Tiarnan, the microbiologist.

On the 5th January, 2010, Tiarnan approached me with a magnifiying glass in his left hand, as I lay down in rest.

He put the lens up to his eye and peered down at the skin on my arm.

I thought this a very curious thing to do.

"What are you doing, Tiarnan?"

"I am looking for bacteria.", he announced, seriously, in his little high pitched voice.

I found myself smiling as I watched him peering intently at my magnified skin. No doubt he would not be able to see any bacteria, but no doubt, too, the view would be very interesting to a three year old.

His action was strangely revealing. It meant that he understood that bacteria were very small and could not be seen with the naked eye - but it also meant that he didn't understand quite how small they were - the magnifying lens being insufficient. Nevertheless, he had the right idea, in essence, and at least he understood that the lens would "make things bigger".

I let him peer away, as he moved the lens across any revealed skin, to see what he could find. There was another thing that he clearly understood: that bacteria would be found living on human skin. He is not wrong.

Perhaps we have another little scientist in the house. I don't know...but we shall see.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged 10, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, 6, or Tiarnan, exactly 4, 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, Malaysia, College, University, HELP University College, Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science, Computer Programming, Science, genetics, left-handedness, precocity, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, megasavant, wunderkind, wonderkind, genio, prodigy, genie, 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. http://www.genghiscan.com/ Thanks.

IMDB is the Internet Movie Database for film and tv professionals. If you would like to look at my IMDB listing, for which about another fifteen credits have yet to be uploaded. This will take many months before they are approved. Please go to: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3438598/ for my listing. Ainan’s listing is at http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3305973/ My wife, Syahidah Osman Cawley’s listing is at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3463926/

This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication prohibited. Use only with permission. Thank you.)

Where creativity is to be found.

Recently, in Malaysia, I have encountered a strange idea. Well, it is strange to me. The idea is almost a religious belief, so strongly is it held, by those in whom I encountered it. It goes like this: "No-one who does not have a PhD can possibly do research."

Wow, I thought, on first hearing this view, expressed. Somewhere along the way, those who think this have come to confuse the ability with the credential: the latter is not the former and the former can exist without the latter.

This belief that no-one is empowered to think creatively, in science, without a PhD, is a dangerous and mistaken one. Were it to be believed and acted on, many good people, with good brains and good ideas, would never be allowed to do any research. This would be a great loss. There is no reason, at all, why someone who has never done a PhD cannot contribute interesting scientific work. I, myself, did a couple of interesting research projects at 17, for the British government (at NPL). I certainly did not have a PhD - but I did invent a scientifically useful device, as one of my projects. Not having a PhD certainly did not stop me from being able to do that.

I understand the anxieties of those who appoint researchers, however. They wish to be sure that someone can do research. In their minds, the PhD is evidence of that ability. However, just because this is so, that does not mean that other forms of evidence do not exist. Someone may have written and published research papers or invented things...these are all evidence of scientific creativity and are enough in and of themselves to show that someone should be able to do research.

It is apt, I think, to look with broader eyes on people, lest narrow vision preclude good people from contributing good ideas and good projects, because they haven't jumped through all the "right" hoops. If someone is creative and clear thinking they have all that is necessary to do research. They don't need a piece of paper to prove it.

So, I would suggest that recruiters look a little more broadly at what people have to offer. There can be some very good non-standard candidates out there. Indeed, I am sure that there are many potentially prize-worthy researchers, sitting in the non-PhD pile on the average human resources desk. Typically, however, they will never get a chance to show what they can do. Why not give them that chance? After all, Einstein didn't have a degree when he contributed his first four seminal papers to the world...Would you dismiss his work because he didn't have PhD after his name? Some would...

(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.

IMDB is the Internet Movie Database for film and tv professionals. If you would like to look at my IMDb listing for which another fifteen credits are to be uploaded, (which will probably take several months before they are accepted) please go to: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3438598/ As I write, the listing is new and brief - however, by the time you read this it might have a dozen or a score of credits...so please do take a look. My son, Ainan Celeste Cawley, also has an IMDb listing. His is found at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3305973/ My wife, Syahidah Osman Cawley, has a listing as well. Hers is found at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3463926/

This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication prohibited. Use Only with Permission. Thank you.)

Why mosquitoes bite.

About two weeks ago, I was walking with Tiarnan, in our fairly green area of Kuala Lumpur. The light was fading and the sun slumping in the sky.

Suddenly, I slapped the back of my neck.

Tiarnan, three, looked up at me, quizzically. "Why did you do that, Daddy?"

"A mosquito bit me.", I explained.

He nodded, with the wisdom of a pint sized Yoda, "Because Daddy is so nice!"

Unexpectedly, I felt quite a lot better about being bitten by the mosquito. I rather liked Tiarnan's reasoning: I was being targeted by mosquitoes because I was "so nice!" How sweet of him to think so. The most touching thing of all, though, was that he really seemed to believe it, such was his earnest nodding. He had no doubt at all in him that he had divined the reason for the mosquito's attack.

So, Tiarnan, the next time I get bitten by a mosquito, I will take it as a compliment to my character. Thank you, my boy!

(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.

IMDB is the Internet Movie Database for film and tv professionals. If you would like to look at my IMDb listing for which another fifteen credits are to be uploaded, (which will probably take several months before they are accepted) please go to: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3438598/ As I write, the listing is new and brief - however, by the time you read this it might have a dozen or a score of credits...so please do take a look. My son, Ainan Celeste Cawley, also has an IMDb listing. His is found at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3305973/ My wife, Syahidah Osman Cawley, has a listing as well. Hers is found at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3463926/

This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication prohibited. Use Only with Permission. Thank you.)