A forum for discussion ideas
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 …
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 »
Miika, I will not write about my personal experiences, because I don’t want to make this post about me, but I will share with you what I have learned about high IQ people and their life experiences. I hope this will be helpful to you as your raise your children. People of high intelligence have …
To investigate this question, it’s important to recognize that intelligence is not an absolute quality, but is a cognitive capacity to succeed in a particular environment. The famous quote, “Everyone is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it …
