100 missing brains
The University of Texas has lost 100 brains from its collection, according to a report published on December 3, 2014 by Emine Saner in theguardian. com. Apparently, the university had been running out of space to store the brains, so they were sent back to the Austin State Hospital. There is no record of this, however.
Why collect brains? Research – the idea that the shape and size of a brain can tell us not just about diseases, but also about personality, talent and genius.
To be successful in the long run, we need personality, talent and a dash of genius. These are also the values we want to find in the people we interview to employ in our businesses. How we treat them after we employ them is a different story. ?
If you have a small company and are part of the interviewing process as well as the day-to-day management, you are more likely to be able to maximize the skill sets that new employees bring. But if you have already grown into a medium sized enterprise, there is a risk that you are not making the most of your human resources.
When you are selling your company you are selling its future. You can arrive at that future – among other things – through the achievements and potential of your people. One of the first areas the potential purchasers of your business will ask you will be about your HR capabilities. You might be good at employing staff, but you also have to be good at making them work efficiently and maximising their potential.
Otherwise one day you might receive a report, showing that you are missing some of those “brains” that you thought were still in your inventory. ?
Even many slides of Albert Einstein’s brain, which his pathologist Thomas Harvey sent to researchers, are now lost.
To read more about the lost brains story: The baffling case of the 100 missing brains
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Note: The picture is taken from doubtfulnews.com.