Genius

[Ellen Brown]

There are a number of Books and Movies out that deal with people who are considered geniuses in one area or another. I don't understand why, to my understanding, why only Math seems to have what are considered geniuses?

Why not Biology, or Geology, or Anthropology or dozens of other areas?

Is it that genius is more easily measured in Math? Not that I am any sort of mathematician, but a lot of it just seems couched in some purposely inane and vague language that few understand.

 

[Misunderstood]

There are a number of Books and Movies out that deal with people who are considered geniuses in one area or another. I don't understand why, to my understanding, why only Math seems to have what are considered geniuses?

Why not Biology, or Geology, or Anthropology or dozens of other areas?

Is it that genius is more easily measured in Math? Not that I am any sort of mathematician, but a lot of it just seems couched in some purposely inane and vague language that few understand.

Hello Ellen,

Math is so structured that when you understand it, it all makes since. When you learn a few of the basics, the rest can be figured out by a bright student without having to learn it, if their brain is constructed to understand the logic. The other sciences need to be learned and that takes time. There are those who may understand them easily, but there are multiply ways a rock can be formed, so you need to learn the history of the earth to figure it out.

With that, it gives me a bit of Fathers pride, and a story. I will be talking about my child so if you find that a bore, you can stop reading. I know some people do not like that, and I am sorry but I am so proud of her.

She always did well in school Graduated with Honors and was Valedictorian. But was best in math, (and uncommon for smart kids but athletics) by seventh grade she had gone though all the math they had except for Honors Algebra. She took that and by eighth grade they had no more math to offer.

She had to get a ride to High school to take geometry her eight grade year. On her midterm test in geometry she scored the highest score for the whole school, 108 points. She got a 100% on the test that included two, two part extra credit questions worth 2 points for each part. She was an eight grader against Sophomores, Juniors and some Seniors. The next day after the test results came in her grade school got a call informing them she scored the highest in all geometry classes. They announced it over the intercom and she got a standing ovation; their grade school beat the high school. She continued into high school and again ran out of math offered.They went as far as AP calculus for the AB test. She needed one more year of math so they had her self study the next year in the AP calculus class for the CD calculus test.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

Genius musicians seem to be a common movie theme. Particularly piano. As well as genius in chess.
Unfortunately a lot of these movies tend to romanticize various psychological disorders so they often pick "true" stories that up the drama in this way.

 

[Misunderstood]

Genius musicians seem to be a common movie theme. Particularly piano. As well as genius in chess.
Unfortunately a lot of these movies tend to romanticize various psychological disorders so they often pick "true" stories that up the drama in this way.

Good catch there, I have seen many of those types of movies. I think it is similar to math though after you learn the basics you can learn on your own from there.

 

[Augustus]

Genius musicians seem to be a common movie theme. Particularly piano. As well as genius in chess.
Unfortunately a lot of these movies tend to romanticize various psychological disorders so they often pick "true" stories that up the drama in this way.

Artist-as-tortured-genius is also a very common movie trope.

 

[Jumi]

In math you have to have both deep knowledge of an abstract topic that the general population can have either a very basic false idea about so there is no politics opposing say research into differential topologies. And who doesn't like a nice though scary looking equation on a blackboard... it even looks like magic.

People don't make that much of biology, since there is political opposition to some things biology geniuses might say. A genius doctor (general practitioner) seems a safer choice, since movie representations can avoid more controversial topics.

 

[ChristineM]

There are a number of Books and Movies out that deal with people who are considered geniuses in one area or another. I don't understand why, to my understanding, why only Math seems to have what are considered geniuses?

Why not Biology, or Geology, or Anthropology or dozens of other areas?

Is it that genius is more easily measured in Math? Not that I am any sort of mathematician, but a lot of it just seems couched in some purposely inane and vague language that few understand.

There are many unsung geniuses,. Not worth a book or film, or perhaps their name is not romantic enough. Never the less they are out there.

For example have you ever heard of Norman Bourlaug? He was a true genius in the field agricultural genetics. He is responsible for the "green revolution" which has saved literally more than a billion lives.

 

[David T]

There are a number of Books and Movies out that deal with people who are considered geniuses in one area or another. I don't understand why, to my understanding, why only Math seems to have what are considered geniuses?

Why not Biology, or Geology, or Anthropology or dozens of other areas?

Is it that genius is more easily measured in Math? Not that I am any sort of mathematician, but a lot of it just seems couched in some purposely inane and vague language that few understand.

i dont think its purposely couched in inane symbolism. i just happen to think its not the math thats inane but the induviduals actually. .

 

[PureX]

I think we confuse a 'genius', which is a subjectively applied adjective, with a 'savant', which is a quantifiable mental condition.