For ages (since 1955) people have been trying to get a good look at Einstein’s brain. It all started with his death, at which point a pathologist named Thomas Harvey actually stole his brain from the corpse, chopped it up into 200 pieces, and stored it in formaldehyde. So, that’s a charming little anecdote that just goes to show the lengths people will go to for a look at Einstein’s brain. But if you have an iPhone, you don’t actually have to commit a truly disgusting crime of grave robbery—you can just download a new app that actually takes you in and around an exact replication of Einstein’s brain. Sounds like fun. There’s also the issue of Einstein himself, who was very clear about wanting to be cremated, not donated to science. So, he might have felt a little disrespected by technology that thwarts his desires, unless you ask the representative for the National Museum of Health and Medicine, which is receiving proceeds from the app. “We know he didn’t want a circus made of his remains. But he understood the value to research and science to study his brain, and we think we’ve addressed that in a respectful manner.” Ah. He just wanted to make sure the research was done in a respectful manner. Like an iPhone app …
