I am not a Chemist.

The headline is an important statement that must be understood, if Ainan is to be understood.

It has come to my attention that some people assume that Ainan's interest is an echo of my own. I have had people assume that I am, in fact, a Chemist - and that Ainan's pursuit of the subject is just him either aping his Daddy or being indoctrinated by him. Neither proposal is true. Ainan chose Chemistry, it was not chosen for him.

When I was very young I, too, was interested in Chemistry. Yet, I didn't introduce Ainan to it. It never occurred to me to do so. Ainan introduced himself to Chemistry. He taught himself at first, without any influence from either of his parents. In recent months, he has begun looking at other sciences, too. This, again, is his doing - a need to explore more widely, as well as deeply (for he continues to explore Chemistry). Again, it is Ainan that is leading - he is the one who lays down his own fields of interest and begins to address them.

I was a type of scientist once - a physicist. So, if I were forming Ainan's interests it would be to that subject I would have led him. I certainly would not have led him to a subject other than my own prior core interest.

So, Ainan is a Chemist because he wants to be one. Ainan is exploring other sciences, now (including Physics) because he wants to explore them. Ainan is his own path-chooser.

I address this issue because I was surprised to learn that even relatives of mine made the assumption that Ainan was doing what I wanted, rather than what he wanted. Frankly, I was surprised at that for many reasons - not least of which is that I think it is impossible for a child to perform at a high level in an externally chosen area. They would not have the drive to mastery if it was imposed from without: their own curiosity must be the guiding force.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and five months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, four years and ten months, and Tiarnan, twenty-seven months, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, College, University, Chemistry, Science, genetics, left-handedness, precocity, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, wunderkind, wonderkind, genio, гений ребенок prodigy, genie, μεγαλοφυία θαύμα παιδιών, bambino, kind, niño, gênio criança, gifted adults and gifted children in general. Thanks.)

Berita Harian Singapore Polytechnic News.

Here is the article that appeared at the top of the front page of the Berita Harian, Singapore's leading Malay daily, on Tuesday, 13th May 2008.

He was also on the front page of Lianhe Wan Bao, one of the top Chinese dailies (I will try to locate a version of that).

As usual, I have pasted the article here, since Singapore's newspapers archive stories for only about 1 week.


BUDAK PINTAR LAPAN TAHUN DAPAT TEMPAT DI POLY S'PURA

Oleh Soraya Salim

BUDAK pintar ilmu kimia, Ainan Celeste Cawley, lapan tahun, telah mendapat tempat di Politeknik Singapura (SP). Dia dipercayai warga Singapura paling muda belajar di institusi pendidikan tinggi di sini.

SP menawarkan Ainan tempat awal tahun ini setelah ibu bapanya, Encik Valentine Muhammad Cawley, 40 tahun, dan Cik Syahidah Osma, 29 tahun, mencari universiti sesuai bagi anak sulung mereka itu tahun lalu.

Tiga minggu lalu, anak kacukan Ireland dan Melayu itu mula menghadiri kelas di Sekolah Kimia dan Sains Hayat SP, mengambil pelbagai modul kimia tahun pertama hingga ketiga yang dijalankan di makmal.

Ini termasuk modul tahun pertama kimia organik dan bukan organik serta modul tahun ketiga kimia wangian.

Menurut Cik Syahidah, di sesi pertama makmal Ainan membuktikan dia dapat memenuhi keperluan praktikal menjalankan ujian kimia walaupun dia seorang kanak-kanak.

'Bagi setiap sesi makmal, Ainan dipadankan dengan dua orang pelajar. Nampaknya dia tidak mempunyai masalah berinteraksi dengan mereka, malah dia sempat berjenaka dengan mereka,' katanya.

Ainan pula berkata: 'Ini pengalaman praktikal terbaik yang pernah saya lalui.'

Mengulas tentang keupayaan Ainan, Ketua Seksyen Kimia Analisis SP, Dr Ng Kok Chin, berkata: 'Ainan seorang budak yang amat pintar. Kami tidak pernah bertemu seseorang sepertinya sebelum ini.'

Antara eksperimen yang telah Ainan lakukan adalah menyediakan isoamyl acetate, atau minyak pisang, pengasingan limonen daripada buah-buahan sitrus - kedua-duanya eksperimen tahun ketiga - serta penghabluran semula (recrystallization) asid benzoic dan aspirin.
Malah, sempena Hari Ibu kelmarin Ainan mencipta minyak wangi khas untuk ibunya.

'Minyak wangi itu amat harum baunya. Ia hadiah Hari Ibu terbaik buat saya,' kata Cik Syahidah, yang mempunyai dua lagi anak lelaki, Fintan Nadym, empat tahun, dan Tiarnan Hasyl, dua tahun.

Oktober lalu Ainan mendapat pengiktirafan dalam Buku Rekod Singapura sebagai pelajar termuda Singapura lulus mata pelajaran Kimia dalam peperiksaan GCE peringkat 'O'.

Dia mendapat bagi subjek itu walaupun usianya ketika itu hanya tujuh tahun satu bulan. Setelah itu, ibu bapanya memohon kepada beberapa universiti tempatan dan luar negara tetapi ditolak kerana institusi-institusi itu tidak bersedia mengambil budak semuda itu.
Namun, Ainan berpeluang melakukan kerja-kerja praktikal di makmal kimia di Raffles Institution (RI) dan Maktab Rendah Raffles (RJC) serta Universiti Teknologi Nanyang (NTU).

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and five months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, four years and ten months, and Tiarnan, twenty-seven months, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, College, University, Chemistry, Science, genetics, left-handedness, precocity, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, wunderkind, wonderkind, genio, гений ребенок prodigy, genie, μεγαλοφυία θαύμα παιδιών, bambino, kind, niño, gênio criança, gifted adults and gifted children in general. Thanks.)

The size of a toddler

Today, I looked down at my youngest, smallest son, Tiarnan, twenty-seven months and said: "Who is a big boy?"

He looked up at me, a long, long way up and shouted: "MEEEE!!!"

Then, I asked him: "Who is a small boy?"

"ABANG!!!" he shouted, with gleeful mischief in his eyes, for Abang means "elder brother". He was either referring to Ainan or to Fintan, both of whom are, of course, markedly bigger than he is.

Tiarnan shows every sign of wanting to be all grown up, already. For now, he will have to satisfy himself with imagining himself so. In the meantime, he will, no doubt, give me much enjoyment with his constant jockeying for status and position among his brothers. Today, he labelled himself the biggest of the three brothers. Who knows, maybe he will be one day, despite his present size - but that is a good fifteen or twenty years away.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and five months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, four years and ten months, and Tiarnan, twenty-seven months, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, College, University, Chemistry, Science, genetics, left-handedness, precocity, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, wunderkind, wonderkind, genio, гений ребенок prodigy, genie, μεγαλοφυία θαύμα παιδιών, bambino, kind, niño, gênio criança, gifted adults and gifted children in general. Thanks.)

Who is international aid to Myanmar feeding?

The callous imagination of the Myanmar junta goes beyond one's cruellest imagination. Latest reports suggest that food aid to Myanmar is being confiscated by the junta, with some, at least, confirmed to have been sent to a military warehouse.

The high-grade nutritional biscuits that were sent, were kept for the military - and instead, low-grade "tasteless" biscuits made in Myanmar were distributed. Thus, the good food that is sent is ending up in military bellies (or intended to end up there) - and bad, even "rotting food", as witnesses described the rice that was being given out, is being distributed instead.

So, now the international community has an even bigger moral dilemma. Should food aid be sent at all if it is not going to reach the needy? To send food aid and have it feed the military is to do nothing for the endangered and will only serve to strengthen their oppressors. Here we have a situation in which the international will to help the hungry and threatened, is being perverted by their ruling regime to become an effort which will only bolster those who oppress them.

France, Britain and Germany are of the opinion that aid should be forced on the junta. That is, the international community has a moral imperative to ensure that the endangered are saved - even if this means going against the will of the ruling military junta.

I tend to agree with them: logic bids me so. If our mission is to save the 2 million now in danger from an unfortunate death, they must receive food and medical aid. The junta will not give them either food or medicine and will, in fact, confiscate both, for its own purposes. Therefore neither food nor aid should be given to the junta to distribute, nor allowed to fall into their hands. The only way these 2 million people are going to be saved is if the international community ignores the junta and goes in directly. Unless this intervention consists solely of air drops (which might be confiscated), any aid workers would have to be accompanied by armed escort, lest this effort leads to violent confrontation.

So, the options in the situation are limited. To continue to deliver aid without workers to distribute it is only to ensure that nothing gets done for the afflicted - and that the regime have fuller bellies. To continue to stand by and wait for the junta to wake up and grow a conscience is to ensure that people will continue to die by the thousand. There is, therefore, only one logical answer: to go in with aid irrespective of the wishes of the ruling morons, oops, elite. That latter option could lead to confrontation but given the backward nature of the society, I am sure that advanced powers would have little difficulty managing the junta's response.

It is interesting to note who favours forced aid: Britain, France and Germany - among the most advanced humanitarian democracies in the world. It is even more telling who opposes it: Russia and China - two countries most like Myanmar. Indeed, on a footnote, China is now opposing foreign aid workers who wish to assist in their earthquake disaster - the exact same response as Myanmar. It seems that repressive regimes the world over, simply don't want their people to learn that foreigners are a much kinder bunch than they have been painted. If they ever learn the equation that democracy=concern for others, their repressive regimes are doomed. They would rather their people die by the millions than that they should ever learn what free countries are really like.

I dearly hope that someone has the strength to take the strong decisions that need to be made, if 2 million people in Myanmar are not to fall to hunger, lack of shelter and rampant disease.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and five months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, four years and ten months, and Tiarnan, twenty-seven months, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, College, University, Chemistry, Science, genetics, left-handedness, precocity, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, wunderkind, wonderkind, genio, гений ребенок prodigy, genie, μεγαλοφυία θαύμα παιδιών, bambino, kind, niño, gênio criança, gifted adults and gifted children in general. Thanks.)

My children's reaction to Ainan's news.

Today, Tiarnan, twenty-seven months, saw me present a newspaper to Syahidah for her to look at. He then noted that both myself and my wife were holding newspapers and looked put out. "My newspaper!", he muttered to himself and then went upstairs.

He came down holding a newspaper, the "My Paper" (oddly coincidental considering his description of what he was to get).

He was very excited, stretching up on his toes, and tapping a picture with his left-hand, "Abang is put in there!", he told us. "Abang" means elder brother. Sure enough, on page 2, there was a photo of his elder brother, Ainan, in the Singapore Polytechnic chemistry lab.

He looked at the newspaper with wonder, that his brother should be in it. Thankfully, there was no negative emotion in his reaction - just wonderment.

Fintan, too, is happy to see Ainan in the media. Last night, we played the video of Ainan on Straitstimes.com for Fintan. After we had finished, he reached towards the computer and set it playing again, using the mouse to skip forward to his favourite part of the video - when Ainan clicked his fingers to an inner rhthym. Fintan was very intent on the screen - and happy for his brother - and seemingly happy for himself.

I am glad there is such togetherness in the household.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and five months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, four years and ten months, and Tiarnan, twenty-seven months, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, College, University, Chemistry, Science, genetics, left-handedness, precocity, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, wunderkind, wonderkind, genio, гений ребенок prodigy, genie, μεγαλοφυία θαύμα παιδιών, bambino, kind, niño, gênio criança, gifted adults and gifted children in general. Thanks.)

Straits Times.com Videocast on Ainan

The Straits Times online site, straitstimes.com has a video cast, presently on its front page about Ainan. It concerns his admission to Singapore Polytechnic to do lab based Chemistry modules across the spectrum of Chemistry, in years one, two and three simultaneously.

It is to be found at:

http://www.straitstimes.com/Video+News/Singapore/STIVodcast_4159.html?playid=4159&type=Singapore

The link will probably only work for a couple of weeks since the site doesn't permanently archive vodcasts.

The video does not mention that Ainan is doing modules from year three, year two and year one. As a year three student at a tertiary institution he is most probably the youngest in the world to work at that level, at that age. Certainly, no-one has ever graduated from a tertiary institution young enough to have been in the final year at the age of 8.

Thank you.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and five months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, four years and ten months, and Tiarnan, twenty-seven months, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, College, University, Chemistry, Science, genetics, left-handedness, precocity, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, wunderkind, wonderkind, genio, гений ребенок prodigy, genie, μεγαλοφυία θαύμα παιδιών, bambino, kind, niño, gênio criança, gifted adults and gifted children in general. Thanks.)

Ainan's mother's day present for Syahidah.

Many children buy something for their mother on Mother's Day. Ainan didn't do that: he made something instead.

From primary, aromatic chemicals, Ainan put together a perfume for his mother's birthday, putting it in a labelled bottle for her.

Syahidah could not have been more surprised had he given her a trip to the moon. A mother may expect perfume on Mother's Day but no mother could expect the perfume to have been made by her son. She sniffed it and declared: "It smells beautiful Ainan! It is the best mother's day present in the world!"

Ainan was quietly pleased that his mother liked his chemical work.

So, now we have our very own custom perfume sitting in the house, on my wife's bedside table. She couldn't be happier with her unexpected gift.

Happy Mother's Day, to all my readers. May you enjoy the surprises you receive.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and five months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, four years and ten months, and Tiarnan, twenty-seven months, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, College, University, Chemistry, Science, genetics, left-handedness, precocity, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, wunderkind, wonderkind, genio, гений ребенок prodigy, genie, μεγαλοφυία θαύμα παιδιών, bambino, kind, niño, gênio criança, gifted adults and gifted children in general. Thanks.)