Relics: Einstein's Brain
Encyclopedia
Einstein's Brain is a 1994 documentary by Kevin Hull following Japanese
professor Kenji Sugimoto in his search for Albert Einstein's brain
. It is produced by BBC Films
.
's brain was extracted after his death in 1955 and that it was donated to the Princeton Medical Center. We then meet Kenji Sugimoto, professor of mathematics and science history at the Kinki University of Osaka
. In broken English, he describes what Einstein means to him:
"Einstein teaches me about love as well as science. Passion, love and science. I love Albert Einstein."
Thus, he embarks on a pilgrimage to Princeton to find the legendary cerebrum. Once there, he learns that the brain has been misplaced, and the film documents his subsequent travels across the United States to recover it. The last person known to handle the item is Thomas Stoltz Harvey
, a man that proves difficult to find. One lead sends Sugimoto to the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, where a former associate of Harvey's, Dr. Harry Zimmerman, informs the unlikely pilgrim that the man he is seeking in fact is dead.
Sugimoto next tracks down Einstein's granddaughter by adoption, Evelyn Einstein. She tells him she has reason to believe she actually is biologically related to Einstein, and has been in dialogue with an institute to compare her DNA to that of the late scientist's brain. The brain sample used for this was sent from Harvey's residence in Lawrence, Kansas
, giving Sugimoto a possible lead to the brain's current whereabouts.
Once in Kansas, it appears Zimmerman was misinformed; Thomas Harvey is still very much alive. Sugimoto finally finds the brain (which is stored in three jars in a closet), and even acquires a small sample to bring back to Japan. He celebrates by singing karaoke in a local bar, and closes the documentary with a few more contemplations around his idol:
"I am born in Nagasaki two years after bomb. Einstein is made responsible for the bomb, but I do not blame him. I still love Albert Einstein."
of material found in documentaries, very little actually indicates forgery.
Kai Michel's article "Wo ist Einsteins Denkorgan?" ("Where is Einstein's Brain?"), published by Die Zeit
in December of 2004, shows just how easy it is to assume the film is a forgery. This article revolves around professor Michael Hagner of ETH Zürich, who after showing a group of students the film in question informs them that this is all fiction and that Kenji Sugimoto is a character. But after a phone call to a colleague he is informed that Sugimoto in fact is real, and that truth in fact is stranger than fiction. Or as Hagner himself puts it, "Nichts ist absurder als die Realität".
The documentary is lent further credibility by Michael Paterniti's 2000 book Driving Mr. Albert: A Trip Across America With Einstein's Brain, where the author tells the story of how he chauffeured Dr. Harvey across the US to deliver the brain to Evelyn Einstein. His path crosses with several persons who appeared in Einstein's Brain, including director Kevin Hull and Evelyn Einstein, and at one point he even travels to Japan and meets Sugimoto, who proudly shows off his brain sample and invites him out to a night of karaoke. If the story of Sugimoto and Harvey is a hoax, it's an elaborate one.
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
professor Kenji Sugimoto in his search for Albert Einstein's brain
Albert Einstein's brain
Albert Einstein's brain has often been a subject of research and speculation. Einstein's brain was removed within seven hours of his death. The brain has attracted attention because of Einstein's reputation for being one of the foremost geniuses of the 20th century, and apparent regularities or...
. It is produced by BBC Films
BBC Films
BBC Films is the feature film-making arm of the BBC. It has produced or co-produced some of the most successful British films of recent years, including An Education, StreetDance 3D, Fish Tank, Stage Beauty, A Cock and Bull Story, Nativity! and Match Point.It aims to make strong British films with...
.
Summary
This documentary is introduced by a set of titles informing the viewer that Albert EinsteinAlbert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
's brain was extracted after his death in 1955 and that it was donated to the Princeton Medical Center. We then meet Kenji Sugimoto, professor of mathematics and science history at the Kinki University of Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
. In broken English, he describes what Einstein means to him:
"Einstein teaches me about love as well as science. Passion, love and science. I love Albert Einstein."
Thus, he embarks on a pilgrimage to Princeton to find the legendary cerebrum. Once there, he learns that the brain has been misplaced, and the film documents his subsequent travels across the United States to recover it. The last person known to handle the item is Thomas Stoltz Harvey
Thomas Stoltz Harvey
Thomas Stoltz Harvey was a pathologist who conducted the autopsy on Albert Einstein in 1955. Harvey studied at Yale University as an undergraduate and later as a medical student under Dr. Harry Zimmerman...
, a man that proves difficult to find. One lead sends Sugimoto to the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, where a former associate of Harvey's, Dr. Harry Zimmerman, informs the unlikely pilgrim that the man he is seeking in fact is dead.
Sugimoto next tracks down Einstein's granddaughter by adoption, Evelyn Einstein. She tells him she has reason to believe she actually is biologically related to Einstein, and has been in dialogue with an institute to compare her DNA to that of the late scientist's brain. The brain sample used for this was sent from Harvey's residence in Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence is the sixth largest city in the U.S. State of Kansas and the county seat of Douglas County. Located in northeastern Kansas, Lawrence is the anchor city of the Lawrence, Kansas, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Douglas County...
, giving Sugimoto a possible lead to the brain's current whereabouts.
Once in Kansas, it appears Zimmerman was misinformed; Thomas Harvey is still very much alive. Sugimoto finally finds the brain (which is stored in three jars in a closet), and even acquires a small sample to bring back to Japan. He celebrates by singing karaoke in a local bar, and closes the documentary with a few more contemplations around his idol:
"I am born in Nagasaki two years after bomb. Einstein is made responsible for the bomb, but I do not blame him. I still love Albert Einstein."
Themes
Einstein's Brain revolves around themes such as obsession, idol worship, catharsis and the dichotomy of scientific progress.The question of veracity
Because of its somewhat absurd premise and execution, Einstein's Brains veracity has often been questioned. The notion of a brain of such fame being misplaced and subsequently found by a bumbling eccentric has by many been found too outrageous to be true, but aside from the regular narrativizationNarrative
A narrative is a constructive format that describes a sequence of non-fictional or fictional events. The word derives from the Latin verb narrare, "to recount", and is related to the adjective gnarus, "knowing" or "skilled"...
of material found in documentaries, very little actually indicates forgery.
Kai Michel's article "Wo ist Einsteins Denkorgan?" ("Where is Einstein's Brain?"), published by Die Zeit
Die Zeit
Die Zeit is a German nationwide weekly newspaper that is highly respected for its quality journalism.With a circulation of 488,036 and an estimated readership of slightly above 2 million, it is the most widely read German weekly newspaper...
in December of 2004, shows just how easy it is to assume the film is a forgery. This article revolves around professor Michael Hagner of ETH Zürich, who after showing a group of students the film in question informs them that this is all fiction and that Kenji Sugimoto is a character. But after a phone call to a colleague he is informed that Sugimoto in fact is real, and that truth in fact is stranger than fiction. Or as Hagner himself puts it, "Nichts ist absurder als die Realität".
The documentary is lent further credibility by Michael Paterniti's 2000 book Driving Mr. Albert: A Trip Across America With Einstein's Brain, where the author tells the story of how he chauffeured Dr. Harvey across the US to deliver the brain to Evelyn Einstein. His path crosses with several persons who appeared in Einstein's Brain, including director Kevin Hull and Evelyn Einstein, and at one point he even travels to Japan and meets Sugimoto, who proudly shows off his brain sample and invites him out to a night of karaoke. If the story of Sugimoto and Harvey is a hoax, it's an elaborate one.
External links
- Wo ist Einsteins Denkorgan?, article from Der Spiegel