Chapter 5 August Möbius and the Möbius Strip
In 1905, physician Paul Möbius included a photo of his long-dead grandfather’s (the great mathematician August Ferdinand Möbius) skull juxtaposed with the skull of Ludwig von Beethoven in his new book, Ueber den Schädel eines Mathematikers. The German title translates to Over the Skull of a Mathematician. It’s not completely clear how Paul obtained the photo of Grandpa Möbius’ skull, much less that of Beethoven’s, but there they are, captured in black and white.
This odd photo was made in the name of weird science. Paul Möbius was a neurologist of some distinction who dabbled in the bunk science ...
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