Learning about the struggles and triumphs of the great geniuses of the past can help young people harness rather than enhance their intelligence and potential. Many young people imagine that geniuses were recognized early, nurtured by their parents, sent to the best universities and then produced their masterpieces. However, this path to fame and glory …
The human brain is remarkably adaptive, especially during its early formation and into the adolescent years. About three weeks after conception, a thin sheet of cells forms in the embryo and folds into what will become the brain and spinal cord. In the weeks that follow, brain cells multiply, specialize, and move into position, laying …
In areas where a culture is rich in the sciences and the arts, and where intelligence is valued, people of highest intelligence and intensity of purpose thrive and make “genius-level” contributions. Most important is an environment of high personal autonomy, in which individuals are encouraged to create and are rewarded and celebrated for their achievements. …
John Nash, like most of the most brilliant and highest achievers in mathematics and physics, was hooked on the Eureka! sensation. This is the shot of dopamine that comes when you solve a difficult problem. It’s what drove Archimedes down the street, naked, yelling eureka! [I have solved it!], when he discovered the first law …
Our best measures of intelligence are lifetime achievements (as per Tesla, Einstein, etc.) and IQ tests. Among the most popular IQ tests is the WAIS IV which consists of various components that measure several dimensions of cognitive processing: The test items measuring of each of the four scales (or indices) of WAIS IV are given …
Is it true that all intelligent people must be good at math? Read More »
In A Beautiful Mind, the biography of mathematician John Nash Jr., Sylvia Nasar states: (p. 94) Valleius, the Roman philosopher, was the first to offer a theory for why geniuses often appeared, not as lonely giants, but in clusters in particular fields in particular cities. He was thinking of Plato and Aristotle, Pythagoras and Archimedes, …
In my research for a book on geniuses and their personalities, I am discovering a lot of similar themes that run through their lives. In a few paragraphs, I’ll try to share why they have existential crises and how they struggle to find purpose. Gifted children are usually introverted and have mental processing skills compatible …
Almost all of the people who have generated works that qualified them as a “genius” in mathematics, science or technology were observed to be gifted at an early age, came to school having learned much of what other children learn at a later age. Their grades, especially in those subjects were usually much higher than …
Many decisions in life are fairly straight forward. You’re leaving for work and your neighbor’s car is stuck in snow. You put your car in park, help push the car out of the snowdrift and proceed to work. However, there are many times in life when decision-making has a vital impact on how your life …
Olympic Stadium: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Summer Olympics 2016 We humans are extremely tribal. During his global expeditions, Charles Darwin observed behavior in which individuals sacrificed self-interest to tribal benefit. It occurred to him that the innate biological propensity to pursue self-interest might be partially curtailed by a biological inclination toward cooperation. In The Descent …
