The secret of being good at Science.

Ainan is becoming pithy in his remarks, these days. He has a growing tendency to summarize his thought, in catchy sentences. I see this as an emergent writer, in him, expressing his customary thoughts, in more elegant ways.

A couple of weeks ago, he observed to me:

“In science, the answer is easy, it is the question that is hard.”

I thought this both truthful and well-expressed, for it embodied one of the secrets of being a good scientist: the truly rare ability is not to be able to answer questions put to you, but to be able to ask questions no-one else had thought of doing so. In short, Ainan was noting that the real genius of science, is in the question. Relatively few people understand this. In popular culture it is the kid who has all the answers, who is revered as a “genius”. What they don’t realize is that the real genius is the kid who asks questions no-one else had thought of.

I like the way Ainan is developing. In his early days it did seem that he might end up very focussed on one thing: Chemistry. I thought, at the time, that that would be rather limiting. Yet, now, it seems, he is developing more in the model of my own life: growing in many areas, at once and becoming distinctly multi-talented. This is much more healthy I feel. It will also give him many more options, in life, for what he might choose to do, professionally. I think this is likelier to lead to personal fulfilment, than only have one area to “choose” from.

Ainan’s remark calls to mind when he was between four and six. In this time, he was filled with questions – sometimes unanswerable ones. For me, this avalanche of insightful questions was an irrefutable indicator that a very special thinker was growing behind his curious eyes. As Ainan himself has now noted, it was his QUESTIONS, that I found most startling, not the fact that he was able to answer those put to him. Each question is a creative act, for it involves looking at the world and finding something missing: understanding of some aspect, or phenomenon. To ask the right questions, first one must be able to see the world as it is and note what cannot be immediately explained within common knowledge. In so doing, one finds questions that others had overlooked. Yet, the foundation of this is first to see the world truly as it is and not as it is supposed to be – and that is an art many never master. Perhaps some children are inherently good at it, not yet having been indoctrinated into a particular world view and so more able to see what is truly there and, therefore, to wonder about it, as it is and ask why it should be.

Perhaps to make a good scientist, one just has to preserve the child within and see all as it is, and not as common culture wishes it to be seen.

Posted by Valentine Cawley

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Where all the living geniuses?

Many a time I have noted that lists of geniuses tend to be lists of dead men (with, I am afraid to say, few women...but that may be a cultural thing). It is not the sex of the geniuses that I am here to discuss, today...but the fact that they are, almost always, dead by the time they reach lists of "geniuses". The obvious question arises, therefore: do we not have living geniuses of our own...or does it just take too, too long to recognize genius?

I came across an interesting thought of Arthur Schopenhauer (1788 - 1860), the German philosopher, in his work: "On reputation", concerning people's response to genius. It seems to be an appropriate explanation for the situation, so I am quoting it, below:

"Compared with the short span of time they live, men of great intellect are like huge buildings, standing on a small plot of ground. The size of the building cannot be seen by anyone, just in front of it; nor, for an analogous reason, can the greatness of a genius be estimated while he lives. But when a century has passed, the world recognizes it and wishes him back again."

The evidence of those lists of geniuses does nothing to disconfirm Schopenhauer's view. It seems that, too often, society wakes up to the presence of a genius, only after they have gone. This is, of course, almost a cliche in some fields - such as Art - wherein the works of a genius not infrequently only find an audience long after the artist has died. (Think: Van Gogh, for instance.)

My thoughts turn to Singapore. It is a country that has never produced a world class adult genius (though it has the odd child prodigy or two, who may grow into one). No living or dead Singaporean adult, has won the agreement of the world that he or she, is or was, a genius. Now, in the case of those gone, this may be because they just weren't geniuses - but the question is: are there any geniuses now living in Singapore, who are merely suffering from the kind of disregard attendant on geniuses that Schopenhauer wrote of? Are there any Singaporeans who will one day be acknowledged by posterity to have been of true genius? If so, would it not be better to acknowledge them in life and perhaps assist them in their works?

Perhaps, my readers, you would like to propose people of genius that you have encountered - people who have not yet been recognized for their gifts, but who may one day be so recognized, if only people would wake up to their merits. Should you so nominate anyone, make sure you give reasons why you think that they might be a person of genius, in the traditional sense. (I don't mean a "genius" in the modern usage of anyone who can breathe, and entertain people.) Perhaps their nomination might begin the process of their abilities coming to recognition. Nominations may come from anywhere in the world - not just Singapore. Thanks.

(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.

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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.)