Madrid, Spain. The location where Santiago Ramon Y Cajal worked and produced most of his scientific contributions. He was working in a small laboratory as the sole investigator, inspired by the work of his father. Due to the small size of his operation, he had limited affiliations and did whatever he could to maximize his contribution to science. However, from this small bench-lab, he rose through the ranks and became a Nobel prize-winning histologist with his artistry. The aesthetic from this experience comes with the extensive contributions this one man was able to single-handedly produce, which can be observed in the image attached below. Here we see photographed our neuroscientist beside an obviously busy benchtop with his chemicals shelved.

The air this photograph gives us is nothing short of the feeling of “tired.” With the position of his head leaning on his hand. Not gazing but staring at the photographer. He does not look amused; his legs crossed almost indicate a degree of hostility towards his future audience. However, what else could we expect from someone who was expected to, and successfully did, overcome a scientific community that had chosen to side with a leading neuroscientist instead of his contemporary and rising rival? Outside of what Madrid offered as a cultural hub of Europe, it offered its leading neuroscience.

Citations

Castro, F. D. (2019). Cajal and the Spanish Neurological School: Neuroscience Would Have Been a Different Story Without Them. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, 13. doi:10.3389/fncel.2019.00187

Martinez-Conde, S. (2018, March 30). Santiago Ramón y Cajal, the Young Artist Who Grew Up to Invent Neuroscience. Retrieved September 30, 2020, from https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/illusion-chasers/santiago-ramon-y-c...

Smith, R. (2018, January 18). A Deep Dive Into the Brain, Hand-Drawn by the Father of Neuroscience. Retrieved September 30, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/18/arts/design/brain-neuroscience-santia...