, preventing the formation of these crystals, and when they wanted to ‘awaken’ the tissue again, ultra-rapid reheating was simply done to prevent crystallization from destroying the samples. What was achieved. The original article shows extraordinary results, since the amount of neuronal properties that survived were many by ensuring that the cells did not collapse and the tissue returned to consuming energy normally. In addition, the neurons maintained their ability to fire signals and also the possibility of creating new connection networks, which is essential for learning and memory. Why does it matter? As he warns Nature Newsthese results must be read with caution, since it is mouse tissue, not a complete human brain. And recovering electrical activity in a cut of the hippocampus is not equivalent to restoring the consciousness, identity or life of an entire animal, much less a person. But even if they do not manage to pause our definitive death, the reality is that this can be crucial in the field of research by facilitating the transport and storage of brain samples for study in other places. But it will also allow drugs to be tested on actual brain tissue that has been preserved, perhaps reducing the need to sacrifice so many experimental animals. Images | rawpixel.com on Freepik In Xataka | Alzheimer’s leaves its mark decades before showing its face: keeping vitamin D at bay is already a promising shield

Our brain is “rotting” based on infinite scrolling. Someone has left their cell phone for 14 days to see if there is a way back

by

Today it is a reality that most of us live glued to a screen, and this is something that is documented in studies that point out, for example, that on average we review an average of 200 times the phone throughout the day, which is equivalent to looking at it approximately every five minutes. In fact, 46% of users consider themselves “dependent” on the device and 53% say they have never spent more than 24 hours without it. But what really happens in our heads if we decide to cut corners and return to the analog era? A test. To answer this question, CNN journalist Bill Weir decided to test this premise to commemorate Apple’s 50th anniversary. In this way, for 14 days Weir kept his iPhone in a box and replaced it with a basic phone like the ones we had 15 years ago, with which we could only send SMS with a non-touch keyboard and a low-resolution camera. From here the sensations he had were observed, but a group of scientists behind him were also monitoring his brain through brain scans. The results. After two weeks of disconnection, the journalist’s reaction times improved by 23%, and his brain activity also increased significantly, causing his brain connectivity to become more coordinated and organized. Subjectively, Weir experienced a much better recovery in his ability to concentrate and also noted a sharp decrease in the need to consume social media after the first week. The changes. It is no coincidence that the term “brain rot”, translated as brain rot, was crowned the neologism of the year in 2024 for the Oxford dictionary, since it is a concept closely linked to be swiping all the time with your mobile. And clearly the excessive use of smartphones and all the applications they contain is leaving a physical mark on our brain anatomy. It’s proven. MRI-based research, including a National Library of Medicine publication in 2023, they point out that problematic smartphone use is associated with a reduction in gray matter in the brain. And if we go into something more specific, it was seen that there was a smaller volume in the anterior cingulate cortex, the orbitofrontal cortex, the fusiform gyrus and the striatum. These areas are fundamental for emotional regulation, decision making and impulse control, making these alterations similar to those observed in addictions to harmful substances such as drugs. And supported. A study published in 2025 analyzed individuals for 72 hours without a mobile phone using functional magnetic resonance imaging, and the results indicated that withdrawal triggered brain activations identical to those of addictive withdrawal syndromes, followed by notable cognitive improvements. Digital amnesia. Beyond anatomy, our daily cognitive abilities are in free fall, and science suggests that the average attention time before an interruption has gone from about 2.5 minutes to about 47 seconds, blaming the accelerated digital pace here. And the culprit again is the smartphone, since a study published in 2017 analyzed to 520 participants and demonstrated that the simple presence of the smartphone on the table, even face down, consumes and exhausts our cognitive attention resources. This is why we should opt for better control of the time we dedicate to social networks or the smartphone in general, since the benefits of quitting are many. Images | freepik In Xataka | Smartphones are destroying our memories. The big question is whether we should care

They have the first brain implant ready for commercial use

by

With the data centersthe astronomical investment in artificial intelligence and plans for robotize factoriesthe most dystopian technological conversation has left out an important player: the cyborgs. If a few years ago the bells began to ring about the brain chipssoon fell into the background. He Neuralink Elon Musk moved on, but the rest of the world seemed to have forgotten. The rest of the world… except China, which already approves commercial implants. It’s the result of making brain chips a national priority. In short. There are several Chinese companies making significant progress in this field. NeuroXess, BrainCo -one of the “six little chinese dragons”- or NeuCyber ​​are two of the best known in this world, at the moment, and one called Neuracle Medical Technology has just achieved a milestone by becoming the first company that can sell an invasive brain-computer interface device in the world. It was a few days ago when the National Medical Products Administration granted marketing approval to the company, and once again puts on the table that China is following a very different strategy from that of the rest of the world. As with AI, while the West insists on increasingly powerful and faster models, China is looking for models that resonate with the general public with the aim of monetizing as soon as possible. The implant. The device is not much different from what we already know. It is a small system about the size of a coin that is placed on the outer surface of the brain. The process is minimally invasive because, although surgery is required, it does not penetrate the brain tissue. Surgeons make a small incision in the skull and electrodes are placed on the membrane surrounding the brain. This is where they can read the neural signals and where the “magic” begins: if the person thinks about grabbing an object with their hand, the SoC decodes the signal and transmits the order to a mechanical glove, which goes towards the object and closes the pneumatic fingers. Requirements. Obviously, it is desirable to never have to use a device of this type, since that would mean that you cannot use your own limbs. The regulatory body has put a limit to people who can use it: be between 18 and 60 years old, have suffered a cervical spinal cord injury, have some mobility in the upper arm, but without the ability to hold objects with their hand and the injury has been diagnosed at least one year before requesting the chip. The Neuralink Advantage. As we say, there are several other companies pursuing these advances and permits, and NeuCyber ​​has come to the fore to detail How is your model going? The Beinao-1 is the one they have been working on in recent years and is very similar to the one detailed: an implant that is placed in the outer membrane of the brain and is already being tested in about seven patients. The company has stated that they are working on a new generation called Beinao-2 (to the surprise of absolutely no one), but they have also said something more interesting: their implant is about three years behind Neuralink’s. And the key is not so much the technological superiority of Elon Musk’s model as the availability of patients for testing. For Beinao-1’s seven patients, Neuralink has more than 20. According to the company’s boss, this availability of clinical trials is what gives Neuralink a clear advantage. And something also interesting is that the new generation of Beinao changes its concept a little. If the first is semi-invasive, the second is completely invasive, using flexible electrodes implanted directly into the brain tissue. Strategic priority. At the moment, Beinao-2 is in animal testing and Beinao-1 is being analyzed in those seven humans, but with the hope of expanding the trials to 50 patients this 2026. We will see if, as the number of patients and real-world data collected increases, the system advances at a better pace, but what is clear is that China is not going to let off the accelerator. To say that these brain-computer interfaces are a priority national is not to magnify the issue. For decades, the Government has had something called the “Five Year Plan” that establishes objectives to be met during the five years following each review of the plan, and this technology, together with quantum computinghe 6G deploymentthe artificial intelligence Physical AI (robots with artificial intelligence, basically) is already within government-funded programs. That is why, from now on, we will begin to see a lot of news about companies that are beginning to promote these implants. And unlike other current technologies, which remains to be seen to what extent they help humanity, recovering mobility is an advance worth pursuing. Image | Mike Cai Chen In Xataka | The large Chinese AI and robotics companies have something in common: their chief scientists are from generation Z

We thought matcha tea was just an internet fad. Science has seen that it “hacks” our brain against allergies

by

He matcha tea is beginning to be a standardized drink among many people who need get up with one in your handslike those of us who need coffee to wake up. Something that has also been accompanied by the opening of a large number of establishments specialized in its production. And although for many people it may seem like a joke or an expensive fad promoted by internet gurus and people closest to Eastern countries, the truth is that it has a large number of benefits that do not stop growing. Its component. Matcha tea hides a biochemical profile that far exceeds that of conventional green teaand the key lies in how it is grown and consumed. Precisely by ingesting the whole powdered leaf, we get a very high concentration of EGCG (epigallocatechin gelato), L-theanine and caffeine. Its benefits. One of the most important is that we are facing a great antioxidantand in this way studies suggest that matcha drastically reduces oxidative stress and key inflammatory markers such as IL-6. In fact, in some trials, its ability to restore cellular homeostasis exceeds that of vitamin C. Additionally, the synergy between caffeine and L-theanine is the real productivity “trick.” Daily consumption has been shown to moderate fatigue and improve spatial learning and, in addition, upregulates the brain-derived neurotrophic factorwhich enhances memory without altering the sleep cycle. Metabolic impact. In high-fat diet models, matcha suppresses weight gain and fat accumulation in the liver. In humans, trials show better glycemic control and an improvement in the lipid profile, lowering ‘bad’ cholesterol (bad in many quotes) and raising good cholesterol. Its role in allergies. As if all this were not enough, a recent study published at the beginning of this month of March has put an unexpected finding on the table: matcha can be an ally against allergic rhinitis. Something that is welcomed with open arms right this spring where a very tough allergic season is expected. In this case, the team led by Osamu Kaminuma, from Hiroshima University, administered oral doses of matcha of 250 mg/kg to sensitized mice. The result was a significant suppression of allergen- and histamine-induced sneezing. Its mechanism. Here matcha did not alter the traditional immune system, which is the one that detects an allergen as an ‘enemy’ and wants to eliminate it at all costs. What it did was suppress neuronal activity in the brain stem, directly blocking the sneeze reflex on a neurological level. Although confirmatory trials in humans are still lacking, and it opens the door to fascinating non-pharmacological clinical use. There are several types. Not all matchas are the same, and you should always opt for the ceremonial quality grade, since it is first harvest, stone ground, bright green in color and with a large amount of antioxidants. In addition, authentic Japanese origin guarantees quality, and you should also avoid those that have been industrially processed. Images | Jason Leung In Xataka | The tea that was born to stop time now runs against it: the matcha crisis in Japan

In 1955, someone secretly stole Einstein’s brain and stored it in mayonnaise jars. That was just the beginning

by

Seven hours after Albert Einstein’s death, Thomas Harvey was preparing to perform an autopsy on the body at the Priceton Hospital morgue. It was April 18, 1955 and Otto Nathan, friend and executor of the famous physicist, was present: old Albert had become in the “greatest rock star of the 20th century”but he wanted the cult of his person to end there. The pathologist would perform the autopsy, the family would collect the body and secretly cremate it before scattering its ashes in the Delaware River. And so it was. Or, well, that’s what the family believed. Not in my lair. Because inadvertently, without prior documented permission and as quickly as he could, Thomas Harvey removed Einstein’s brain and kept it (in a jar full of formaldehyde). At first he kept it a secret, but no one steals the brain of the great genius of the 20th century to keep it a secret. The news, in a matter of hours, spread like wildfire. And, in fact, on the 20th the New York Times posted that something was happening with the brain. The family panicked, but shortly before publication (and following a fait accompli policy) Harvey managed to convince Hans Albert Einstein, the eldest son, to give him retrospective permission. I imagine Hans didn’t have much room for maneuver: Harvey had the brain in his possession. It was ‘give him permission’ or, perhaps, lose him forever. Einstein’s son set conditions, of course: the main one is that the organ be used for scientific purposes. It wasn’t going to be possible either. Especially because Harvey ‘fell in love’ with the brain and, despite Princeton Hospital’s efforts to have him deposit it, the pathologist repeatedly refused. To the point where, at the end of the year, he is fired. That’s when he took the brain to the University of Pennsylvania and, in a friend’s lab, divided it into about 240 pieces and created 12 sets of slides. Fired and sidelined, Harvey sent 42 of the samples to different forensic experts and neurologists for investigation. That was their plan to return through the front door: the majority did not respond and those who did did not find anything notable. So things really started to go wrong. As a result of his stubbornness, his marriage breaks down. At some point in the 1960s, divorce forces him to take the glass jars containing his brain out of the basement and go to the Midwest. And, deep down, he was lucky. On the one hand, none of the affected institutions wanted to speak publicly about this so as not to compromise their prestige. On the other hand, the courts were not as involved in American life, nor did information flow with the same ease. So found a job in Wichita and he kept the brain in the same refrigerator where he had the beer. Until someone finds it. That someone is Steven Levy, a journalist for New Jersey Monthly. In August 1978, Levy told your brain search of the physical. When she found him in Kansas, Harvey didn’t want to talk, but he quickly loosened his tongue. And, of course, it was a scandal. Throughout the 1980s, he sent samples to some researchers (a Marian Diamond, Berkeley neuroanatomistsent him four samples in a mayonnaise jar), but his ambition was to study it himself in his free time. Things get complicated. Because at the end of the 80s, Harvey lost his license and moved to Lawrence, Kansas, to work in a plastic extrusion factory. He spends his nights getting drunk with William S. Burroughs and welcoming those who come to see him. Convinced by journalists, he did a lot of strange things: from cutting pieces on a cheese board to taking, now in his eighties, a trip to California to talk to Einstein’s granddaughter. Finally, between 1998 and 2007 (when Harvey died), was donating parts from the brain to Princeton Hospital. However, that is the most interesting thing we have been able to get out of this organ of contention: its delirious history is more interesting than what scientists have been able to get out of it. Something that reminds us of a phrase normally attributed to Richard Feynman: “it’s worth having an open mind, but not so much that your brain falls out” (or has it stolen). Image | Taton Moise In Xataka | Einstein’s first violin had passed unnoticed. Until an auction house put it up for sale.

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.