3 ms·
Yes, I would say that I perceive exactly the phenomenon described in the article. People want to believe in a outsider like a genius kid or autistic savant who
by code_duck 8y ago
Yes, I would say that I perceive exactly the phenomenon described in the article. People want to believe in a outsider like a genius kid or autistic savant who has a special insight which escapes those trapped within the standard point of view.
Not that people really 'believe' this logically... It's more like a tabloid-quality news story trope.
- joe_the_user 8y agoChildren making amazing discoveries was a constant theme of early science fiction. Moreover, if Richard Feynman's biographical essays even slightly typical, mid 20th century kids actually did do a fair amount of experimentation. Remember machinery in the mid 20th was simpler but less reliable, so a kid with the latest gadget, whether radio, hot rod or model rocket, had considerable incentive to tinker. In fact, I suspect tinkering/hacking is main story for boys of that era and science was more of an offshoot.