BRAIN OF A GENIUS

BRAIN OF A GENIUS

Albert Einstein was a genius. So were Leonardo Da Vinci, Mozart and Steve Jobs. That is inarguable. You can probably think of dozens more. Then consider the question: Why are they considered a genius? By what measure are we making the determination? Certainly each of them have contributed something significant to the society. But what makes a genius? The answer is in the brain.

In a normal brain there is a relatively equal split between the long and the short connections within the cerebral cortex(the part of the brain responsible for thinking and problem solving).Short connections are linked with our aptitude pertaining to something that interests us, while long connections pertain our capacity for things outside of these interests. For example, Mozart must have had a great deal of short connections, pertaining to his musical ability; whereby someone like Blaise Pascal most likely had larger amount of long connections as he was highly accomplished in every field from mathematics to computers to philosophy.

A brain area called the thalamus determines what ideas and interests filter through our subconscious mind to the conscious mind, the valuable ones are allowed to proceed whereby the others will never reach the conscious mind, much like a bottleneck. In geniuses, the ‘bottleneck’ tends to be wider, letting more thoughts to come through and get processed.

Brains of highly intelligent people have a higher density of gray matter(the tissue that literally waits to receive information) and also a larger amount of white matter(which send the information).Larger amount of both these tissues mean quicker and more efficient communication within the brain.

The term ‘genius’ has certainly been a way of classifying someone highly innovative or adept, but neuroscientists are still a long way from discovering what sets their brain apart from the average Joe. Although there are many physical characteristics in the brain, there is no sole identifying factor. Differences in the physical structure of the brain and the accompanying thought processes are only part of the mysterious puzzle.

Ambar Chakraborty

Form 3