Dr. Thomas Harvey: The Man Who Stole Einstein's Brain

What would you do if you found yourself holding the greatest scientific mind in human history… literally? In 1955, after Albert Einstein died, the Princeton pathologist performing the autopsy — Dr. Thomas Harvey — made a decision that would define, and ultimately destroy, his life. He stole Einstein's brain. In this episode, we dive into the bizarre decades-long odyssey of the brain that changed the world. We explore Harvey's obsession with uncovering the source of genius, the fallout that cost him his career and his family, the questionable "science" that followed, and the surprising discoveries about Einstein's biology that emerged years later. It's a story that asks: How far should someone go in the name of discovery — and what happens when a man is consumed by the legacy of another?

You can listen to Dr. Thomas Harvey: The Man Who Stole Einstein's Brain online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Dr. Thomas Harvey: The Man Who Stole Einstein's Brain is an episode from The Lesser Known People Podcast by Lesser Known People.

This episode is 34:47 long.

This episode was published on Dec 10, 2025.

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