Jesus Christ @ the cult of extroversion in this tread. Regardless of what Facebook made you believe, sociability and empathy are not the apex skills of our species, not by a long shot. We are humans, not a pack of dogs, for fuck's shake. Tell me, which is more useful and benefitial for mankind: random fratboy Joe Nº 39050854 or a scientific genius such as this kid? I think that the answer is obvious. Stop mocking him. He is not different, he is outright superior to you or me. We ought to admire him, not pity him, and encourage more people to follow his example by making him a celebrity and a role model rather than Paris Hilton.
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Child prodigy enters university at 11
- Thread starter ComputerMKII
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Yeah.
When I read about people like that, I just feel more motivated than I was before. "If this guy can do that when he's 11, then I sure can do well when I'm 10 years older than him.". Instead of belittling someone else's achievements, use them as a source of motivation.
ComputerMKII
Banned
We are not a hivemind. We are individuals with complex desires and tastes. It is impossible to know what is 'more useful for mankind' and subjugating a person, however intelligent he may be, to some vague sense of greater good is totalitarian.
If the child pursues a life of hard work in academia, may it be for his own satisfaction.
Riposte
Member
Indeed, someone who goes through college in their preteens is doomed to failure. The moment he is finished, he will starve to death because he won't have the social skills required to obtain food from a local supermarket. You hate to see something like this happen, but what can you do?
You are seeing only one side of the story, he could think the same about the "dumb" people.
The only fact is that your opinion is more likely to be accepted because there are less geniuses than people with social skills.
Absolutely. I just wanted to point out that this kid opting for such a life is a blessing for all of us, not a curse that he imposed unto himself. It is an admirable decision.
And the greater good does factor into my admiration towards what does one person do with his / her life, albeit this is a wholly personal opinion.
Race to be King
Banned
Because dogs are well known for their empathy and ability to establish a functioning society.
Fury Sense
Member
Get this kid a gaf account
Supermanisdead
Member
I always wondered how mature these kids are. Like if wanting to throw dirt is a natural age thing or an intelligence thing? Does he long to be free of lecture halls so he can pretend to be Donkey Kong on a playground?
Horseticuffs
Full werewolf off the buckle
There are 7+ billion mother fuckers up in this joint, guys. The world isn't going to miss one less living a normal life. Let's not waste this lil' dude.
I can't imagine what kind of hell going through a standard educational progression would be for the poor kid. They need to be throwing all kinds of resources at him so he gets the most he can out of the experience.
As a thoroughly average dude I feel comfortable saying that exceptional minds deserve exceptional treatment.
I can't imagine what kind of hell going through a standard educational progression would be for the poor kid. They need to be throwing all kinds of resources at him so he gets the most he can out of the experience.
As a thoroughly average dude I feel comfortable saying that exceptional minds deserve exceptional treatment.
ComputerMKII
Banned
OK.
thesoapster
Member
That does seem a bit odd, but to be fair those tests are not necessarily indicative of intelligence.
efyu_lemonardo
May I have a cookie?
I did some internet research on this a year ago or so. Many of them end up kinda washed up not working in the field they studied in and so on. A few has seen success though, I remember there was one guy who managed to win millions of dollars through a quiz show. Not exactly what you'd expect out of a child prodigy but it's notable.
Social skills are an important part of life no matter how smart you are.
When I did some research on the subject, most of them seem to end up mediocre in their academic field. They get burned out and often have personality issues.
Same thing happens with musical prodigies, everyone are amazed by them because they are children and expect great things but very few of them manage to live up to expectations.
It seems their potential isn't really much higher it's just that it's accelerated.
efyu_lemonardo
May I have a cookie?
I'm sure this kid will be perfectly capable of socializing with other people at or around his level.
It seems society should be doing more to support these prodigies emotionally and grant them the support they need in other areas of life in order to achieve their true potential. If they end up being miserable adults, society is every bit as much to blame as they are.
Gemüsepizza
Member
What are you even talking about, when you have absolutely *no* idea what this child will become? And while it sure is a good thing to be intelligent, it's also important for a human being to have a good childhood. And somehow I doubt that this is necessarily the case here. I also have read articles about so-called child prodigies who later escaped this life and did something completely different, because they could not deal with the pressure and expectations. Smh at all these "you are just jealous" posts.
1. His age doesn't make him a genius. When you are categorizing people like that, age is irrelevant. If he was as intelligent as Neil DeGrasse Tyson, or Stephen Hawking, then I would be impressed. Relative 'genius' isn't really praiseworthy.
2. Superior? No. Different? Yes.
3. Admiring a child prodigy or Paris Hilton are both unhealthy endeavors. I hope the kid ends up a well rounded individual, because I find people who are intelligent, but also generally proficient in a plethora of activities, impressive.
I can honestly say I wouldn't wish for this kids childhood.
They do have lecturers and heaps of resources (labs, libraries, access to heaps of academic papers, etc...) in college though.
What do you want him to flunk his classes or something?!
Actually, when I went to university, I met and was friends with a guy who did his A-levels (18-year-old examinations) at age nine and graduated university at age thirteen. He was there as a postgrad, while I was just arriving as an undergrad.
He's the same age as me... and was, for a short period, teaching me. But - and it's a big but - I don't think he was any worse off at that point than I was in terms of social development. Heck, he's now happily married with kids, and I - who had the more 'normal' upbringing - very much am not!
So I think it's fair to say that it's not necessarily going to cripple a kid for life. Of course, I'm talking about a single data point, but it's something.
Black Door
Banned
You still believe this?
diggmcbadass
Member
I've read things to the same effect myself. While they are excelling at a young age, they are not as far ahead when they reach young adulthood and other people in the same field of study start to catch up.
That being said, leaving them to get bored out of their minds in regular school certainly isn't the solution either.
CarpeDeezNutz
Member
This kid is like the epitome of why some parents have those "my kid can beat up your honor roll student" bumper stickers.
King Mystery
Member
How does he do it? Maths is hard.
PlayALLtheGames
Banned
Quantum physics studies at TCU, huh? Shouldn't be too hard. You can just be like, "Well, you see, the thing about quarks is...Gawd did it."
ComputerMKII
Banned
Religion and science are only incompatible in the minds of fools. Science aims to explain how things work. It does not care about why.
ohhthegore
Member
I'm currently taking a Physics class at my community college and we have an 11 year old girl in our class. Makes me feel dumb
CarpeDeezNutz
Member
+1 I like the way you put that. Also, I dunno about the rest of the country but in Texas TCU is a highly regarded university.
Religion means nothing. I don't know if you are aware but some of best schools in the world are run by Jesuits.
Oh ok. Funny that 1 guy won millions in a game show. I was expecting it to be for some crazy patent when I started reading that part of your reply.
ThLunarian
Member
I always get jealous of super-prodigies like this. It makes me frustrated that I have limitations that they don't seem to have.
By the way, how do these kids manage to finish college so much faster than other people? I can understand bypassing public schools, but univierities have credit requirements that need to be filled and it's pretty tough to do that a whole lot faster than in 4 years.
By the way, how do these kids manage to finish college so much faster than other people? I can understand bypassing public schools, but univierities have credit requirements that need to be filled and it's pretty tough to do that a whole lot faster than in 4 years.
Tesseract
Banned
word.
sixteen-bit
Member
Reminds me of the old sitcom Smart Guy
I'm guessing because the work and material are easy for them so they can finish it much quicker?
Captain Tuttle
Member
Exactly, the bitterness is weird. Is there any research showing prodigies having a more fucked up life than typical people or is that just Hollywood fantasy?
There was a 12 year old in my first year physics class in college.
He set the curve.
And he was pretty darn normal, save the 12 y/o part he didn't seem socially inept at all. But he did have a glossy Pokemon backpack and his mom dropped him off for class, but other than that... There was an article about him in the school paper my senior year, about how he was looking forward to graduation, but not as much as getting his driver's license. Normal 16 y/o problem!
He set the curve.
And he was pretty darn normal, save the 12 y/o part he didn't seem socially inept at all. But he did have a glossy Pokemon backpack and his mom dropped him off for class, but other than that... There was an article about him in the school paper my senior year, about how he was looking forward to graduation, but not as much as getting his driver's license. Normal 16 y/o problem!
poppabk
Cheeks Spread for Digital Only Future
As long as the parents are careful this is probably the best course of action. There was a kid who went to Oxford at age 13 or so who ended up getting kicked out for molesting a girl who was passed out drunk. The other problem is that these kids are generally just accelerated in their learning, so they go from being a super unique hyper intelligent kid, to a fairly normal highly intelligent adult. They lose their childhood and by their twenties are no longer that far ahead. Nothing you can really do about it though.
PlayALLtheGames
Banned
Being facetious; I know it's not particularly religious.
I had a brief stint with a Horned Frog in 2007. The only time I heard her say "god" and "Jesus Christ" was when I was pounding her.
that1dude24
Member
why languish in boredom and tedium when unnecessary?
Easy_Money
Neo Member
I'd like to party with him. Intelligent people usually (from my experience) are waay more creative when it comes to drinking and making an ass out of yourself.
Not to mention that picking up girls is ten times cooler/more fun when you do it while talking about physics. Bitches love physics.
Not to mention that picking up girls is ten times cooler/more fun when you do it while talking about physics. Bitches love physics.
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