In a previous post (The Monty Hall Dilemma: Part 1 – Intelligence and IQ ) I explained, in some detail, the meaning and origin of the Monty Hall Dilemma that had sparked widespread public controversy in 1988, following an answer that Marilyn vos Savant posted in her Ask Marilyn column in The New York Times. …
Mathematics as a body of knowledge has expanded exponentially since the beginning of the 20th century. Historian of mathematics, E. T. Bell said that Henri Poincaré (1854–1912) was probably the last mathematician who understood all of the fields of mathematics during his time. Since then, mathematics, developed in academia and in industry has exploded in …
In the first few paragraphs, I’ll respond to the question, “Is Elon Musk a genius?” Then I’ll respond to the second question, “Is Elon Musk bonkers?” Is Elon Musk a Genius? The criterion I like to use in the definition of genius is provided by philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer who famously observed, “Talent hits a target …
It’s true that Feynman never wrote a book before age 40. During his early career, he was immersed in the study of physics. At age 25, while working on the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos, he delivered a lecture titled Some Interesting Properties of Numbers to the world’s most distinguished physicists, who were gathered together …
I Heard the Richard Feynman never wrote a single book. Is that True? Read More »
The short answer to this question: Those who perform well in math olympiads are very likely to do well in research, however there are successful researchers in mathematical research who did not excel in math olympiads. Among the crème de la crème in the intellectual arena are the gifted students who win medals in the …
The answer to this question depends on how we define and measure arrogance. Some dictionaries define arrogance as an “attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner,” while others define it as “an unjustifiable attitude of superiority.” In the first definition, the judgement of someone as “arrogant” is (like beauty) in the eye of the …
Is there a correlation between wealth and arrogance/egocentrism? Read More »
In the paragraphs that follow, I propose to answer the question, but first, it’s necessary to provide the chronological context. On June 16, 1902, after two years of temporary tutoring and teaching jobs, Einstein at 23 years of age, finally landed a job as an engineer Class III in the Swiss Patent Office in Berne. …
Did Albert Einstein ever refer to himself as an “Engineer?” Read More »
According to the US Census Bureau, about 40% of American adults have a bachelor’s degree, about 14% have a master’s degree, and about 2.2% have a Ph.D. or other doctoral degree (e.g., medical, legal, or academic doctorates). Since gaining entry into a Ph.D. or doctoral program requires exceptional performance at the earlier levels, those of …
The meaning of the term “common sense” has evolved over the past 2800 years, since Aristotle, of Ancient Greece introduced the term “sensus communis” (Latin meaning “a sense shared by all”). It was Aristotle’s belief that all humans gain information about the world through their five senses and this information is stored as latent knowledge …
Intellectual giftedness is a double-edged sword. It comes with remarkable potential benefits as well as significant social challenges. A person who is intellectually gifted learns easily, can problem-solve at very high levels, and indulge in sophisticated abstract thought. This means that with sufficient work they can learn virtually any academic subject. For such a person, …
What are the potential emotional and social benefits of being intellectually gifted? Read More »
