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WAS EINSTEIN’S BRAIN DIFFERENT?

Monday, October 9, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we take a closeup look at Albert Einstein’s brain, examine if belief has the power to heal ... and learn what’s behind superbolts of lightning.

How often do the men in your life think about the Roman Empire? Maybe more than you think. They may not wear costumes, like these Catalan actors in Spain, but they could still be obsessed.

PHOTOGRAPH BY STEVE PYKE, GETTY IMAGES

The medical researcher took the precious cargo on a long road trip, stuffed it into a box, and placed it under a cooler.

He took it all the way to Kansas, believing there was something special in the dissected brain, segmented and preserved in celloidin.

BUT WAS THERE ANYTHING SPECIAL?

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STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

A male ocelot named Javier peers outside a research trap set by biologist Aidan Branney in March 2023. Branney has set 30 traps in the 27,000-acre El Sauz Ranch in South Texas. There are fewer than a hundred ocelots in the United States, split between private ranchlands and the Laguna Atascosa Wildlife Refuge in South Texas.

PHOTOGRAPH BY KARINE AIGNER

Ocelots once roamed the U.S. Can we bring them back? (Above, a male ocelot named Javier peers outside a research trap at a ranch in South Texas.)

Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples’ Day? How the holiday has been shaped by oppression

Are vitamin C supplements overrated?

Economist gets Nobel for work on gender inequality
Related: Pay inequity is persistent, shameful—and still widely tolerated

Humans are about to explore a metal-rich asteroid for the first time. Here's why.

What is POTS? This strange disorder has doubled since the pandemic

Bras are older than you think—much older

Does belief have the power to heal? Even science says it might.

WHAT IN THE WORLD?

The dissected brain of physicist Albert Einstein, removed by pathologist Thomas Harvey shortly after the great scientist's death, segmented and preserved in celloidin, circa 1980.

PHOTOGRAPH BY DARRIN ZAMMIT LUPI, REUTERS/REDUX

King of bolts: So-called ‘superbolts’ like the one above that struck the sea during a storm in Malta are 1,000 times stronger and brighter than average lightning. Scientists have finally found a cause of these dramatic flashes of electricity.

Related: Chasing lightning

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Quannah Rose Chasinghorse, a groundbreaking Indigenous model, uses her fame to support her activism, reminding people “whose land you’re living on.”

PHOTOGRAPH BY KILIII YÜYAN

Moving past Columbus: Quannah Rose Chasinghorse, a groundbreaking Indigenous model, uses her fame to support her activism, reminding people “whose land you’re living on.” Native sovereignty, she says, is key to “defending my ways of life, trying to protect what’s left.” She was a key part of our feature on Native sovereignty—and also was among the cast of the pathbreaking FX series “Reservation Dogs."

Related: This portrait captures the strength behind the Native sovereignty movement

WHOSE DAY IS IT ANYWAY?

LAST GLIMPSE

"The Vitruvian Man," one of Da Vinci's most well-known sketches, is a study of the proportions of the human body.

FINE ART/GETTY IMAGES

Realm of genius: How in the world did Leonardo da Vinci come up with ideas for his eternal masterpieces such as ”The Last Supper” or the ”Mona Lisa?”

A flip through his journals, which includes thousands of notes, doodles, and drawings, provide a glimpse into the thought process of this Renaissance genius. Take a peek!

WINDOW BEHIND THE ART

Today’s soundtrack: Monday Monday Monday, Tegan and Sara

Thanks for reading today’s newsletter! It was curated and edited by Jen Tse, Hannah Farrow, Nancy San Martín, and David Beard. Is anyone in your family a little too fascinated with the Roman Empire? Let us know!

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