Strange questions of a curious boy.

Perhaps the greatest pleasure a parent can have, is to watch their children surprise them. My three sons seem to have decided to specialize in this activity, as if born to it.

Many years ago, Ainan began asking strange questions. These strange questions grew into his own preoccupations and finally an absorbing interest in science. So, I have come to look out for strange questions as a herald of things to come. It is a sign that a young mind is beginning to consider the world.

The other day, Tiarnan, just turned five, asked his mother: “What does parallel mean?” Now, this is not a particularly strange question, but it is an unexpected one, in the sense that it is not the kind of topic one expects from a five year old.

His mother duly answered, showing him what parallel meant. He grasped the concept, at once and seemed quite content to learn something new. That, for him, was one less mystery in the world.

Of course, Tiarnan’s question creates another little question: where had he heard the word “parallel”, in the first place? I certainly hadn’t said it to him, nor his mother, Syahidah, either. Yet, somewhere he had noted the word, remembered it and thought to ask us about it later.

I see, already in Tiarnan, a liking for words. He has, on occasions, used surprising ones, since he was very young – words rather too long and rather too complicated for his age. It reminds me of what he said once: that he was going to be a writer of “story books” when he grows up. Perhaps he will, if not in this Universe, perhaps in a parallel one!

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To learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, 10, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, 7 and Tiarnan, 4, this month, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html

I also write of gifted education, child prodigy, child genius, adult genius, savant, megasavant, HELP University College, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, Malaysia, IQ, intelligence and creativity.

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