Why Was Albert Einstein so Smart?

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Albert Einstein was so smart because he knew physics inside-out and spent much of his time thinking about the solutions to problems. After he died in 1955, his brain was removed and preserved to be examined by neuroanatomists. Einstein’s brain had a larger parietal lobe than the average person by 15 percent. According to neuroscientists, the right parietal lobe is connected to mathematical reasoning.

A study of Einstein’s brain yielded surprising results, such as the lack of a surplus of neurons. For a long time, neuroscientists thought that more neurons equaled greater intelligence, and that they were the only kinds of brain cells that communicated with each other. Einstein’s brain possessed more glial cells than average. A glial cell is another type of brain cell previously thought to be irrelevant with respect to intellect.

Deeper study of Einstein’s brain led to advancements in neurosceince, as scientists discovered that certain glail cells called astrocytes communicate using chemical signals. Einstein’s right parietal lobe and the other parts of his brain responsible for mathematical reasoning possessed more astrocytes than normal. But the brain alone was not the whole of Einstein’s mind. His hard work, love of thinking about physics problems, imagination and creativity were also factors in making him a very smart person.