The Beautiful Brain

Last weekend we visited the Ackland Museum to see their exhibit showcasing the original drawings of Santiago Ramon Y Cajal, Nobel Laureate author of The Beautiful Brain and a luminary in neuroscience.

Several years ago I gifted my neurobiology major daughter his book, titled The Beautiful Brain, and available HERE. It’s an absolutely gorgeous and mesmerizing look at the intricately beautiful drawings he made during his lifetime (1852-1934). Cajal is considered the father of neuroscience. The opportunity to see many of the original drawings was too good to miss.

This photo of him is eerily similar to a treasured childhood memory I have of walking home from school in the first grade and passing by a downtown shop window that was at ground level. Inside were shelves of tiny bottles and tools, and a man often sat at a chair in the room, working. I do not know to this day what the little shop was or what the man was doing, and no one seems to remember it, but I’m sure it was real. Now that I see this photograph of Cajal in his own work space I am even more curious about my memory.

I loved the astrocytes.

From Wikipedia:

Astrocytes are a sub-type of glial cells in the central nervous system. They are also known as astrocytic glial cells. Star-shaped, their many processes envelop synapses made by neurons.

I also loved these:

This book and the exhibit are fascinating and a wonderful way to combine learning with art.