E|148 The Stolen Brain Caper

When Albert Einstein died in 1955, the world mourned the loss of a genius who reshaped our understanding of the universe. But in the hours after his death, a shocking theft took place—one that would turn Einstein’s legacy into one of medicine’s most macabre mysteries. Dr. Thomas Harvey, the pathologist who conducted Einstein’s autopsy, secretly removed the physicist’s brain without the family’s consent. What followed was a bizarre odyssey: jars of brain matter stored in beer coolers, cross-country road trips with pieces of Einstein’s mind in the trunk, and decades of scientific—and pseudoscientific—study that blurred the lines between research and obsession. This episode of Criminal Mischief investigates Harvey’s motives, the ethical firestorm that erupted, and the strange journey of Einstein’s brain through labs, private collections, and backroom deals. Was it science in the name of progress—or one of history’s most infamous acts of body snatching? 📩 Share your thoughts: [e-mail] 📷 Follow on Instagram: @eviocreative Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices