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The boy who knew too much: a child prodigy

This is the true story of scientific child prodigy, and former baby genius, Ainan Celeste Cawley, written by his father. It is the true story, too, of his gifted brothers and of all the Cawley family. I write also of child prodigy and genius in general: what it is, and how it is so often neglected in the modern world. As a society, we so often fail those we should most hope to see succeed: our gifted children and the gifted adults they become. Site Copyright: Valentine Cawley, 2006 +

Saturday, August 23, 2008

How not to investigate a scandal.

The IOC is doing a good job of not doing a good job. By this I mean that they are doing exactly what shouldn't be done in the case of the allegedly underaged Chinese gymnasts. The IOC is asking the very body accused of lying, to tell more lies.

I will explain. As far as has publicly been made known, the IOC's "investigation" into the girl's ages consisted of China being asked to produce more documents to "prove" their age. I use the word "produce" deliberately, for China has been given sufficient time to produce them, so as actually to produce them, (that is fabricate them), if necessary.

What many parties all over the world have basically said China seems to have done is lie to the world about the ages of its gymnasts. For the passports to be lies, it means that the Chinese government itself is the lying party - or its representatives. Yet, it is the Chinese government that the IOC has asked to produce further documents to prove the issue. This just doesn't make sense. If the passports are fake - as many different parties believe - then ALL documents produced by the Chinese will have been faked.

For those who haven't been following this matter, the doubt initially arose because of publicly available documents on Chinese government linked websites stating the ages of the girls as being as young as 13, rather recently. So, official Chinese sources are the source of the doubt. It is interesting that these public sources are fast disappearing and exist, now, only in web caches.

What the IOC needs to do is source its own evidence. Do not ask the Chinese government for anything because if the doubts about the Chinese gymnasts' age turn out to be true, it will have been the Chinese government itself that had lied about it, through falsifying documents. Therefore, asking them for further documents, in this instance, will just result in further falsification. The answer to this matter is not to be found in official documents - but in unofficial records: the minds of others, for instance.

There must be hundreds of people in these girls' hometowns who know their true ages. Their fellow schoolchildren and teachers will know. Their neighbours will know. Anyone who has grown up with them will know. Many, many people will know the truth. Simply sending someone to enquire might produce interesting results. Then there will be stories in newspapers in the early days, before anyone had thought to lie about their ages. There will be the records of early competitions. There will, in fact, be an untold variety of physical and other evidences of their true age. All it would take is for the IOC to actually go looking. The IOC appears either to be run stupidly - or in collusion with those they are defending. Only an unintelligent, or a dishonest person, could fail to doubt the ages of the Chinese gymnasts after so much evidence of their underage status has been aired.

To my eyes, it is not, now, the Chinese who are under trial. It is the IOC itself. The manner in which it acts, or does not act, will determine its standing, henceforth, in the eyes of many around the world. By not acting with wisdom, the IOC threatens to damage the Olympic movement itself. Well done, IOC. Well done.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and seven months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, five years exactly, and Tiarnan, twenty-eight 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.

We are the founders of Genghis Can, a copywriting, editing and proofreading agency, that handles all kinds of work, including technical and scientific material. If you need such services, or know someone who does, please go to: http://www.genghiscan.com/ Thanks.)

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posted by Valentine Cawley @ 6:10 PM  0 comments

Friday, August 22, 2008

Time to investigate the IOC.

There have been calls, from all over the world, to investigate the age of Chinese gymnasts at the Olympics. At first the International Olympic Committee (IOC) indicated that it would not investigate for it was satisfied by the passports it had seen. The clamour continued, the world was not happy. Finally, today, the IOC announced that it would investigate the issue.

That sounded just fine to me. At last, they would look into the matter. At last, something would be done. At last, the undoubtable truth would be uncovered. Imagine, then, my surprise (and yours, perhaps) when I learnt that, only a few hours after announcing the investigation, that it had been concluded - in favour of the Chinese: all was pronounced well and the girls were as old as stated. The reason given was strange: there was no "proof" that they were underage.

What, exactly, I wonder does "proof" mean? What is the level of evidence the IOC would accept - for there is certainly abundant evidence that these girls are underage. Firstly, there is their development - or lack of it - for even by Asian standards these girls look like kids. They don't even look as old as the age that is suspected of them. If I had been told that they were in primary school, I would believe it. Then there is the little matter of Chinese governmental websites having stated, in the past, that the girls were considerably younger than they would have had to have been, to now be 16. Last year, Xinhua, the Chinese government news agency, wrote of He Kexin as being 13 years old. In May, the China Daily, wrote of her being 14. Suddenly, she has undergone rapid ageing, living two years in just three months. Another magic feat is that documents have come into existence - such as a passport - that have a new opinion of her age.

Well a document is just a piece of paper with lies written on it - if that is what someone wants it to be. It is very easy to falsify a passport - all it needs is one single dishonest official or one single dishonest government. That is all. A piece of paper with the age 16 on it says nothing of the truth at all.

What would tell the truth is a bit of a background check on the girls. Where did they go to school? What do the teachers and students of that school say about the age of the girls? What do townspeople in their respective home towns say? Where are the yearbooks and dated photographs of the girls in particular school years? A life leaves traces of its passing. There will be an abundance of physical evidence in the world as to the true age of these girls. Unless, of course, there is a massive cover-up underway with the erasure of these girls' entire pasts. That, of course, is possible given China's revealed nature and strong interest in maintaining this apparent lie in the face of the world.

It would not be difficult to find all this information. Simply hiring a private detective agency in China would probably do the trick in a day or two. However, it is not really necessary to do that - for the Chinese government has told us the true ages of these girls on multiple occasions at earlier stages in their careers, on public websites. Caches of these now strangely missing webpages prove that three girls, at least, in the Chinese gymnastic team are underage, ACCORDING TO THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT ITSELF, in the past.

Investigators from various parts of the world have unearthed diverse evidence stating that these girls are underage. The IOC rules state that no-one under 16 can participate in an Olympics gymnastic competition. Anyone who is under 16 is ineligible for competition - and for the winning of medals. Gymnasts are supposed to take these rules seriously - and are stripped of their medals if found out. However, the IOC has chosen, in the case of the Chinese gymnasts, not to take its own rules seriously. The question is: why?

The IOC is ignoring much evidence that the athletes are underage. It prefers to accept that China, great wonderful honest China, would not lie to it. It is accepting the verbal declaration that the passports and related documents of these athletes state. It is ignoring the verbal declaration of Xinhua, (the Chinese version of Reuters) and various other Chinese organs, as being "unproven". So what makes one verbal declaration trustworthy and another not? Why is one Chinese government source trusted (the passport office) and another Chinese government source (Xinhua) not trusted? It seems, to an outsider, that it all comes down to money. The IOC makes money out of the Beijing Olympics. No doubt it makes a whole lot of money. That money pays their no doubt Olympic sized salaries. They are not going to investigate the behaviour of the source of that money. So, they choose blindness over sight, deafness over hearing and ignore the evidence that the rest of the world can see and hear so clearly.

It is time, therefore, not to just ask the IOC to investigate the age of these questionable athletes, but to ask that the IOC ITSELF BE INVESTIGATED. Is there wrongdoing and collusion at the IOC? Are the IOC truly aware that the gymnasts are underage, but choose to ignore the issue? Why won't the IOC do the simplest of things to verify the ages of these children, themselves? The IOC has great resources and influence. It would not be difficult for them to find concrete sources other than the assurances of their hosts - after all, the rest of the world has had no trouble doing so. The funny thing is that the age verification sources outside of the official ones, all state that these girls are underage. Perhaps that is why the IOC chooses not to look at them: it doesn't want to face up to the situation.

The IOC is being foolish. It fears to embarrass China. It seems to lack the courage to face China. That is the charitable interpretation. The less charitable interpretation is that the IOC, itself, is directly involved in covering this matter up, by giving its assurances that all is OK, when much evidence says that it is not.

The IOC has put its long-term reputation on the line over this. People have long memories. They will not easily forget the multiple lies and deceits that China has brazenly told the world these past couple of weeks. The world will continue to suspect the Chinese gymnasts of being underage. Furthermore, and to the detriment of the IOC, the world will remember how the IOC responded. The reputation of the IOC could be forever lessened by this lack of action on their part. The IOC risks a lot more than embarrassing China. The IOC risks tarnishing the Olympics, itself. For the IOC is showing, quite clearly, that it doesn't care all that much about cheating, at the Olympics, it doesn't care about fairness, it doesn't care about honesty. It doesn't actually care about the Olympic spirit at all. All the IOC cares about is the IOC.

An external body should be appointed, with no connection to the IOC, to investigate two things: the age of the Chinese gymnasts through thorough background checking - and whether the IOC is colluding, in any way, with covering up their ages.

Should it be proven that the gymnasts are underage, the entire upper management of the IOC should go, for not investigating it, thoroughly. Should it be proven that they were in collusion over the matter, then some form of further punishment should be put in place.

The Olympics represent the best of the human spirit. Today, however, they appear to be run by people who do not share in that spirit. It is time to take a good, long look at the IOC, and all its key players. In fact, this is more important than even the age of the athletes that they are so keen not to question.

Is it time to say goodbye to Jacques Rogge? (Interesting name, that...)

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and seven months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, five years exactly, and Tiarnan, twenty-eight 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.

We are the founders of Genghis Can, a copywriting, editing and proofreading agency, that handles all kinds of work, including technical and scientific material. If you need such services, or know someone who does, please go to: http://www.genghiscan.com/ Thanks.)

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posted by Valentine Cawley @ 11:35 PM  3 comments

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Maternal and Paternal Leave around the world.

Recently, the Prime Minister of Singapore invoked the Swedish model as something to look to, for Singapore. For those who know what the Swedish Model is, this must have raised a lot of hope. I decided to check it out.

In Sweden, 480 days of paid leave is available for distribution between the parents. The first 390 days is paid at 80 % of a normal salary - and the remaining 90 days at a flat fixed rate. To encourage paternal involvement in child rearing, Sweden has a rule requiring 3 months of that time allowance to be used by the father. Thus, far from denying paternity leave, as is the case in Singapore, in Sweden PATERNITY LEAVE IS MANDATORY.

This is a very interesting situation, for it means that the State believes that parenting is of greater importance that mere employment. Whatever work responsibilities the father has, the State is saying that the father must set them aside to be a dad.

There is another aspect of child rearing that is different in Sweden. Child care/Kindergartens are subsidized by the State rather heavily and there is a cap of 100 pounds sterling per month for charges relating to it. Compared to a typical Swedish wage this is a modest price for childcare. (As background the CIA estimated in 2007 the GDP per capita in Sweden to have been 50,415 US dollars per head - not bad.)

Thus, the parents in Sweden have a lot of time with their newborns - and when they go back to work, they can afford childcare.

Good as it might seem, the situation in Sweden is not even the best in the world. Bulgaria, for instance, according to a Wikipedia article on parental leave, states that any mother may take 45 days sick leave, prior to the due date, on 100% of salary, 2 years of paid leave, after delivery and a further 1 year of unpaid leave. The employer must allow the mother to return to her original job after the leave expires - and pregnant women and single mothers cannot be fired.

Estonia is similarly generous. Paid leave entitlement is 18 months for mothers and it may start up to 70 days before the due date. Fathers may take paid leave from the third month after birth. Though, oddly, only one parent may do so at one time, otherwise one is unpaid. Pay is at 100 % of salary, capped at three times the national average.

It surprised me, somewhat, that relatively poor countries, in Eastern Europe, could be so generous to their new parents. It seems that their priorities are geared towards creating a society that is good to live in and that looks to the future.

The UK is not as generous, but even there benefits exceed those in Singapore. Mothers are entitled to 52 weeks of maternity leave, 39 weeks of which are paid, the first 6 weeks at 90%, the rest at a fixed rate.

Bearing these examples in mind, Singapore's situation does not seem particularly generous. The closest examples to Singapore's stance on this are found in places such as Africa where 12 and 14 weeks of leave are common.

If Singapore is to truly address the issue of its inadequate fertility, it may need to be somewhat more bold in initiatives designed to support parents. Other countries, even much poorer ones, manage to be very supportive of parents - so this is not about money: it is about outlook and beliefs in what is important. It seems that in Singapore, saving money is more important than the patter of little feet. Of course, without little feet, there will be no-one, in future, to make money from...so, short-term gain, leads to long-term loss.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and seven months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, five years exactly, and Tiarnan, twenty-eight 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.

We are the founders of Genghis Can, a copywriting, editing and proofreading agency, that handles all kinds of work, including technical and scientific material. If you need such services, or know someone who does, please go to: http://www.genghiscan.com/ Thanks.)

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posted by Valentine Cawley @ 11:26 PM  0 comments

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

On Maternity and Paternity Leave.

Singapore's leaders are waking up to the fact that soon they will have no-one left to lead. By this, I mean that Singaporeans simply aren't having enough children: they virtually halve at every generation - and, as any schoolboy mathematician will tell you, it doesn't take an awful lot of generations, at that rate of decline, for there soon to be no Singaporeans left at all. Something has to be done.

So, the government has proposed a number of initiatives to improve the situation. I shall focus on the implications of one of them, in this post. The government has extended the statutory period of maternity leave from 12 weeks to 16 weeks. This is great for mothers who wish to, and need to, spend more time with their newborns. It is great for the babies, too. It is not so great, however, for employers - particularly smaller employers - for they have to arrange cover, by generally less well-informed and competent staff, while their new mother is away from work. This can be expensive, is inconvenient and may affect the business. Thus, employers won't like this change very much.

Then, again, even 16 weeks is too short, really. What is needed is a much longer period of maternity leave (as in many European countries), but this would only heighten the problems for Singaporean companies which, traditionally, don't really care very much about the well-being of their staff.

This creates a big problem for women throughout Singapore. Employers may come to look on a female employee as a nightmare waiting to happen. They may see a female name and drop the CV in the bin. Why? Because down the line, all they can see is the incurred expense and inconvenience of maternity leave. Employers who think like this will tend to avoid employing young women and will only open the doors to post-menopausal women. It may create a strange kind of ageism in which OLDER women are preferred to younger ones. It would be a curious reversal of present trends.

While the government is intent on improving the situation for mothers, it seems to have forgotten fathers. Dads now have earnt the right to a week off work, sometime, during the year, to help care for their child. A week is a bit pathetic, really. What is needed is for men to have paternity leave. This would give new dads the chance to get to know their children - and their children to get to know their dads.

Paternity leave serves two purposes: it allows dads to be dads - and it ensures that mums will have jobs. You see, if dads get 16 weeks paternity leave, too, then there will be NO difference to employing men or women in the workplace. Employers would have no reason to discriminate between men and women: for both would come with the same potential cost. Indeed, equal maternity and paternity leave for men and women is the ONLY way that a sex divide in employment prospects will not develop in the Singaporean job market.

This, of course, gives rise to a general principle which should apply in all matters relating to employment: whatever breaks or allowances that women get, men should get, too, so that there is no reason to discriminate between men and women in the workplace. It seems the eminently intelligent thing to do and resolves many problems, at once. However, somehow, I don't think it will be implemented. Other considerations will probably still take precedence over the resolution of the population issue - and so the population of actual Singaporeans will continue to decline.

We shall see what is done.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and seven months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, five years exactly, and Tiarnan, twenty-eight 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.

We are the founders of Genghis Can, a copywriting, editing and proofreading agency, that handles all kinds of work, including technical and scientific material. If you need such services, or know someone who does, please go to: http://www.genghiscan.com/ Thanks.)

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posted by Valentine Cawley @ 11:36 PM  6 comments

Superhuman Genius Documentary ITV1 and ITV2

Last night, Ainan, eight, appeared in a documentary on ITV1 in the UK, entitled "Superhuman Genius". He was one of five people featured, including the American savant, Kim Peek, the American child prodigy artist, Akiane, Ben Pridmore, the UK Memory Champion and Ariel Lanyi, an Israeli child prodigy pianist.

The show is being repeated tonight at 9 pm on ITV2, for those able to catch it, in the UK.

I haven't seen the show myself but I understand it showed Ainan at work on Chemistry at Singapore Polytechnic.

Filming the show was an enjoyable experience for Ainan and one that opened him up a bit, I feel. He is unlearning his essential shyness, year by year and experiences like this are a help.

For those able to see the show it just offers a glimpse of Ainan at work - there is a lot more to be told. It is, however, an introduction to him and his work.

So, do tune in to Superhuman Genius, ITV2, if you are in the UK this evening.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and seven months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, five years exactly, and Tiarnan, twenty-eight 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.

We are the founders of Genghis Can, a copywriting, editing and proofreading agency, that handles all kinds of work, including technical and scientific material. If you need such services, or know someone who does, please go to: http://www.genghiscan.com/ Thanks.)

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posted by Valentine Cawley @ 1:40 AM  5 comments

Monday, August 18, 2008

On Silence and Self-expression.

Someone I know, whom I shall not name, is very keen on silence. That is, as a life philosophy, they prefer the silence of the tongue and the pen, to their use.

I shall explain. I enjoy blogging. I like to write. I have much to say. Daily, thoughts come to me, which I wish to share. So, I write them down and send them out into the world. I find great personal satisfaction in doing this, for it gives me the chance to communicate my world view in a way that did not exist a handful of years ago. Yet, this person would prefer that I stopped writing and maintained a stoic silence to the end of my days.

Now, what would be gained by being silent? Would the world be a better place for my silence? I am not sure that it would, but not for any egoistic reason. You see, everyone who has ever lived, lived a unique life. They came into the world with a unique set of genes and dispositions, they encountered unique circumstances, learnt unique things, experienced things no-one else ever experienced - and came to understand things no-one else will ever understand. This is the story of all humans, from the very first cave dwellers or savannah roamers, to the newest of newborns. We are all undeniably unique. So, what is gained if one of these unique human beings falls silent? Nothing. However, a great thing is lost: a unique set of experiences, world views, understandings and thoughts is never shared, never known and therefore forever lost when the bearer passes away.

Were I to stop writing, all my understandings of the world may as well never have been understood, for they will be lost with me, when my time comes. The same is true for us all. On a personal level we probably only share our thoughts with very few people - but those people, too, are mortal. So, in time, even if we share our thoughts on a personal level, all will be lost when those we shared them with, pass away. Therefore, it becomes our individual responsibility to ensure that we share our thoughts in a permanent fashion, that our world views and understandings become embodied in something more durable than another person's mind.

Different people share themselves - or express themselves - in different ways. Some design buildings, and show their views in how they are constructed. Some manage companies, and do so with a particular personality that shapes those companies. Some paint and draw and literally show the world their viewpoint. There are many ways to express the uniqueness of oneself. For me, it is writing: I express my thoughts in words. Were I not to write, I would feel somehow lessened. For in not writing, I am not speaking, in not speaking I am not communicating, in not communicating, I am not ensuring that what I learn from life has some afterlife, as it were.

I could heed this person's repeated request - to stop blogging. Yet, were I to do so, a particular kind of record, of a particular set of experiences and understandings would be forever lost to the world. However one judges the merit or quality of this contribution doesn't matter - what does matter is its essential uniqueness. No life lived will ever be as the one I know, is. Thus, if it is not recorded, the world is somehow impoverished by that. There would be no record of it - so that if anything I have learnt or understood is of any value, that value would be forever lost.

I don't see any benefit in that. Silence is the kind of outcome that leads nowhere and has no descendants. Silence produces nothing, creates nothing, achieves nothing. Silence is either for those with nothing to say, or too afraid to say it. I come into neither category at this time.

Some of my blog posts have stimulated quite an interesting reaction in the Singaporean blogosphere. I act as an outside voice, whose comments are informed by many years of direct experience. That voice, therefore, has a certain value because it contributes opinions that might not otherwise be uttered. Were I not to write, there are, perhaps, conversations that would never be, ideas that would never form, understandings that would never be understood. It is, therefore, important that I continue to write, for, in my small single-voiced way, I contribute to the ongoing debate that is the Singaporean blogosphere.

Were I not to record my children's antics, I would not have them to hand, when I am old, and my memory is fading. I choose to record them on a public blog, for I feel that family offers the greatest of rewards a human can know and I like to share my pleasure in those joys. Some readers have indicated that they, too, enjoy my tales of childhood. Would the world be better off without those tales of childhood? I don't think so - for while all childhoods have certain things in common, all childhoods also have unique elements, too. My writing constitutes a record of that uniqueness. Again, I don't think the world is better off without it - and my family is certainly not better off without it. This record will be precious to my children, when they are adults, for they will be able to see glimpses of their childhood here.

In all there are many reasons to write and only one reason not to write: because my relative believes in self-containment, rather than self-expression. They believe that silence, itself, is a value and has value. They believe that I should be, as they are - and maintain a silence in the world. Sadly, I think they could not be more wrong. Their world view, if adopted universally, would mean the end of all Art, all literature, all music, all public debate, all culture, all communication between people - and, ultimately, the end of all societies. You see, a society that has people who maintain a silence, among themselves, cannot survive - for without communication, there is no evolution of that society, no ability to grow, to deepen, to understand. It is a society that can only function at the level of clockwork programming and automaticity.

This person believes that it is better to say nothing, than to say anything at all. The act of communication is regarded as to be avoided. I understand why they think this. They value a certain kind of life, which does not admit the idea of a public presence. They believe in not leaving a mark, in not being noted, in not interacting with the public. Yet, that stance is completely at odds with the idea of any public self-expression - be it artistic, or social commentary, or even scientific (for an idea that is had, but not communicated cannot enter the public world of science). The idea of silence as a virtue means the end of all and any career which actually affects the world in any way, at all. To be silent, is not to exist, from the point of view of society and history.

The only effect on the world that is left to those who believe in silence, is to have children. I believe that there is more to life than just creating children. One must also create what one may, oneself. However, the creating of children is of great importance, too. One should ensure that both types of creation are part of life.

If you have read this far, then you must have some interest in the matter of self-expression, or perhaps silence. If so, feel free to express your thoughts in the comments.

I believe that if everyone were to believe in self-expression, the world would be much enriched, thereby, for the uniqueness of us all would leave some imprint upon the world, to be found and read, understood and appreciated. This imprint would mean that mankind could better accumulate understandings, insights, viewpoints and experiences (or records of them, anyway). It would all contribute to the wisdom of Man.

Singapore is one place that has, in recent years, through the internet, discovered this capacity to express itself. I am heartened to see that quite a few voices are contributing their understandings of life, to the global view of Mankind.

Long may it continue - and may silence never befall those with something to say and the means to say it.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and seven months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, five years exactly, and Tiarnan, twenty-eight 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.

We are the founders of Genghis Can, a copywriting, editing and proofreading agency, that handles all kinds of work, including technical and scientific material. If you need such services, or know someone who does, please go to: http://www.genghiscan.com/ Thanks.)

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posted by Valentine Cawley @ 9:22 PM  5 comments

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