people with big heads

People With Big Heads

Throughout your life, you have probably seen a lot of people with big heads. Have you ever wondered if a bigger head means a bigger brain? Well, this is just one of several interesting questions we will attempt to answer using a variety of reputable sources.

According to scientists, the most complicated and mysterious thing in the entire universe is the human brain. Hopefully, in the coming decades, there will be some very exciting new discoveries that could possibly help give us a much better understanding of this extremely complex organ.

Do People With Bigger Heads Have Bigger Brains?

big brainGrant Hurlburt is a professor of biology at California State University in Bakersfield. He claims that if you measure the size of the head, you will get some indication of how big the brain is. Hurlburt says that although head size also depends on various factors (such as muscularity of the head and thickness of the bone), it is very likely that if you have a bigger head, you have a bigger brain.

What Is The Average Size Of A Human Adult Brain?

view of the human brainThe average human adult brain weighs about 3 pounds (or 1,400 grams).
The average brain width is 140 mm.
The average brain length is 167 mm.
The average brain height is 93 mm.

Do Smarter People Have Bigger Brains?

the smartest man everWe previously mentioned that the average human adult brain weighs about 3 pounds. If you believe that the bigger the brain, the smarter the person, then you would expect Albert Einstein to have an extremely large brain right? Well, that is not the case. Interestingly, Einstein’s brain was only 1,230 grams (2.712 pounds). The size was smaller than the average brain. Of course, many believe that Albert Einstein was the smartest man who ever lived.

Comparing Brain Size

It is important for us to mention that when it comes to comparing a person’s brain size, you need to take into account brain size and body mass. For example, if a person is just 5 foot tall and weighs 100 pounds, it wouldn’t make sense for them to have the same brain size as someone who is 6 foot tall and weighs 200 pounds. So if you want to compare brain size, you would first have to take a look at a person’s body mass. Then, based on their body mass, you could determine if their brain is smaller, larger, or of average size.

Final Words On Brain Size And Intelligence

Based on our research, in general (all other things being equal), when it comes to brain size and intelligence, people with larger brains tend to have higher I.Q.’s than people who have smaller brains. However, an I.Q. test is just one way of measuring intelligence. Plus, throughout history, there have been many who had high I.Q.’s, but were also failures. Interestingly, there have also been many extremely successful people with average I.Q.’s.

So, other than people with larger brains tending to have higher I.Q.’s, there seems to be no direct connection between brain size and intelligence.

Who Holds The Record For The Smallest Brain Ever?

Anatole FranceInterestingly, French writer Anatole France (April 16, 1844 – October 12, 1924) had a brain size of only 2.24 pounds. Does this mean that just because he had a small brain, he was an idiot? Not at all. France was far from stupid. In 1921, this brilliant man won the Nobel Prize in literature.

Who Holds The Record For The Largest Brain Ever?

Ivan Sergeyevich TurgenevThe record for the heaviest normal human brain ever belongs to Russian novelist, short story writer, and dramatist Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev (November 9, 1818 – September 3, 1883).

Turgenev’s brain weighed 4.4 pounds. Does this mean that since he had the biggest brain on record, he was the smartest person to ever roam the planet? Now we can certainly say the man was very smart, but of course we cannot make the claim that he was the smartest person ever.

What Animal Has The Largest Brain Ever?

sperm whaleNo. The largest animal brain does not belong to any dinosaur species. Sperm whales have the largest brain of any animal that has ever lived on Earth. Their brains weigh up to 20 pounds.

Although the relationship between brain size and intelligence within humans doesn’t appear to be significant, it is certainly more noticeable across the animal kingdom. Here is a great example. Within birds, parrots have large brain sizes. Of course, these birds are well-known for their excellent verbal and thinking skills. Unlike parrots, chickens have a very small brain. Although they are definitely smarter than parrots when they first hatch, the parrot eventually catches up with them. Various studies have shown that adult parrots are a lot smarter than adult chickens.

However, based on an article we found on, there are some interesting exceptions. For instance, the brain of the largest rodent in the world called a “capybara” can weigh over 70 grams. The average size brain of a capuchin monkey is only 50 grams. When you compare the two animals and their cognitive skills, it is the capuchin monkey that beats the capybara, by far.

So, based on all of our research, although there seems to be some noticeable correlations in the animal kingdom, the bigger the brain doesn’t necessarily mean the smarter the creature.

Celebrities With Large Heads

John Travolta

John Travolta

Travolta” by Michael Wolf is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

Howard Stern

Howard Stern

Howard Stern” by Bill Norton is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Michael Moore

Michael Moore

Michael Moore” by Prognosic is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

Drew Carey

Drew CareyTyra Banks

Tyra Banks

Tyra Banks(cannes)” by Rita Molnár is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Sarah Jessica Parker

Sarah Jessica Parker

Sarah Jessica Parker” by C. Peterson is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0


Obviously, large heads are not uncommon. Just look at the list of celebrities we previously mentioned. Although we only provided six examples, of course, there are plenty more out there. Even if you don’t have a big head yourself, you probably know someone who does. With a world population of over seven billion and counting, there are likely millions of people with big heads.

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About Joseph Caltabiano
