Dangerous music.

Quirkiness of thought and expression is a much under-rated characteristic. For me, the quirky are more interesting than the merely intelligent. Indeed, many of the world’s most interesting creations come from the minds of the world’s quirks, as it were.

Today, Fintan, eight, was playing with a children’s toy, which I believe to belong to his young niece (about 3 years old). He turned it on, and pushed a button or two. Electronic music bellowed out from it. He smiled to himself and levelled it towards me:

“Watch Daddy, this machine will erase your whole mind!”, he announced, rather theatrically. He then set about proving it, calling up repetitive annoying tune after repetitive annoying tune, laughing to himself all the while. He repeated each short snatch of music for maximal mind-numbing effect, punctuating it only with the occasional cackle to himself.

Before he had actually proved the efficacy of the device, but by the time I had become convinced that it, indeed, had the power to “erase my whole mind”, I told him, firmly, but with tongue in cheek:

“Switch it off Fintan, it is beginning to work!”

He had mercy on me and switched it off. Unfortunately, little Tiarnan, five, who had no mercy in him whatsoever, took over and chose the most repetitive irritating tunes of all to play, repeatedly. He wasn’t playing it because he liked the music. He was playing it because he liked the effect on his Daddy. After much amusement – from him, alone, I might add – he finally switched it off, after I had begged him several times.

I think Fintan has found the answer to the mystery as to why three year olds are generally surpassed by eight year olds, mentally: it is those damned mind erasing devices they play with!

Posted by Valentine Cawley

(If you would like to support my continued writing of this blog and my ongoing campaign to raise awareness about giftedness and all issues pertaining to it, please donate, by clicking on the gold button to the left of the page.

To read about my fundraising campaign, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2011/01/fundraising-drive-in-support-of-my.html and here: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2011/01/fundraising-drive-first-donation.html

If you would like to read any of our scientific research papers, there are links to some of them, here: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2011/02/research-papers-by-valentine-cawley-and.html

If you would like to see an online summary of my academic achievements to date, please go here: http://www.getcited.org/mbrz/11136175

To learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, 10, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, 7 and Tiarnan, 5, 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.

There is a review of my blog, on the respected The Kindle Report here:http://thekindlereport.blogspot.com/2010/09/boy-who-knew-too-much-child-prodigy.html

Please have a read, if you would like a critic's view of this blog. Thanks.

You can get my blog on your Kindle, for easy reading, wherever you are, by going to: http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Who-Knew-Too-Much/dp/B0042P5LEE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1284603792&sr=8-1

Please let all your fellow Kindlers know about my blog availability - and if you know my blog well enough, please be so kind as to write a thoughtful review of what you like about it. Thanks.

My Internet Movie Database listing is at:http://imdb.com/name/nm3438598/

Ainan's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3305973/

Syahidah's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3463926/

Our editing, proofreading and copywriting company, Genghis Can, is athttp://www.genghiscan.com/

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

Intelligence in a rabbit.

Yes. That title is “for real”.

Tiarnan’s 5th birthday was on Thursday. He requested two gifts, in particular: Little Big Planet 2, a PS3 game and a baby rabbit. His rabbit was most prompt, arriving, in secret, the day before, and being hidden away in an unfrequented part of the house, so that Tiarnan wouldn’t see it.

On his birthday morning, we led Tiarnan to the cage, where his bunny looked out inquisitively on the world. Tiarnan’s delighted grin was something to behold. He was quite overcome with the sweetness of his new pet. That morning, something strange happened: none of my three sons wanted to play with the PS3 – all of them clustered around the rabbit, playing with it, stroking it, feeding it, chasing it about and generally have a great time becoming acquainted with the newest member of the household.

Ainan was the one who noticed the rabbit’s interesting behaviour. Mochi, as the rabbit is known, by some, conceived a plan of escape from his cage. She quite clearly seemed to think that if only she could stretch high enough, she would be able to climb out of the top of the cage. So, that is what she did. She leant up against the wall of the cage, with her front paws and stretched upwards, seeking a way out. It didn’t work. She couldn’t stretch high enough. Then, she did something most surprising. She hopped over to the dish in which her feed had been placed and climbed up into it. You see, the dish is raised above the level of the rest of the cage. Then she tried stretching again, her paws against the side of the cage, to see if she could reach up and out of the cage. However, again, she was too short and her plan failed.

Ainan was most impressed by this, for though Mochi is but a baby rabbit, quite clearly she was doing some thinking. She had conceived a plan, had an idea and understanding of her world – and had tried it out. So, though most unexpected though it is to see any kind of intelligence in a rabbit, quite clearly they are not as dumb as most people think. Beneath that cute exterior there is, at least, some rudimentary thinking going on.

Mochi has been most entertaining for the boys these past couple of days. The morning now, has become a ritual greeting time, for the boys to sit down and play with their rabbit. On her part, Mochi insists on being entertaining and being quite capable of surprising or funny actions. We tried, for instance, to put a harness on her. However, her response, was to run away as fast as possible, straining against the harness, until it slipped over her and set her free. So, that escape plan worked at least.

For me, the most warming part of all of this, is to see that the boys prefer to play with a baby rabbit than their PS3. Maybe modern electronic toys are not as all consuming as most people think. Maybe it is just that kids are not often given more attractive alternatives. Our sons, at least, prefer cuddly biology, to blaring electronics. It is a good discovery to make.

(If you would like to support my continued writing of this blog and my ongoing campaign to raise awareness about giftedness and all issues pertaining to it, please donate, by clicking on the gold button to the left of the page. To read about my fundraising campaign, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2011/01/fundraising-drive-in-support-of-my.html and here: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2011/01/fundraising-drive-first-donation.html

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.

There is a review of my blog, on the respected The Kindle Report here: http://thekindlereport.blogspot.com/2010/09/boy-who-knew-too-much-child-prodigy.html

Please have a read, if you would like a critic's view of this blog. Thanks.

You can get my blog on your Kindle, for easy reading, wherever you are, by going to: http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Who-Knew-Too-Much/dp/B0042P5LEE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1284603792&sr=8-1

Please let all your fellow Kindlers know about my blog availability - and if you know my blog well enough, please be so kind as to write a thoughtful review of what you like about it. Thanks.

My Internet Movie Database listing is at: http://imdb.com/name/nm3438598/

Ainan's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3305973/

Syahidah's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3463926/

Our editing, proofreading and copywriting company, Genghis Can, is at http://www.genghiscan.com/

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