Leading Article: A theory of relativity

SIZE DOES seem to matter. The boffins dissecting the brain of the ultimate boffin, Albert Einstein, have found that the shape of specific parts of his grey matter was different and that they were - relatively - larger than the average. Albert's neurons seem to have established more connections and worked together more easily. Hence his extraordinary capacity for three-dimensional thought, mathematical reasoning and, well, genius.

The suggestion that Einstein's intellect is simply down to the physical characteristics he was born with is a startling one. It raises some awkward questions about schooling - Albert's was erratic - and suggests that Edison got it the wrong way around when he said that genius is one per cent inspiration and 99 per cent perspiration. It may be the knockout blow in the old debate between nature and nurture. If nature really does count for all, then the next logical, and unsettling, step is for the prospective parents of dim children to commission genetic engineers to clone genius- grade brains for their unborn offspring. But it was Albert who said that "God does not play dice with the universe". Why should we?