Comments on: Perfect Gift for Gifted Child http://2kno.com/norman/uncategorized/perfect-christmas-gift-for-gifted-child/ Norman Bringsjord Mon, 05 Jul 2010 19:21:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Sean http://2kno.com/norman/uncategorized/perfect-christmas-gift-for-gifted-child/comment-page-1/#comment-67 Sean Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:42:39 +0000 http://2kno.com/norman/?p=196#comment-67 I've read Gamow, and yes - it's a fantastic book for the right reader... but bear in mind that the job of breakthrough advancement is carried by one small fraction of one percent of the general population... and the rest of society replicates it if they have the good-sense to encourage and accept innovation. Unfortunately, most of society (including the Nobel Committee) reinforces an acedemic paradigm thoroughly invested in maintaining the status-quo. This is why the biggest paradigm-shifting innovators so often turn out to be college dropouts. So I think the best alternate (and more specific)advice might be: "If your son is brilliant-yet-bored in school, pull him out, give him this book or read it to him, and start putting him together with the resources who could make use of his ideas". On the other hand, it has been said that "trying to tech a pig to sing will only result in a frustrated pig and a frustrated farmer". Telling little Bobby that "The B stands for CREATIVITY!!!" I know a kid who struggled with open v/s closed universe at the age of 13 (true story). He aced every test, won the science fair, and yet he got straight C's and D's because he didn't show his work (he did everything in his head). That's American public education. I’ve read Gamow, and yes – it’s a fantastic book for the right reader… but bear in mind that the job of breakthrough advancement is carried by one small fraction of one percent of the general population… and the rest of society replicates it if they have the good-sense to encourage and accept innovation. Unfortunately, most of society (including the Nobel Committee) reinforces an acedemic paradigm thoroughly invested in maintaining the status-quo. This is why the biggest paradigm-shifting innovators so often turn out to be college dropouts.

So I think the best alternate (and more specific)advice might be: “If your son is brilliant-yet-bored in school, pull him out, give him this book or read it to him, and start putting him together with the resources who could make use of his ideas”. On the other hand, it has been said that “trying to tech a pig to sing will only result in a frustrated pig and a frustrated farmer”. Telling little Bobby that “The B stands for CREATIVITY!!!” I know a kid who struggled with open v/s closed universe at the age of 13 (true story). He aced every test, won the science fair, and yet he got straight C’s and D’s because he didn’t show his work (he did everything in his head). That’s American public education.

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