CHICAGO —The brain that revolutionized physics now can be downloaded as an app for $9.99. But it won’t help you win at “Angry Birds.” While Albert Einstein’s genius isn’t included, an exclusive iPad application launched Tuesday promises to make detailed images of his brain more accessible to scientists. Teachers, students and anyone who’s curious also can get a look.
A medical museum under development in Chicago obtained funding to scan and digitize nearly 350 fragile and priceless slides made from slices of Einstein’s brain after his death in 1955. The application will allow researchers and novices to peer into the eccentric Nobel winner’s brain as if they were looking through a microscope.
“There’s been a lot of debate over what Einstein’s intentions were,” museum board member Jim Paglia said. “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.”
