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Around 100 human brains have vanished from the University of Texas

Around a hundred human brains, bottled and preserved in formaldehyde, have gone missing from the University of Texas and nobody seems to know exactly why or how. However, it is possible that  group of undergraduates or other parties took them for “living rooms or Halloween pranks” over the years, according to the Austin American-Statesman.

The missing brains are a part of a collection, which was owned by pathologist, Dr. Coleman de Chenar, before he died. The collection was transferred to the university from the Austin State Hospital 28 years ago and featured around 200 specimens in total, only half of them are accounted for today.

preserved-brain-wikimedia-commons_20120110105255
Image Source: Nextmedia.au

The University of Texas is currently “carefully investigating” the missing brains. From the sounds of it, bits of the collection may have been going missing for some time now, maybe nobody thought to do an inventory check until recently. Either way, a preserved brain would make a pretty odd house decoration.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Depending on when each brain was taken, they could be long gone by now so the University may not be able to restore its collection. Either way, a preserved brain is a pretty weird thing to steal and have laying around, could be good for Halloween though… What do you guys think of this? 

Sources: Austin American-Statesman, The Verge 

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6 comments

  1. Gary 'Gazza' Keen

    I think some poor students stole human brains to sell on the black market. I’m not expert but body parts tend to sell for quite a lot (although the profit difference between fresh and preserved is beyond me)

  2. It seems they really needed brains

  3. Who want a dea.d brain anyway. For a normal person at best the preserved brain can be put on a showcase. A scary show piece LOL

  4. The curator of that collection is in for a hammering. One or two things going missing over a few years out of a collection of millions is to be expected, as they get stolen, moved location without updated records, etc. But half a collection going missing in a collection of only 200 items is unbelievable. Frankly, one item going unaccounted for over decades in a collection of only 200 is astonishing never mind 100.

  5. Clearly someone had found a way to feed their pet zombie without resorting to murder!

  6. Maby someone was hungry 😉 like Hannibal Lector