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Great scientists and their time
Albert Einstein, the most brilliant scientist of the 20th century, died in 1955 at the age of 76. It was in a hospital in Princeton that he ended his legendary life. In the field of science, his name is closely associated with the explanation of the photoelectric effect, the creation of special relativity and general relativity. These theories have not only advanced great progress in physics, but also profoundly changed our basic understanding of the universe.
Although Einstein has made remarkable achievements in his scientific career, he himself always felt that there was still a lot of unfinished business. For example, he tried to create a unified field theory that hoped to unify all the fundamental forces in the universe – gravity, electromagnetism, and the strong and weak forces that were just beginning to be understood at the time – under a mathematical framework. This goal, until the last moments of his life, was not achieved. In addition, he was critical of the probabilistic explanation of quantum mechanics, insisting that there should be a more definitive theory behind it.
Albert Einstein was forced to leave Germany in 1933 due to the rise of the Nazi regime. He initially fled to Belgium, then moved to England after a short stay, eventually settling in the United States in the same year. At the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, he spent much of the rest of his life continuing his research in physics, and although he was in a foreign country, he kept an eye on the development of the scientific community and the changes in world politics.
By 1955, Einstein's health had begun to deteriorate dramatically. On April 17, he experienced a severe chest pain and was rushed to Princeton Hospital. Doctors diagnosed him with an aortic aneurysm, a life-threatening condition, and Einstein refused surgery. In his hospital bed, his life gradually came to an end.
The regret of dying in a foreign country
In the final moments of Albert Einstein's life, he appeared unusually quiet in his hospital bed. Despite the occasional slight noise of the surrounding medical equipment, there was an indescribable heaviness in the air. Beside him were several medical staff who alternately looked after the great scientist who was about to die. It was in this environment that Einstein uttered the last words of his life.
The nurse who was present at the time, a young American woman, had a great respect for Einstein, and her admiration and respect for him made her pay special attention to every subtle change in the old man. However, due to the language barrier, she was unable to understand what Einstein was saying. As she later recalled, Einstein's voice was weak, but he seemed to speak clearly. His lips moved slightly, as if trying to express some deep thought or unfulfilled wish.
In this state, individuals will often subconsciously use their native language. As a German, Einstein naturally uttered those two sentences in German. For the American nurses around her, no matter how much she wanted to understand, she could only feel the language barrier and could not really grasp the meaning of the words.
What exactly are these two sentences? This became a mystery. Maybe it's some insight into science, maybe it's some emotion about life, or maybe it's a regret for unfinished business. These can only be left to time to guess, because with the death of Einstein, these words also seem to have been swallowed up by time and become an unsolvable mystery.
After Einstein's death was announced, the atmosphere in the hospital became more solemn. The medical staff are saddened by the passing of this great scientist, but at the same time they feel a deep sense of honor that they once cared for a giant who changed the face of modern science up close.
Einstein's death quickly caused a global sensation. Countless people, from academics to ordinary people, have expressed their condolences for his passing. Newspapers and radio stations are getting the news on as fast as they can, while the science community ponders how to honor the science superstar. Physicists and scholars everywhere began to look back at his life and achievements, discussing how his theories influenced the development of science.
And in the Princeton hospital, the nurse who failed to understand Einstein's last words may often recall that quiet night and the last whispers of the great scientist in the years to come. These details and interactions constitute a true record of Einstein's final moments, and although we do not know the exact content of those two German words, they undoubtedly add to the mystery and depth of the final chapter of the great man's life.
An extraordinary journey through Einstein's brain
When Albert Einstein died in 1955, the world was plunged into deep mourning for the great scientist. At the same time, an unusual event about Einstein's body is quietly taking place behind the scenes at Princeton Hospital. Thomas Harvey, a professor of medicine who studied pathology, was in charge of handling Einstein's remains. Harvey did not reveal his true intentions to anyone, and he decided to secretly take Einstein's brain out for scientific research.
Professor Harvey was considered a talented pathologist in the medical community at the time, and he had a keen interest in the study of the structure and function of the brain. In those days, the ethical boundaries of scientific research were not as clear as they are today, and many times, medical researchers would take extreme and even controversial approaches when conducting experiments and research. For example, in order to treat mental illness, doctors tried to improve symptoms by removing the anterior lobe of a patient's brain, a practice that was considered avant-garde at the time.
In the scientific community, especially among brain surgeons, Albert Einstein's brain is considered an invaluable object of study. Einstein's intellect and contributions to physics have led to speculation that his brain may have been different from the average human being, containing clues that could explain his extraordinary intelligence. So when Professor Harvey stole and studied Einstein's brain, while ethically controversial, it was tacitly acquiesced in within some scientific circles. Many brain scientists have expressed implicit support or at least understanding for this behavior, as they themselves are excited about the possibility of studying such a unique brain.
Harvey's treatment of Einstein's brain was also motivated by the rigor of scientific research. He knew that brain tissue was very fragile and easily degraded, so it needed to be preserved by special methods. He chose to divide the brain into 240 slices, a process that involves immobilizing the brain in formaldehyde and then cutting it precisely using specialized equipment. The purpose of this processing is to allow each piece to be studied in detail under the microscope while maintaining the integrity of the tissue for long-term preservation.
Each slice is carefully numbered and its exact location and structural features are recorded, and Harvey is handling them with great care, knowing that he has in his hands some of the most valuable information in the scientific community. For further research, Harvey also made these sections into microscope slides, which were not only easy to preserve, but also to share and discuss the results with other scientists.
Harvey's controversy and aftermath
Thomas Harvey was faced not only with the challenge of scientific research, but also with the question of how to safely store the 240 precious and controversial pieces of Einstein's brain. Because of the significant ethical and legal risks involved in the source and acquisition of these brain slices, Harvey recognized that preserving these slices in his institute could cause unwanted attention and potential legal problems. So he decided to take the slices back to his home and find a more private place to keep them.
Harvey's home has a large freezer that was originally used to store food and other everyday items. But with the arrival of these brain slices, the freezer was reconfigured to become a specialized biospecimen preservation device. He set up multiple compartments in the freezer, each of which was carefully placed with labeled slicing containers, which were soaked in a formaldehyde solution to ensure that they would not degrade over time.
In this secluded laboratory setting, Harvey began his initial study of these brain slices. Using his own microscope and other experimental tools, he observes and records each slice in detail. He carefully annotated the slices anatomically, trying to look for any structural features that might explain Einstein's extraordinary intelligence.
However, Harvey also realized that the complexity of the research was far beyond his personal capabilities and required more expertise and technology. Therefore, he decided to share these slices with several brain surgeons and neuroscientists around the world, hoping to advance the study of Einstein's brain in a collaborative way.
Harvey carefully encapsulates each slice in a specially made protective container, each with strict temperature and chemical environmental controls to ensure that the integrity and viability of the slice are not compromised during transportation. He then sent the containers through a reputable courier service to several major research institutes in the United States and certain specialized laboratories in Europe and Asia.
Reflections on Science and Ethics
As Harvey distributed slices of Einstein's brain more widely, more and more scientists began to get involved in the study. However, despite the strong interest in the academic community, the ethical issues and legal risks behind it have gradually surfaced. Intensive correspondence and experimental activity caught the attention of some, details that ultimately did not escape ethical scrutiny and media surveillance.
Soon, the fact that Harvey had taken his brain from Einstein's body without permission and had it sliced for study was revealed by the media. The public reacted strongly to the discovery, and they were shocked and outraged by Harvey's actions. The news report spread quickly, causing widespread public discussion and moral questioning. Princeton University, as Harvey's employer, faced tremendous social pressure and legal threats and had to react to the incident.
Princeton University management began an internal investigation into Harvey's actions. The results of the investigation clearly showed that Harvey had taken out and used Einstein's brain for research without the permission of the university or Einstein's family, which was a serious violation of medical ethics and the university's research regulations. As a result, the university made the decision to fire Harvey and publicly stated that it had distanced itself from Harvey's actions.
References:[1]Wang Shangxing. Who carved up Einstein's brain? International Outlook,2001(2):62-65