Difference between revisions of "Prodigy" - New World Encyclopedia

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[[Image:Wolfgang-amadeus-mozart 1.jpg|thumb|200 px|Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, painting by Barbara Krafft 1819]]
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A '''child prodigy''' is an individual who masters one or more skills or arts at an early age. It is an extreme form of a gift. One generally accepted heuristic for identifying prodigies is someone who, by the age of 12, displays expert proficiency or a profound grasp of the fundamentals of one or more domains, rendering him qualitatively different from other individuals. [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart]] is a quintessential child prodigy because of his extraordinary gifts in the [[music]]al sphere.
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Some child prodigies continue to excel as adults, developing their gift to the full, becoming known as a [[genius]], making valuable contributions to [[society]]. Unfortunately, though, many do not. After they reach physical adulthood, many of their peers have caught up with their intellectual or other ability, and may have surpassed them in other areas. Balance in many areas is required for maturity; brilliance in a single area can lead to problems. Thus, for a prodigy to realize their true potential, the challenge for [[parent]]s and [[education|educators]] is how to encourage the full realization of the gift while at the same time developing a strong foundation in other areas, [[emotion]]al, social, as well as intellectual, that stand the person in good stead in adulthood.
  
A '''child prodigy''' is an individual who masters one or more skills or arts at an early age. It is an extreme form of giftedness. One generally accepted heuristic for identifying prodigies is someone who, usually around the age of twelve, displays expert proficiency or a profound grasp of the fundamentals of one or more domains. Researchers Gardner and Feldman define a prodigy as an individual who passes through one or more domains with tremendous rapidity, rendering him qualitatively different from other individuals. [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart]] is a quintessential child prodigy because of his extraordinary gifts in the musical sphere.
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==Overview==
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To be a '''prodigy''' requires mastery of a skill or knowledge of the fundamental principles of a field in [[childhood]], basically prior to the teenage years. While [[Mozart]] may be the most well-known example of a prodigy in the field of [[music]], other significant prodigies include [[Carl Gauss]], [[mathematics|mathematician]] and [[scientist]]; English [[painting|painter]] [[John Everett Millais]]; and [[chess]] player [[Samuel Reshensky].  
  
==Overview==
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The term '''Wunderkind''' (from [[German language|German]]: "miracle child" or "wonder child"") is sometimes used as a synonym for prodigy, particularly in media accounts, although this term is discouraged in scientific literature.
  
The term '''Wunderkind''' (from [[German language|German]]: "miracle child" or "wonder child"") is sometimes used as a synonym for '''prodigy''', particularly in media accounts, although this term is discouraged in scientific literature. ''Wunderkind'' also is used to recognize those who achieve success and acclaim ''early'' in their adult careers, such as [[Steven Spielberg]] and [[Steve Jobs]]. Other prodigies include Carl Gaus, mathematician; English painter John Everett Millsis; and chess player Samuel Reshensky. However, not all child prodigies go on to become great creators, inventors or to make great contributions to the world; some no longer stand out when their peers catch up with them; most do become experts in an area that draws on one or more of their intelligences. No matter how powerful the adult talent of a grownup child prodigy, he is no longer a prodigy, because the term is linked not solely to ability, but also to age. Many adults, even if continuing to excel in their earlier domains, are forever ex-prodigies. Others, such as Mozart, continue to develop and excel in their fields and become known as geniuses. And there are those who were never identified or perceived as gifted when they were children, such as Darwin, Edison, and Einstein
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Not all child prodigies go on to become great creators, inventors, or to make great contributions to the world; some no longer stand out when their peers catch up with them. No matter how powerful the adult talent of a grownup child prodigy, he is no longer a prodigy, because the term is linked not solely to ability, but also to age. Many adults, even if continuing to excel in their earlier domains, are forever ex-prodigies. Some, such as [[Mozart]], continue to develop and excel in their fields and become known as geniuses. Others were never identified or perceived as gifted when they were children, such as [[Charles Darwin]], [[Thomas Edison]], and [[Albert Einstein]], yet are recognized for their [[genius]] later in life.
  
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==Characteristics of a prodigy==
  
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An often asked question is "Are prodigies born, or can prodigies be made?" Is gift a [[genetics|genetic]] outcome, or can it be created through environment—by [[parent]]s, [[school]]s, and mentors. 
  
==Characteristics of a prodigy==
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Solely environmental theories to account for the performance of prodigies have been developed, examined, and to some degree 'tested'. For example, [[Laszlo Polgar]] set out to raise his children to be [[chess]] players, and all three of his daughters went on to become world class players (two of whom grandmasters), emphasizing the potency an environment has in determining the area toward which a child's energy will be directed, and showing that an incredible amount of skill can be developed through suitable training.
  
An often asked question is "Are prodigies born, or can prodigies be made?" Is giftedness a genetic outcome, or can it be created through environment—by parents, schools and mentors. Most researchers recognize that prodigious talent tends to arise as a result of the innate talent of the child, the environment that the individual resides in, the energetic and emotional investment that the child ventures, and the personal characteristics of the individual. Gardner and Feldman's research reveal the following factors:
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Most researchers recognize that prodigious talent tends to arise as a result of the innate talent of the child, the environment that the individual resides in, the energetic and emotional investment that the child ventures, and the personal characteristics of the individual. The following factors have been found significant:<ref>David Henry Feldman, (1991) [http://www-dev.gt-cybersource.org/Record.aspx?NavID=2_0&rid=11363 ''Extreme giftedness: A developmental view'']. Retrieved July 29, 2007.</ref><ref>Howard E. Gardner [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8168364&dopt=Citation ''The relationship between early giftedness and later achievement'']. ''Ciba Found. Symposium. 1993'' 178: 175-182; discussion 182-186. Retrieved July 29, 2007.</ref>
 
*an initial, possibly inborn proclivity
 
*an initial, possibly inborn proclivity
 
*considerable pressure from parents and family
 
*considerable pressure from parents and family
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*high motivation, and perhaps most importantly,
 
*high motivation, and perhaps most importantly,
 
*a culture in which that proclivity will have a chance to flower.
 
*a culture in which that proclivity will have a chance to flower.
In their opinion, the prodigy is an astouding amalgam of the highest amounts of proclivity with the greatest amounts of stimulation and structure provided by the individual's family and society.
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Thus, the prodigy is an astounding amalgam of the highest amounts of proclivity with the greatest amounts of stimulation and structure provided by the individual's [[family]] and society.
 
Solely environmental theories to account for the performance of prodigies have been developed, examined, and to some degree 'tested'. For example, [[Laszlo Polgar]] set out to raise his children to be chess players, and all three of his daughters went on to become world class players (two of whom are grandmasters), emphasisizing the potency an environment has in determining the area toward which a child's energy will be directed, and showing that an incredible amount of skill can be developed through suitable training.  
 
  
Prodigies, regardless of their portrayal, are people, and as such are generally confined by much the same constraints on learning and emotional issues that most people deal with. It is impossible to learn to play tennis in a prison, and it is rewarding to learn music with encouragement. Time and energ, is required to learn and absorb the proper skill set. Emotions play an incredibly important role (as in almost all people), from the catastrophic tendencies exhibited by stereotypical examples of 'tortured geniuses', to the obvious distracting quality of bouts of uncontrollable depression, to the less tangible and poorly understood qualities of the effects of emotions on one's creativity and general thought patterns. Biographical accounts by prodigies themselves show that most child prodigies devote a substantial amount of time to learning and studying, that some prodigies experience serious problems which appear to be related to their unusual early lives, and that very few prodigies emerge in families that do not provide good opportunities to learn. In addition, scientific investigation of the gifted reveals the importance of drive and hard work in achievement of any kind.
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Prodigies, regardless of their portrayal, are people, and as such are generally confined by much the same constraints on [[learning]] and [[emotion]]al issues that most people deal with. It is impossible to learn to play [[tennis]] in a [[prison]], and it is rewarding to learn [[music]] with encouragement. Time and energy, is required to learn and absorb the proper skill set.  
  
==Cognitive studies on child prodigies==
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Emotions play an incredibly important role (as in almost all people), from the catastrophic tendencies exhibited by stereotypical examples of 'tortured geniuses', to the obvious distracting quality of bouts of uncontrollable depression, to the less tangible and poorly understood qualities of the effects of emotions on one's [[creativity]] and general [[thought]] patterns.
  
Few studies have examined the [[neuroscience|neurological]] activity of prodigies.  However, Michael O'Boyle, an American [[psychologist]] working in [[Australia]], has recently utilized [[fMRI]] scanning of [[blood]] flow during mental operation in prodigies to display startling results. “[[Mental calculator|Calculator]]s,” those capable of mentally performing arithmetic, geometrical, or other complex mathematical operations, normally reserved for electronic calculators, achieve six to seven times the typical blood flow to parts of the [[brain]] observed to be active during mathematical operations.<ref>Andrew Marshall, [http://www.time.com/time/asia/covers/501030217/story.html ''Small Wonder''], Time Magazine, February 17, 2003. </ref>
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Biographical accounts by prodigies themselves show that most child prodigies devote a substantial amount of time to learning and studying, that some prodigies experience serious problems which appear to be related to their unusual early lives, and that very few prodigies emerge in families that do not provide good opportunities to learn. In addition, scientific investigation of the gifted reveals the importance of drive and hard work in achievement of any kind.
  
Mental calculators are not to be confused with other mathematical prodigies, because mechanically carrying out and keeping track of progress in a calculation is very different from having an understanding of the deeper principles behind [[mathematics]]. This is potentially one of the reasons why mental calculators do not necessarily go on to become mathematicians. A similar principle, for nearly the same mental mechanism, can be observed among players in games, such as, for example, [[chess]] or [[Go (board game)|go]].
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==Neurological studies==
 
 
In other studies, Paul Thompson and his colleagues used MRI to study the brains of 20 pairs of identical and fraternal twins. They found that intelligence was linked significantly to the amount of brain matter in the frontal lobes. An EEG study of working memory, specifically the "visiospatial sketchpad" which holds visual and spatial information, found that high IQ individuals showed activated areas in the rear of the brain. In EEG studies of alpha waves done by Norbert Jausovec on high IQ individuals revealed that they used less mental effort than average IQ individuals when solving closed problems; highly creative and gifted individuals used less mental effort in creative problem solving.
 
  
==Social and Emotional Issues==
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Few studies have examined the [[neuroscience|neurological]] activity of prodigies. However, Michael O'Boyle, an American [[psychologist]] working in [[Australia]], has recently utilized [[fMRI]] (functional magnetic resonance imaging) scanning of [[blood]] flow during mental operation in prodigies to display startling results. “[[Mental calculator|Calculator]]s,” those capable of mentally performing [[arithmetic]], [[geometry|geometrical]], or other complex mathematical operations, normally reserved for electronic calculators, achieve six to seven times the typical blood flow to parts of the [[brain]] observed to be active during mathematical operations.<ref>Andrew Marshall, [http://www.time.com/time/asia/covers/501030217/story.html ''Small Wonders''], ''TIME Asia'' Magazine, February 17, 2003. Retrieved January 8, 2008.</ref>
See main article [[gifted child]].
 
The personal growth of child prodigies has traditionally captured a decent share of attention in popular culture, and has over the years been the subject of reasonable historical and sociological inquiry.  
 
  
The tragic happening strikes many as a captivating and defining plotline. The vehicle upon which these personalities enter the public consciousness varies, but the essential elements are always, if perhaps unfairly, amplified. Famous examples include [[Thomas Chatterton]], [[Bobby Fischer]], [[Capablanca|José Raul Capablanca]], [[David Helfgott]], Ryan Chan, [[Blaise Pascal]], and [[Ruth Slenczynska]]. In cases such as [[Zerah Colburn (math prodigy)|Zerah Colburn]], [[William James Sidis]], and [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart]], history is colored by early achievement and promise of something greater, and tragic events of adulthood are particularly emphasized in historical or popular accounts. One early literary example of a child prodigy with a tragic fate is found in [[The Hampdenshire Wonder]], but again the portrayal is rather colored, describing not an accurate account but a fictionalized idealization.
+
Mental calculators are not to be confused with other mathematical prodigies, because mechanically carrying out and keeping track of progress in a calculation is very different from having an understanding of the deeper principles behind [[mathematics]]. This is potentially one of the reasons why mental calculators do not necessarily go on to become mathematicians. A similar principle, for nearly the same mental mechanism, can be observed among players in [[game]]s, such as, for example, [[chess]] or [[Go (board game)|go]].  
 
+
 
Counter examples, such as [[Jeremy Bentham]], [[Thomas Young (scientist)|Thomas Young]], [[John Stuart Mill]], [[Murray Gell-Mann]], [[Karl Benz]], the [[Vilna Gaon]] or [[Pablo Picasso]], suggest that it is possible for prodigies to have continued success well into old age.  
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In other studies, Paul Thompson and his colleagues used MRI to study the brains of 20 pairs of identical and fraternal twins. They found that intelligence was linked significantly to the amount of brain matter in the frontal lobes. An EEG study of working memory, specifically the "visiospatial sketchpad" which holds visual and spatial information, found that high IQ individuals showed activated areas in the rear of the brain. In EEG studies of alpha waves done by Norbert Jausovec on high IQ individuals revealed that they used less mental effort than average IQ individuals when solving closed problems; highly creative and gifted individuals used less mental effort in creative problem solving.<ref>David A. Sousa, (2002) ''How the Gifted Brain Learns.'' (SAGE Publications. ISBN 076193829X) </ref>
 
 
It is often expressed that prodigies sometimes have difficulty adjusting socially. In the 1940s Leta S. Hollingworth noted that the "optimum IQ range" appeared to be between 125 and 155. Those above 155 had more problems with personal adjustment.[http://www.webenet.com/genius2.htm]. Above a certain point there was a slight inverse relationship between performance on "the Concept Mastery Test Form A," a test of verbal intelligence, and personal adjustment. It should be pointed out that this is based on a dated test: the IQ scale that Hollingworth used, the [[ratio IQ]], is no longer widely used today, and on a normed test 155 IQ is roughly 3+2/3 SD above the mean.
 
  
Although Hollingworth's findings may be outdated, some adjustment issues for child prodigies are obvious. It is not uncommon for the highly intellectually capable to be ostracized in school, or at least be emotionally dulled by the conversation of their average classmates. They typically have very different priorities than other people, with popularity, friendship, and common excitement being secondary to the quest for knowledge, mastery of skill, or more personal yearnings, creating a mis-step with society. In addition, the unusualness of a prodigy's priorities and capabilities may lead to difficulty in relating to peers.
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More recently, research scientist Jeremy Gray found significant brain activity in the lateral [[prefrontal cortex]], the region involved in working [[memory]], planning, and goal-directed activity, in individuals with high IQ test scores when they performed exacting memory tasks. Using [[fMRI], he also found increased activity in several other brain areas, including the anterior [[cingulate cortex]] and the [[cerebellum]]. This confirmed earlier studies by John Duncan who used positron emission tomography (PET) scans in similar research. He called Gray's study "a significant step" toward understanding the specific brain mechanisms that were recruited into action by the kinds of problems found on intelligence tests. Gray's study on memory tasks suggests that fluid intelligence involves the ability to stay focused and keep new information in mind in the face of distraction. <ref>Erica Goode, [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9805E5D6113AF934A25751C0A9659C8B63&sec=technology&spon=&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink ''Brain Scans Reflect Problem-Solving Skill''], ''New York Times,'' February 17, 2003.</ref>
  
Some may simply dream too large. The possibilities seem endless when one is young: one can progress rapidly through a subject which might take an average uninterested student much more time. As one matures, however, those that one is competing with are proportionally not much older, and possibly just as driven. Also, the subjects become increasingly difficult. For example, mastery of the fundamentals of calculus is not beyond most bright youngsters, but if this ability is misconstrued as a cue to jump into [[Quantum Field Theory]] when an individual is not ready, the result may be discouragement and burnout.
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==Social and emotional issues==
  
In spite of this, most individuals formerly identified as prodigies, go on to lead generally happy lives. A famous study by [[Lewis Terman]] indicates this, and although the participants were pre-selected to some extent, the results are true of the majority of individuals. The spectacular reversals of celebrity are held in the upper echelons of public awareness, but it should be emphasized that our history is filled with geniuses who have displayed phenomenal early talent. One must note that phenomenal early talent is de rigueur in classical musical performance, startlingly commonplace in the [[natural science|hard sciences]] and [[engineering]], extremely well established in [[writing]], [[journalism]], [[debate]], and [[law]], and as is becoming increasingly clear as the [[World Wide Web]] opens up a showcase for blossoming talent, in [[art]]istic endeavours as well. One author notes that an extraordinary number of [[Nobel Prize in Physics|Nobel Prize winners in physics]], [[Fields Medal|Fields medalists]], [[Dirac Prize|Dirac medalists]], [[Abel Prize|Abel medalists]], and [[Turing Award|Turing Award winners]] were educationally accelerated (sometimes remarkably), had remarkable school careers, had an early obsession with computers, or more recently, won major international academic [[olympiad]]s.
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The personal development of child prodigies has tended to capture a share of attention in popular culture; likewise, over the years prodigies been the subject of historical as well as sociological and psychological inquiry.  
  
An interesting question concerns the effects of early public celebrity in mass media in the transition of child prodigies into adulthood. Some child prodigies, such as [[Gregory R. Smith]] (USA), [[James Harries]] (UK), or [[Carlos Blanco]] (Spain), attracted a strong public attention and even had frequent collaborations in high-share TV programs, where they were able to show their skills, however, this early public recognition might result in problems at later times, as it happened with [[William James Sidis]] (1898-1944).
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When a child prodigy fails to develop into an outstanding adult through some tragic happening, it always captures attention. Famous examples include [[Thomas Chatterton]], [[Bobby Fischer]], [[Capablanca|José Raul Capablanca]], [[David Helfgott]], Ryan Chan, [[Blaise Pascal]], and [[Ruth Slenczynska]]. In cases such as [[Zerah Colburn (math prodigy)|Zerah Colburn]], [[William James Sidis]], and [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart]], history is colored by early achievement and promise of something greater, and tragic events of adulthood are particularly emphasized in historical or popular accounts. One early literary example of a child prodigy with a tragic fate is found in [[The Hampdenshire Wonder]], but again the portrayal is rather colored, describing not an accurate account but a fictionalized idealization.
  
==List of child prodigies==
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Counter examples, such as [[Jeremy Bentham]], [[Thomas Young]], [[John Stuart Mill]], [[Murray Gell-Mann]], [[Karl Benz]], the [[Vilna Gaon]] or [[Pablo Picasso]], suggest that it is possible for prodigies to have continued success well into old age.  
This is a list of people who in [[childhood]] (at or before 11) showed abilities in a specific field comparable to those of a highly skilled adult; hence the term '''[[child prodigy]]'''.  
 
  
===Mathematics===
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It is often expressed that prodigies sometimes have difficulty adjusting socially. In the 1940s [[Leta S. Hollingworth]] noted that the "optimum IQ range" appeared to be between 125 and 155. Those above 155 had more problems with personal adjustment.<ref>[http://www.webenet.com/genius2.htm]</ref> Above a certain point there was a slight inverse relationship between performance on "the Concept Mastery Test Form A," a test of verbal intelligence, and personal adjustment. It should be pointed out that this is based on an outdated test.
*[[Maria Gaetana Agnesi]]: Delivered a speech she translated into Latin at age 9.<ref>[http://www-gap.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Agnesi.html McTutor]</ref>
 
*[[Jean-Philippe Baratier]]: Said to be well versed in math by age 8, published articles by age 10, joined the Academy at 14, and died before 20.<ref>[http://www.gutenberg.org/files/12373/12373-8.txt Atlantic Monthly, 1858 under "Saints and their bodies"] by way of [[Project Gutenberg]]. Additional material from the German Wikipedia.</ref>
 
*[[Juan Caramuel y Lobkowitz]]: He published astronomical tables at age 10.<ref>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03329c.htm Catholic Encyclopedia]</ref>
 
*[[Alexis Clairault]]: He studied the work of [[Guillaume de L'Hôpital]] at 10 and presented a paper at 13.<ref>[http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Biographies/Clairaut.html McTutor]</ref>
 
*[[Carl Friedrich Gauss]]: His potential was noted at seven, and in his teens he unknowingly discovered the already extant [[Titius-Bode law]].<ref>[http://www-gap.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Gauss.html McTutor]</ref>
 
*[[William Rowan Hamilton]]: (Originally a languages prodigy)<ref>[http://www-gap.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Hamilton.html McTutor]</ref><ref>[http://www.engr.iupui.edu/~orr/webpages/cpt120/mathbios/hamil.htm]</ref>
 
*[[Ruth Lawrence]]: The youngest student to enter the [[University of Oxford]] at age 11.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/july/4/newsid_2492000/2492853.stm BBC]</ref>
 
*[[Colin Maclaurin]]: Entered university at 11, a feat not particularly unusual at the time, but at 14 he defended a thesis concerning ideas at the forefront of contemporary human knowledge.<ref>[http://www-gap.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Maclaurin.html McTutor]</ref>
 
*[[John Von Neumann]]: A "mental calculator" by age 6 who could tell jokes in classical Greek.<ref>[http://www-gap.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Von_Neumann.html McTutor]</ref><ref>[http://mason.gmu.edu/~montecin/computer-hist-web.htm]</ref>
 
*[[Blaise Pascal]]: At 11 or 12 he had secretly worked out the first twenty-three propositions of Euclid on his own.<ref>[http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/bpascal.html]</ref><ref>[http://lycos.cs.cmu.edu/info/blaise-pascal.html]</ref>
 
*[[Regiomontanus]] (Johannes Müller)-Studied dialectics at 11.<ref>[http://www-gap.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Regiomontanus.html McTutor]</ref>
 
*[[William James Sidis]]: Corrected E. V. Huntington's mathematics text galleys at age of eight and entered Harvard at 11 where he gave his self-conceived lecture on four dimensional geometry.<ref>[http://www.quantonics.com/The_Prodigy_Review.html]</ref>
 
*[[Terence Tao]]: At eight he was attending Year 11 classes and scored a 760 on the SAT math section.<ref>[http://www.gt-cybersource.org/Record.aspx?NavID=2_0&rid=11273]</ref>
 
*[[Norbert Wiener]]: He entered Tufts at 11.<ref>[http://www-gap.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Wiener_Norbert.html McTutor]</ref>
 
  
==== Mental calculators ====
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Although Hollingworth's findings may be outdated, some adjustment issues for child prodigies are obvious. It is not uncommon for the highly intellectually capable to be ostracized in school, or at least be emotionally dulled by the conversation of their average classmates. They typically have very different priorities than other people, with popularity, friendship, and common excitement being secondary to the quest for knowledge, mastery of skill, or more personal yearnings, creating a mis-step with society. In addition, the unusualness of a prodigy's priorities and capabilities may lead to difficulty in relating to peers.
  
Note: Several mathematicians were [[mental calculators]] when they were still children. This section is for child prodigies largely or primarily known for calculating skills. It should be noted that mental calculators are sometimes more like [[savant]]s than they are like child prodigies. They have skills that rarely exist in adults and they may not be truly "mature" in mathematical understanding.
+
Some may simply dream too large. The possibilities seem endless when one is young: one can progress rapidly through a subject which might take an average uninterested student much more time. As one matures, however, those that one is competing with are proportionally not much older, and possibly just as driven. Also, the subjects become increasingly difficult. For example, mastery of the fundamentals of calculus is not beyond most bright youngsters, but if this ability is misconstrued as a cue to jump into [[Quantum Field Theory]] when an individual is not ready, the result may be discouragement and burnout.
  
*[[Zerah Colburn (math prodigy)|Zerah Colburn]]: At the age of nine he was able to multiply six digit numbers in his head.<ref>[http://www.famousamericans.net/zerahcolburn/]</ref>
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In spite of this, most individuals formerly identified as prodigies go on to lead generally happy lives. A famous study by [[Lewis Terman]] indicates this, and although the participants were pre-selected to some extent, the results are true of the majority of individuals.  
*[[Brian Greene]]:(As an adult he is an [[H-index|important physicist]])<ref>[http://www.spacedaily.com/news/cosmology-03x.html]</ref>
 
*[[Truman Henry Safford]]: At ten years old he could square 18 digit numbers, later in life he was an astronomer.<ref>[http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:QEAxgjTU3hgJ:www.hpmuseum.org/hp45.htm+%22Truman+Henry+Safford%22&hl=en]</ref>
 
  
====Computer science====
+
The spectacular reversals of celebrity are held in the upper echelons of public awareness, but it should be emphasized that our history is filled with [[genius]]es who have displayed phenomenal early talent. Such talent is de rigueur in classical musical performance, startlingly commonplace in the [[natural science|hard sciences]] and [[engineering]], extremely well established in [[writing]], [[journalism]], [[debate]], and [[law]], and is becoming increasingly clear as the [[World Wide Web]] opens up a showcase for blossoming talent in [[art]]istic endeavors as well. An extraordinary number of [[Nobel Prize]] winners in [[physics]], [[Fields Medal|Fields medalists]], [[Dirac Prize|Dirac medalists]], [[Abel Prize|Abel medalists]], and [[Turing Award]] winners were educationally accelerated (sometimes remarkably), had remarkable school careers, or had an early obsession with [[computer]]s.
*[[Steve Wozniak]]: Started developing complex electronics while still in grade 5. Went on to develop the world's first screen and keyboard desktop computer: Apple I.<ref>[http://www.crn.com/sections/special/supplement/816/816p53_hof.jhtml]</ref>
 
  
====Engineering====
+
An interesting question concerns the effects of early public celebrity in [[mass media]] in the transition of child prodigies into adulthood. Some child prodigies, such as [[Gregory R. Smith]] (USA), [[James Harries]] (UK), or [[Carlos Blanco]] (Spain), attracted strong public attention and even had frequent collaborations in high-share television programs, where they were able to show their skills. However, this early public recognition has also been known to result in problems at later times, as it happened with [[William James Sidis]] (1898-1944).
*[[Alia Sabur]]: 15 year old Doctoral candidate at [[Drexel University]] who entered college at 11.<ref>[http://www.aliasabur.com/newsday.html]</ref>
 
  
===Physics===
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Dabrowski's theory of [[giftedness]] describes how human beings transform themselves from self-serving, conforming individuals to self-aware, self-directed persons who transcend their primitive natures and strive to "walk the moral talk."<ref>Sal Mendaglio, [http://www.sengifted.org/articles_social/Mendaglio_DabrowskisTheoryOfPositiveDisintegration.shtml SENG: Articles & Resources - Dabrowski's Theory of Positive Disintegration: Some implications for teachers of gifted students]. Retrieved July 19, 2007.</ref> This view gives a different perspective on prodigies. His theory is about authenticity, morality, becoming and being a good person; becoming truly human. Success in his definition is not material, nor is it related to academic achievement. Success rests in a life of service to others for the betterment of humankind.
*[[Song Yoo-geun]]: Physics prodigy who entered university at age 8.<ref>[http://www.columbiaksa.org/digest/?p=31]</ref>
 
*[[Tathagat Avatar Tulsi]]: Undergraduate degree at age 10<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/asia/magazine/printout/0,13675,501030217-421085,00.html Time Magazine Asia]</ref>
 
  
===Mechanical engineering===
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==Notable child prodigies==
*[[Karl Benz]]: at the age of nine he started at the scientifically oriented Lyzeum, went on to study at the Poly-Technical University under the instruction of Ferdinand Redtenbacher, and at age fifteen he passed the entrance exam for mechanical engineering at the University of Karlsruhe
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These are people who in [[childhood]] (at or before age 11) showed abilities in a specific field comparable to those of a highly skilled adult; hence the term "child prodigy."
  
=== Medicine ===
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===Mathematics===
*[[Balamurali Ambati]]: He graduated from High School at 11, was a college junior by age 12, and a doctor at 17.<ref>[http://www.indobase.com/indians-abroad/balamurali-ambati.html]</ref>
+
*[[Maria Gaetana Agnesi]]: Delivered a speech she translated into [[Latin]] at age nine.<ref>[http://www-gap.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Agnesi.html Biography of Maria Gaetana Agnes].</ref> Retrieved August 12, 2007.  
*Ibn Sina often known by his Latin name of [[Avicenna]]: Memorized the [[Quran]] at age ten, studying medicine at 13.<ref>[http://www-gap.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Avicenna.html]</ref>
+
*[[Jean-Philippe Baratier]]: Said to be well versed in [[mathematics]] by age eight, published articles by age ten, joined the Academy at 14, and died before 20.<ref>[http://www.gutenberg.org/files/12373/12373-8.txt "Saints and their bodies"] by way of [[Project Gutenberg]]. ''Atlantic Monthly'' 1(5) (March, 1858). Retrieved August 12, 2007.</ref>  
*[[Sho Yano]]: He started college at age 9 and graduated [[Latin honors|summa cum laude]] at age 12 from [[Loyola University Chicago]]. At 15 he attends the [[Pritzker School of Medicine]]<ref>[http://uttm.com/stories/2000/12/05/60II/main254786.shtml]</ref>
+
*[[Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss]]: His mathematical potential was noted at seven, and in his teens he unknowingly discovered the already extant [[Titius-Bode law]].<ref>[http://www-gap.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Gauss.html Biography of Johann Carl Friedrich Gaus.] Retrieved August 12, 2007.</ref>
*[[Akrit Jaswal]]: India's youngest university student. He carried out an operation aged 7.<ref>[http://www.five.tv/programmes/extraordinarypeople/sevenyosurgeon/]</ref><ref>[http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20040828/saturday/main1.htm]</ref><ref>[http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=16819419&method=full&siteid=94762&headline=surgeon-aged-7—name_page.html]</ref>
+
*[[William Rowan Hamilton]]: A mathematical prodigy who was originally a languages prodigy.<ref>[http://www-gap.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Hamilton.html Biography of William Rowan Hamilton.] Retrieved August 12, 2007.</ref>
 
+
*[[Blaise Pascal]]: At 11 or 12 he had secretly worked out the first 23 propositions of [[Euclid]] on his own.<ref>[http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/bpascal.html The History Guide: Blaise Pascal.] Retrieved August 12, 2007.</ref>
=== Biology and psychology ===
+
*[[Regiomontanus]] (Johannes Müller)-Studied dialectics at 11.<ref>[http://www-gap.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Regiomontanus.html Biography of Johannes Müller.] Retrieved August 12, 2007.</ref>
*[[Jean Piaget]]: Published a paper on the albino sparrow at 11, later a psychologist.<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/time100/scientist/profile/piaget.html Time Magazine]</ref>
+
*[[William James Sidis]]: Corrected E. V. Huntington's mathematics text galleys at age of eight and entered Harvard University at eleven where he gave his self-conceived lecture on four dimensional [[geometry]].<ref>Doug Renselle[http://www.quantonics.com/The_Prodigy_Review.html A Review
 
+
of Amy Wallace's ''The Prodigy'']. Retrieved August 12, 2007.</ref>
===The Arts===
 
====Acting/directing====
 
Note: This section is mostly limited to child actors or directors who were respected enough to be nominated or win awards against adult competitors and were declared prodigies. It also includes a few actors from eras predating film who were declared theatrical prodigies. This section must be limited in this way because being even an award-winning child actor is not, in itself, prodigious. (See [[Academy Juvenile Award]] for why being an award winning child actor does not equate to being competitive with adults.)
 
 
 
*[[William Henry West Betty]]: A sensation as a boy doing Voltaire and Shakespeare roles.<ref>[http://9.1911encyclopedia.org/B/BE/BETTY_WILLIAM_HENRY_WEST.htm 1911 encyclopedia]</ref><ref>[http://www.theatrehistory.com/british/betty001.html Theatre History]</ref>
 
*[[Dakota Fanning]]: Since her breakthrough role in ''[[I Am Sam]]'' in 2001, has won numerous awards, and is currently the youngest person ever to be nominated for a [[Screen Actors Guild]] award. In her performance in the 2005 film ''[[Hide and Seek (2005 film)|Hide and Seek]]'', many said that her performance equaled (or even surpassed), the performance of veteran actor [[Robert De Niro]].
 
*[[Hana Makhmalbaf]]: (director at age 8, currently 18)<ref> [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3089697.stm BBC]</ref><ref>[http://film.guardian.co.uk/interview/interviewpages/0,6737,1071810,00.html The Guardian]</ref>
 
*[[Tatum O'Neal]]: Won the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress Oscar]] at age 10 for her [[1973]] role in ''[[Paper Moon (film)|Paper Moon]]'', making her the youngest person ever to win a regularly awarded Oscar.<ref> [http://www.filmsite.org/bestsuppactress.html]</ref>
 
*[[Haley Joel Osment]]: Nominee for the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor#1990s|Best Supporting Actor Oscar]] at age 11.<ref>[http://www.filmsite.org/bestsuppactor.html]</ref><ref>[http://www.umich.edu/~uac/threeweeks/storya26b.html?fpvol=3&fpiss=2&vol=3&iss=2&sto=13]</ref>
 
*[[Anna Paquin]]: She won the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress#1990s|Best Supporting Actress Oscar]] at age 11.<ref>[http://www.filmsite.org/bestsuppactress.html]</ref><ref>[http://www.nzedge.com/media/archives/archv-arts-theatre.html]</ref>
 
*[[Shirley Temple]]: At 5 years old she proved a spontaneous talent as an actress in [[Hollywood]]; she was also a great [[Tap Dance|tap dancer]]. When she was 7 she received a special [[Academy Award]].<ref>
 
[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000073/bio IMDB]</ref>
 
*[[Ernest Truex]]: He did Shakespeare at age 6.<ref>[http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/filmography.html?p_id=71921 New York Times]</ref><ref>[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0874139/bio IMDB]</ref>
 
*[[Elijah Wood]]: Began acting at age 7, known for his incredibly mature performances in adult themed movies and additional off-screen maturity. Cited by some as the most gifted child actor in history.
 
 
 
====Literature====
 
*[[William Cullen Bryant]]: Published at ten, had a book of political satire poems at 13.<ref>[http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/webtexts/Bryant/brybio.html]</ref>
 
*[[Thomas Chatterton]]: Composing poems that would make him famous at age 12.<ref>[http://www.bartleby.com/65/ch/Chattert.html]</ref><ref>[http://www.lib.udel.edu/ud/spec/exhibits/forgery/rowley.htm]</ref>
 
*[[Lucretia Maria Davidson]]: By 11 had written some poems of note and before her death at 16 received praise as a writer.<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=JxMTAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA1&dq=#PPR9,M1 Amir Khan, and Other Poems: The Remains of Lucretia Maria Davidson By Lucretia Maria Davidson]</ref>
 
*[[H. P. Lovecraft]]: recited poetry at age 2 and wrote long poems at age 5<ref>[http://www.penguinclassics.ca/nf/shared/SharedDisplay/0,,214015_0,00.html]</ref><ref>[http://dir.salon.com/story/books/letters/2005/02/15/lovecraft/index.html Salon.com]</ref>
 
*[[Mattie Stepanek]]: Successful writer when he died at 13.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12554-2004Jun28.html Washington Post]</ref>
 
*[[Lope de Vega]]: wrote his first play at the age of 12.<ref>[http://www.bartleby.com/65/lo/LopedeVe.html]</ref><ref>[http://www2.ups.edu/faculty/velez/Span_402/Lopebio.htm]</ref> Could read Latin at 5 and was translating Latin verse at ten.
 
*[[Henriett Seth-F.]]: Hungarian [[autistic]] prodigy, wrote her first poem at the age of 9. She has also been a painter from an early age.<ref>[http://sethfhenriett.shp.hu]</ref><ref>[http://www.wisconsinmedicalsociety.org/savant/henriett.cfm]</ref>
 
 
 
====Music====
 
*[[Isaac Albéniz]]-Public performance at age 4.[http://www.lib.umd.edu/PAL/YALE/albeniz2.html]
 
*[[Martha Argerich]]-Public performance at age 4. Orchestral debut at age 8.[http://home.swipnet.se/bjorn_ostlund/argerich_repertoire.htm]
 
*[[Claudio Arrau]]-First public concert at 5. Could read notes before letters.[http://www.princeton.edu/~gpmenos/biography.html]
 
*[[Steve Barakatt]]-First public concert at 5. Guest soloist of Quebec Symphonic Orchestra at 13.[http://www.stevebarakatt]
 
*[[David Oistrakh]]-Debut at age six.[http://www.thirteen.org/publicarts/violin/oistrakh.html] 
 
*[[Gregor Piatigorsky]]-At the [[Moscow Conservatory]] by age 11, heading a quartet at 15.[http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:RFa-JzqTc4sJ:www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news.php%3Fgetnewsfordate%3D1%26mm%3D11%26dd%3D11%26yyyy%3D2004+%22Gregor+Piatigorsky%22+%22biography%22+-wikipedia&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=10]
 
*[[Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga]]-Composing at 11 and a two-act opera at thirteen.[http://www.classicalmidi.co.uk/arriag.htm]
 
*[[Samuel Barber]]-Composing at age seven, attempted an opera at age ten, and attended the [[Curtis Institute of Music]] at 14.[http://www.schirmer.com/default.aspx?TabId=2419&State_2872=2&ComposerId_2872=72]
 
*[[Georges Bizet]]-Paris Conservatoire at age 10.[http://w3.rz-berlin.mpg.de/cmp/bizet.html]
 
*[[Frédéric Chopin]]-Concerts and polonaises at seven, well-known composer by 15.[http://www.carolinaclassical.com/articles/chopin.html]
 
 
 
====Visual arts====
 
*[[Akiane Kramarik]]: 12 year old Christian artist who has been featured on television and in museums since age 10.<ref>[http://www.christianitytoday.com/tc/2004/004/7.24.html Christianity Today]</ref>
 
*[[Jan Lievens]]: Painter apprenticed at 8 and an independent artist at 12.<ref>[http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artMakerDetails?maker=225]</ref>
 
*[[John Everett Millais]]: Painter who entered the Royal Academy at eleven.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/paintingtheweather/csv/artist/millais.shtml BBC]</ref><ref>[http://www.victorianweb.org/painting/millais/paintings/lahikainen3.html]</ref>
 
*[[Alexandra Nechita]]: Painter with solo exhibit at age eight.<ref>[http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=websites&id=3645213]</ref>
 
*[[Dylan Scott Pierce]]: Wildlife art illustrator at 10.<ref>[http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=67815]</ref>
 
*[[Pablo Picasso]]: His ''Picador'' is from age eight, see [[List of Picasso artworks 1889-1900]].
 
*[[Stephen Wiltshire]]: An example of [[autistic]] artist child prodigies, he is an English artist<ref>[http://www.richmondandtwickenhamtimes.co.uk/display.var.416839.0.0.php]</ref><ref>[http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:Q_IibtBYU1QJ:www.abc.net.au/rn/science/ss/stories/s10338.htm&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=5 ABC.Net]</ref>
 
*[[Zhu Da]]: Prodigy poet by age 7 and later a painter.<ref>[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E04EEDB163CF931A35756C0A9659C8B63&pagewanted=1]</ref><ref>[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9082494 Encyclopedia Britannica]</ref>
 
  
==Humanities==
+
===Music===  
=== Academics ===
+
*[[Isaac Albéniz]]-Public performance at age four.<ref>''The Life of Isaac Albeniz.''[http://www.lib.umd.edu/PAL/YALE/albeniz2.html Alhambrismo!] Retrieved August 12, 2007.</ref>
*[[Michael Kearney]]: Several degrees with the first being earned at age 10. He is currently noted as a "17 year old professor."<ref>[http://www.tennessean.com/local/archives/01/11/10786055.shtml?Element_ID=107 The Tennessean]</ref><ref>[http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=1303853 ABC News]</ref>
+
*[[Claudio Arrau]]: First public concert at five. Could read notes before letters. <ref>[http://www.princeton.edu/~gpmenos/biography.html Claudio Arrau Biography].''Princeton.edu'' Retrieved August 12, 2007.</ref>
*[[Gregory R. Smith]]: He entered college at age 10 and was first nominated for the [[Nobel Peace Prize]] at age 12.<ref>[http://www.virginia.edu/insideuva/2003/13/smith_gregory.html Virginia.edu]</ref><ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/daily/sept99/greg7.htm The Washington Post]</ref>
+
*[[Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga]]: Composing at eleven and a two-act opera at 13.<ref>[http://www.classicalmidi.co.uk/arriag.htm Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga.] Retrieved August 12, 2007.</ref>
*[[Kim Ung-Yong]]: Attended university physics courses at age 4, Ph.D in physics before age 11.<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,945865,00.html Time Magazine]</ref>
+
*[[Samuel Barber]]: Composing at age seven, attempted an opera at age ten, and attended the [[Curtis Institute of Music]] at 14.<ref>Paul Wittke.
 +
[http://www.schirmer.com/default.aspx?TabId=2419&State_2872=2&ComposerId_2872=72 Samuel Barber.] "Samuel Barber: An Improvisatory Portrait." Retrieved August 12, 2007.</ref>
 +
*[[Georges Bizet]]: Paris Conservatoire at age ten.<ref>[http://w3.rz-berlin.mpg.de/cmp/bizet.html Classical Music Pages: Georges Bizet.] Retrieved August 12, 2007.</ref>
 +
*[[Frédéric Chopin]]: Concerts and polonaises at seven, well-known composer by fifteen.<ref>[http://www.carolinaclassical.com/articles/chopin.html Frédéric Chopin: Poet of the Piano.] Retrieved August 12, 2007.</ref>
 +
*[[Felix Mendelssohn]] made his first public concert appearance at the age of nine, was a prolific composer as a child and wrote his first published work, a piano quartet, by the time he was thirteen and produced twelve string symphonies between the ages of 12 and 14. <ref>[http://www.carolinaclassical.com/mendelssohn/index.html Felix Mendelssohn] Retrieved August 21, 2007.</ref>
 +
*[[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart]]'s first compositions, Andante (K. 1a) and Allegro (K. 1b), were written in 1761, when he was five years old.<ref>[http://www.mozartproject.org/biography/index.html Mozart's Life.] Retrieved August 12, 2007.</ref>
 +
*[[David Oistrakh]]-Debut at age six.<ref>[http://www.thirteen.org/publicarts/violin/oistrakh.html Legendary Violinists: David Oistrakh]. Retrieved August 12, 2007.</ref> 
 +
*[[Gregor Piatigorsky]]: At the [[Moscow Conservatory]] by age eleven, heading a quartet at 15.<ref>[http://www.cello.org/cnc/piat.htm Gregor Piatigorsky.] Retrieved August 12, 2007.</ref>
  
=== Business ===
+
===Sports===
*[[Y.Siddharth Reddy]]: Youngest-ever CEO of a Public Limited Company<ref> [http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1046485]</ref>
+
*[[Wayne Gretzky]]: Began skating at the age of two and then scored 378 goals in one season at the age of ten. He went on to become the greatest player in [[ice hockey]] history. <ref>[http://www.nhl.com/hockeyu/history/gretzky/ NHL History: Wayne Gretzky.] Retrieved August 12, 2007.</ref>
 +
*[[Michelle Wie]]: Qualified for the USGA Women's Amateur Public Links at ten and won the same event at 13, making her the youngest person both to qualify for and win an adult national [[golf]] championship.<ref>[http://golf.about.com/cs/womensgolf/a/wietimeline.htm Michelle Wie Timeline]. Retrieved August 12, 2007.</ref>
 +
*[[Tiger Woods]]: He first won the [[Junior World Golf Championships|Optimist International Junior tournament]] in [[golf]] at age eight, playing in the nine-ten age group since there was no group for eight-year-olds at the time.<ref>[http://www.tigerwoods.com/defaultflash.sps Tiger Woods Official Website.] Retrieved August 12, 2007.</ref>
  
===Law/philosophy===
+
===Other===
*[[Jeremy Bentham]]: He studied Latin at age 3 and entered [[The Queen's College, Oxford]] at 12.<ref>[http://www.utilitarian.net/bentham/ Utilitarian.net]</ref><ref>[http://business.baylor.edu/Steve_Gardner/Bentham_Mill.htm Baylor]</ref>
 
*[[Saul Kripke]]: philosopher by 12 and invited to apply for a teaching post at Harvard while still in high school.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/28/books/28krip.html?ex=1296104400&en=9b8c06355a8dc486&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss New York Times]</ref><ref>http://goinside.com/01/2/kripke.html</ref>
 
*[[John Stuart Mill]]: Knew several dead languages by age eight and studied scholastic philosophy at 12.<ref>[http://atheisme.free.fr/Biographies/Mill_e.htm]</ref><ref>[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE1D6143CF93BA15755C0A966958260 New York Times]</ref>
 
*[[Eugene Volokh]]: Earned a BS in math/computer science from UCLA when he was 15. Proceeded to earn a JD, and clerk for judge [[Alex Kozinski]] and justice [[Sandra Day O'Connor]] before becoming a professor at the age of 26. <ref>http://www.today.ucla.edu/2005/051108news_punditprof.html</ref>
 
  
===Linguistics/translation===
+
*[[John Stuart Mill]]: Knew several dead languages by age eight and studied scholastic philosophy at twelve.<ref>[http://www.iep.utm.edu/m/milljs.htm John Stuart Mill: Overview], The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved August 12, 2007.</ref>
*[[Jean-François Champollion]]: He knew several dead languages at age 10 and at 16 he read an important paper at the [[Grenoble]] Academy.<ref>[http://www.egyptology.com/kmt/winter95_96/giants.html Egyptology.com]</ref><ref>[http://www.channel4.com/science/microsites/S/secrecy/page2a.html Channel 4]</ref>
+
*[[Jean Piaget]]: Published a paper on the albino sparrow at 11, later a renowned [[developmental psychology|developmental psychologist]].<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/time100/scientist/profile/piaget.html Jean Piaget], ''Time'' Magazine, March 1999. Retrieved August 12, 2007.</ref>
*[[Thomas Young (scientist)]]: More noted as a physicist, he was a polyglot at a young age who worked on translating [[Demotic Egyptian]]<ref>[http://wise.fau.edu/~jordanrg/bios/Young/Young_bio.htm]</ref><ref>[http://faraday.physics.utoronto.ca/PHY100F/young.htm University of Toronto]</ref><ref>[http://www.channel4.com/science/microsites/S/secrecy/page2a.html Channel 4]</ref>
+
*[[Pablo Picasso]]: World famous artist; his ''Picador'' is from age eight.<ref>[http://picasso.tamu.edu/picasso/ Online Picasso Project.] Retrieved August 12, 2007.</ref>
*[[Émilie du Châtelet]]: translated [[ancient Greek]] and other ancient texts in her late childhood. Later famous for translations of [[Isaac Newton|Newton's]] works, with her own additional commentary and analysis, into French.
+
*[[Shirley Temple]]: At five years old she proved a spontaneous talent as an actress in [[Hollywood]]; she was also a great [[Tap Dance|tap dancer]]. When she was seven she received a special [[Academy Award]].<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000073/bio IMDB: Biography for
 +
Shirley Temple]. Retrieved August 12, 2007.</ref>
 +
*[[Lope de Vega]]: wrote his first play at the age of 12.<ref>[http://www.bartleby.com/65/lo/LopedeVe.html Lope de Vega], The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, 2001-05. Retrieved August 12, 2007.</ref>
 +
*[[Zhu Da]]: Prodigy [[poetry|poet]] by age seven and later a painter.<ref>[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9082494 Zhu Da], ''Encyclopedia Britannica''. Retrieved August 12, 2007.</ref>
  
=== Sports ===
+
==Prodigies in fiction and film==
*[[Freddy Adu]]: Joined the [[Major League Soccer]]'s [[D.C. United]] at age 14.
 
*[[Rhain Davis]]: Joined [[English football]] giants Manchester United at the age of 9 after the club where sent a DVD of him in action.
 
*[[Wayne Gretzky]]: Began skating at the age of 2 and then scored 378 goals in one season at the age of ten. He went on to become the greatest player in hockey history.
 
*[[Lionel Messi]]: Was signed by [[soccer]] team [[FC Barcelona]] at age 13.
 
*[[Cherno Samba]]: He was signed by [[Millwall FC]] after scoring 132 goals in 32 goals as a 13 year old.
 
*[[Sonny Pike]]: He was signed by [[Dutch]] football club [[Ajax]], at the age of 7.
 
*[[Fu Mingxia]]: Referred to as a child prodigy by at least two sources,<ref>[http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/olympics/2004/08/04/bc.olympics.diving.preview/ Sports Illustrated]</ref><ref>[http://jcgi.pathfinder.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,997894,00.html Time Magazine]</ref> and was an Olympic gold medalist at 13.  She is a diver.
 
*[[Ronnie O'Sullivan]]: [[snooker]] player. Scored his first century break aged 10,<ref>[http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,6903,1337061,00.html The Observer]</ref> his first maximum at 15 and was youngest ever winner of a ranking event at 17.
 
*[[Ricky Rubio]]: Youngest ever to play in Spanish basketball league [[Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto|ACB]] at age 14.
 
*[[John Tavares (ice hockey)|John Tavares]]: Drafted by the [[Ontario Hockey League|OHL‘s]] [[Oshawa Generals]] at age 14.
 
*[[Mike Tyson]]: Beat world-class heavyweights such as [[Frank Bruno]] in training before turning 18.
 
*[[Michelle Wie]]: Qualified for the USGA Women's Amateur Public Links at 10 and won the same event at 13, making her the youngest person both to qualify for and win a USGA adult national championship.<ref>[http://golf.about.com/cs/womensgolf/a/wietimeline.htm]</ref>
 
*[[Tiger Woods]]: He first won the [[Junior World Golf Championships|Optimist International Junior tournament]] at age 8, playing in the 9-10 age group since there was no group for 8-year-olds at the time.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5009656.stm BBC]</ref><ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/05/03/sportsline/main1583869.shtml CBS News]</ref>
 
  
== Legendary ==
+
Child prodigies are a staple in much [[science fiction]]. Several episodes of the ''[[X-Files]]'' featured varying kinds of child prodigies; ranging from noble to violent and psychotic. Books such as ''[[Ender's Game]],'' ''[[Matilda (juvenile fiction)|Matilda]],'' ''[[Odd John]],'' ''[[Beggars in Spain]],'' ''[[Dune (novel)|Dune]],'' ''[[Artemis Fowl]]'' and others deal with child prodigies or focus on them. There is also the [[Wesley Crusher]] character in ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' and [[Darth Vader|Anakin Skywalker]] in ''[[Star Wars]].''
This is for historic children who have become representatives of the "prodigy" phenomenon, inspiring literature on it, but whose actual accomplishments have not been firmly established due to the poor sourcing or records of their era.
 
  
* [[Gaon of Vilna]]: A historically significant [[rabbi]] called a prodigy in youth and who has been said to have had a variety of skills by age 11.<ref>[http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/TalmudMap/ShA/ShAGra.html University of Calgary site]</ref>
+
Many fictional examples portray troubled or even tortured prodigies, even the seemingly happy ones.  
*[[Christian Friedrich Heinecken]]: The book ''The Life, Deeds, Travels and Death of the Child of Lubeck'' was based on his life and he was an influence on [[The Hampdenshire Wonder]]. He allegedly "knew by heart the principal incidents in the [[Pentateuch]]" by age 1.<ref>[http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Christian_Heinrich_Heinecken 1911 Encyclopedia]</ref>
+
In the series ''Artemis Fowl'' books by [[Eoin Colfer]], [[Artemis Fowl II]] is a 12-year-old (turns 13) criminal prodigy, who also experiences family problems, his father was [[kidnap]]ped and this led to Artemis' mother going through serious [[depression (psychology)|depression]].  
*[[Okita Sōji]] ([[1842]] or [[1844]]-[[1868]]): Prodigy of [[kenjutsu]] ([[swordsmanship]]), who defeated a kenjutsu master by age 12 and became a master of kenjutsu and a school head (Jukutou) at 18 or so. He died from [[tuberculosis]] in his mid-twenties.
 
  
==See also==
+
A few films take a slightly different approach. In ''Little Man Tate,'' the character suffers from burnout in the middle of the film, but by the end he recovers and is ultimately better adjusted than he was before the film story began. A somewhat similar result occurs in ''[[Searching for Bobby Fischer]]'' where, after a tormenting level of external pressure, the prodigy finds his own way toward stability and even being "a good person."
*[[Chess prodigy]]
 
*[[List of people youngest in their field]]
 
  
==References==
+
The film ''[[Real Genius]]'' takes a mixed approach. It seems to indicate that impressive early ability, leading to grand self and external expectations, coupled with obsessive studiousness and a seriousness toward one's work and life, leads people toward burnout, a phenomenon well understood within the real life version of the thinly veiled environment that is portrayed (the [[California Institute of Technology]]). The central epiphany in that film occurs when the younger Mitch and the older Chris develop a balance within their lives, fueled by their rediscovered love of science.
*''Gifted Children: Myths and Realities'' by Ellen Winner: ISBN 0-465-01759-2
 
*''Children Above 180 IQ: Standford-Binet Origin and Development'' by Leta Stetter Hollingworth: ISBN 0-405-06467-5
 
*''Child Prodigies and Exceptional Early Achievers'' by John Radford: ISBN 0-02-925635-6
 
*Sousa, David A. (2002). ''How the Gifted Brain Learns''. SAGE Publications. ISBN 076193829X ISBN 9780761938293.
 
  
==Web sources==
+
==Notes==
 
<div class="references-small">
 
<div class="references-small">
 
<references />
 
<references />
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
==External links==
+
==References==
*[http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&lr=&safe=active&q=cache:nZ5gmZlLXDgJ:psych.wisc.edu/henriques/papers/origins.pdf+%22child+prodigy%22 The Origins and Ends of Giftedness by Ellen Winner]
 
*[http://www.time.com/time/search/article/0,8599,421085,00.html Time Asia]
 
*[http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:EhhCqjjRp4wJ:www.hunter.cuny.edu/gifted-ed/documents/summersgiftedhistory_000.doc+%22child+prodigies%22+%22in+history%22&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=17 History of the education of gifted children by Ellen Summers]
 
*[http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/17/science/17BRAI.html?ex=1186977600&en=fafc22e37051a816&ei=5070 ''Brain Scans Reflect Problem-Solving Skill'']
 
  
==In fiction==
+
*Andreasen, N. C. 2005. ''The creating brain: the neuroscience of genius.'' New York: Dana Press. ISBN 1932594078
An early film example is ''Dear Brigitte'' with [[Bill Mumy]] as a prodigious son of a professor, although there are films with child prodigies that predate that one. ''[[The Royal Tenenbaums]]'', a recent work shows characters who began life as child prodigies. Another example is ''[[Little Man Tate]]'', a film depicting the struggles of a doting working-class mother trying to care for a child prodigy.  
+
*Feldman, David Henry. 1991. [http://www-dev.gt-cybersource.org/Record.aspx?NavID=2_0&rid=11363 ''Extreme giftedness: A developmental view'']. Trillium Press. Retrieved July 29, 2007.
 
+
*Galton, Francis. 2006. ''Hereditary Genius: An Inquiry into Its Laws and Consequences.'' Prometheus Books: London. ISBN 1591023580
Child prodigies are also a staple in much [[science fiction]]. Several episodes of the ''[[X-Files]]'' featured varying kinds of child prodigies; ranging from noble to violent and psychotic. Books such as ''[[Ender's Game]]'', ''[[Matilda (novel)|Matilda]]'', ''[[Odd John]]'', ''[[Beggars in Spain]]'', ''[[Dune (novel)|Dune]]'', ''[[Artemis Fowl]]'' and others deal with child prodigies or focus on them. There is also the [[Wesley Crusher]] character in ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' and [[Darth Vader|Anakin Skywalker]] in ''[[Star Wars]]''.  
+
*Gardner, Howard E. 1999. ''Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences.'' Basic Books. ISBN 978-0465025091
 
+
*Gardner, Howard E. 2000. ''The Disciplined Mind.'' Penguin Books. ISBN 0140296247
Television characters who are relatively well adjusted prodigies include [[Charlie Eppes]], [[Doogie Howser, M.D.|Doogie Howser]], [[Dr. Gregory House|Gregory House]], and [[Lisa Simpson]], although in these cases some degree of isolation and difficulty is shown in their stories. A polar opposite to these is [[Asuka Langley Soryu]] from ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'', whose extreme arrogance is implied to be largely induced by her extraordinary intelligence and emotional insecurity. Accordingly, despite an appearance of depression over the tragic death of her mother, a young [[Sydney Bristow]] from the television series [[Alias (TV)|''Alias'']] pieces together in minutes a [[Jenga]]-like puzzle that her father [[Jack Bristow]] could never solve during a flashback scene of the Season Five series finale. He uses this discovery to determine that Sidney possessed a special skill set and essentially labels her a unique girl. During a flash-forward at the end of the episode, her daughter Isabelle pieces together the same puzzle but no one is aware of it, and she knocks it down.
+
*Gardner, Howard E. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8168364&dopt=Citation ''The relationship between early giftedness and later achievement'']. Retrieved July 29, 2007.
 
+
*Howe, M. J. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=PubMed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=8168372&ordinalpos=4&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum ''The early lives of child prodigies'']. ''Ciba Foundation Symposium 1993'' 178: 85-92. PMID: 8168372 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Retrieved August 31, 2007.
Most fictional examples given here ultimately could be deemed troubled or even tortured prodigies, even the seemingly happy ones.  
+
*Marshall, Andrew. 2003. [http://www.time.com/time/asia/covers/501030217/story.html "Small Wonders"] ''TIME'' Magazine. Retrieved July 29, 2007.
 
+
*[http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,6903,1553412,00.html ''Oxford to turn away child prodigies'']. ''The Observer'' (UK), August 21, 2005. Retrieved July 29, 2007.
The final episode of ''[[Doogie Howser, M.D.]]'' seems to parody the idea: he appears on a talk show with child prodigies who end up confessing outrageous mental problems, but at the end he essentially agrees it applies to him as well. He therefore quits medicine in search of some kind of philosophical answer to his problems. Anakin Skywalker clashes with authority and eventually falls to the [[dark side]], only to be redeemed in the end.
+
*Radford, John. 1990. ''Child Prodigies and Exceptional Early Achievers.'' Prentice-Hall. ISBN 0029256356
 
+
*Sousa, David A. 2002. ''How the Gifted Brain Learns.'' SAGE Publications. ISBN 076193829X
A few films take a slightly different approach. In Little Man Tate, the character suffers from burnout in the middle of the film, but by the end he recovers and is ultimately better adjusted than he was before the film story began. A vaguely similar result occurs in ''[[Searching for Bobby Fischer]]'' where, after a tormenting level of external pressure, the prodigy finds his own way toward stability and even being "a good person."
+
*Stetter Hollingworth, Leta. 1975. ''Children Above 180 IQ: Standford-Binet Origin and Development.'' Arno Press. ISBN 0405064675
 
+
*The Davidson Academy of Nevada [http://www.ditd.org ''The Davidson Institute for Talent Development'': Provides free support and services for profoundly gifted young people, their parents, and educators]. Retrieved August 4, 2007.
Films intending to deal, comically or seriously, with the more tortured variety include ''[[Shine (film)|Shine]]'', the [[William H. Macy]] character in ''[[Magnolia (film)|Magnolia]]'', and ''[[The Royal Tenenbaums]]'', as mentioned. The film ''[[Real Genius]]'' takes a mixed approach. It seems to indicate that impressive early ability, leading to grand self and external expectations, coupled with obsessive studiousness and a seriousness toward one's work and life, leads people toward burnout, a phenomenon well understood within the real life version of the thinly veiled environment that is portrayed (the [[California Institute of Technology]]). The central epiphany in that film occurs when the younger Mitch and the older Chris develop a balance within their lives, fueled by their rediscovered love of science.  
+
*[http://www.cpc.unc.edu/projects/lifecourse/terman ''The Lewis Terman Study at Stanford University'']. Retrieved July 29, 2007.
 
+
*Tolan, Stephanie S. [http://www.stephanietolan.com/gifted_ex-child.htm ''Discovering the Gifted Ex-Child'']. Originally appeared in ''Roeper Review'', August 1994. Retrieved July 29, 2007.
In the series ''Artemis Fowl'' of books by [[Eoin Colfer]], [[Artemis Fowl II]] is a 12 year old (turns 13) criminal prodigy, who also experiences family problems, his father was abducted and this led to Artemis's mother going through serious depression. In the ''[[Chronicles of Narnia]]'' Lucy Pevensie is portrayed as a wunderkind in the movie soundtrack in a song by [[Alanis Morissette]] called 'Wunderkind'.
+
*Winner, Ellen. 1997. ''Gifted Children: Myths and Realities.'' Basic Books. ISBN 0465017592
 +
*Winner, Ellen. 1999. [http://www2.bc.edu/~winner/PDFs/Giftedness-Current%20directions%20in%20PS.pdf ''Giftedness: Current Theory and Research'']. ''Current Directions in Psychological Science'' 1999, 9 (5): 153-156. Retrieved July 29, 2007.
  
==References==
 
*Feldman, David Henry. 1991.  [http://www-dev.gt-cybersource.org/Record.aspx?NavID=2_0&rid=11363 ''Extreme giftedness: A developmental view'']. Trillium Press. Retrieved July 29, 2007.
 
*Gardner, Howard E. (May 1999).  ''Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences''. Basic Books. ISBN 978-0465025091.
 
*Gardner, Howard E. (2000). ''The Disciplined Mind''. Penguin Books. ISBN 0140296247.
 
*Gardner, Howard E. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8168364&dopt=Citation ''The relationship between early giftedness and later achievement'']. Retrieved July 29, 2007.
 
*Howe,  M.J. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=PubMed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=8168372&ordinalpos=4&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum ''The early lives of child prodigies.''] Ciba Found Symp. 1993;178:85-92. PMID: 8168372 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
 
*Marshall,  Andrew. 2003.  [http://www.time.com/time/asia/covers/501030217/story.html "Small Wonders."] February 2003 TIME magazine. Retrieved July 29, 2007.
 
*Tolan, Stephanie S. [http://www.stephanietolan.com/gifted_ex-child.htm ''Discovering the Gifted Ex-Child'']. Retrieved July 29, 2007.
 
*Winner, Ellen. 1999. [http://www2.bc.edu/~winner/PDFs/Giftedness-Current%20directions%20in%20PS.pdf ''Giftedness: Current Theory and Research'']. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 1999, 9, 5, 153-156. Retrieved July 29, 2007.
 
*[http://www.cpc.unc.edu/projects/lifecourse/terman ''The Lewis Terman Study at Stanford University'']. Retrieved July 29, 2007.
 
*[http://www.ditd.org'''The Davidson Institute for Talent Development''': Provides free support and services for profoundly gifted young people, their parents, and educators]. Retrieved August 4, 2007.
 
*[http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,6903,1553412,00.html ''Oxford to turn away child prodigies'']. The Observer (UK), August 21, 2005. Retrieved July 29, 2007.
 
  
  

Revision as of 23:05, 30 November 2022


Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, painting by Barbara Krafft 1819

A child prodigy is an individual who masters one or more skills or arts at an early age. It is an extreme form of a gift. One generally accepted heuristic for identifying prodigies is someone who, by the age of 12, displays expert proficiency or a profound grasp of the fundamentals of one or more domains, rendering him qualitatively different from other individuals. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is a quintessential child prodigy because of his extraordinary gifts in the musical sphere.

Some child prodigies continue to excel as adults, developing their gift to the full, becoming known as a genius, making valuable contributions to society. Unfortunately, though, many do not. After they reach physical adulthood, many of their peers have caught up with their intellectual or other ability, and may have surpassed them in other areas. Balance in many areas is required for maturity; brilliance in a single area can lead to problems. Thus, for a prodigy to realize their true potential, the challenge for parents and educators is how to encourage the full realization of the gift while at the same time developing a strong foundation in other areas, emotional, social, as well as intellectual, that stand the person in good stead in adulthood.

Overview

To be a prodigy requires mastery of a skill or knowledge of the fundamental principles of a field in childhood, basically prior to the teenage years. While Mozart may be the most well-known example of a prodigy in the field of music, other significant prodigies include Carl Gauss, mathematician and scientist; English painter John Everett Millais; and chess player [[Samuel Reshensky].

The term Wunderkind (from German: "miracle child" or "wonder child"") is sometimes used as a synonym for prodigy, particularly in media accounts, although this term is discouraged in scientific literature.

Not all child prodigies go on to become great creators, inventors, or to make great contributions to the world; some no longer stand out when their peers catch up with them. No matter how powerful the adult talent of a grownup child prodigy, he is no longer a prodigy, because the term is linked not solely to ability, but also to age. Many adults, even if continuing to excel in their earlier domains, are forever ex-prodigies. Some, such as Mozart, continue to develop and excel in their fields and become known as geniuses. Others were never identified or perceived as gifted when they were children, such as Charles Darwin, Thomas Edison, and Albert Einstein, yet are recognized for their genius later in life.

Characteristics of a prodigy

An often asked question is "Are prodigies born, or can prodigies be made?" Is gift a genetic outcome, or can it be created through environment—by parents, schools, and mentors.

Solely environmental theories to account for the performance of prodigies have been developed, examined, and to some degree 'tested'. For example, Laszlo Polgar set out to raise his children to be chess players, and all three of his daughters went on to become world class players (two of whom grandmasters), emphasizing the potency an environment has in determining the area toward which a child's energy will be directed, and showing that an incredible amount of skill can be developed through suitable training.

Most researchers recognize that prodigious talent tends to arise as a result of the innate talent of the child, the environment that the individual resides in, the energetic and emotional investment that the child ventures, and the personal characteristics of the individual. The following factors have been found significant:[1][2]

  • an initial, possibly inborn proclivity
  • considerable pressure from parents and family
  • excellent teachers
  • high motivation, and perhaps most importantly,
  • a culture in which that proclivity will have a chance to flower.

Thus, the prodigy is an astounding amalgam of the highest amounts of proclivity with the greatest amounts of stimulation and structure provided by the individual's family and society.

Prodigies, regardless of their portrayal, are people, and as such are generally confined by much the same constraints on learning and emotional issues that most people deal with. It is impossible to learn to play tennis in a prison, and it is rewarding to learn music with encouragement. Time and energy, is required to learn and absorb the proper skill set.

Emotions play an incredibly important role (as in almost all people), from the catastrophic tendencies exhibited by stereotypical examples of 'tortured geniuses', to the obvious distracting quality of bouts of uncontrollable depression, to the less tangible and poorly understood qualities of the effects of emotions on one's creativity and general thought patterns.

Biographical accounts by prodigies themselves show that most child prodigies devote a substantial amount of time to learning and studying, that some prodigies experience serious problems which appear to be related to their unusual early lives, and that very few prodigies emerge in families that do not provide good opportunities to learn. In addition, scientific investigation of the gifted reveals the importance of drive and hard work in achievement of any kind.

Neurological studies

Few studies have examined the neurological activity of prodigies. However, Michael O'Boyle, an American psychologist working in Australia, has recently utilized fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) scanning of blood flow during mental operation in prodigies to display startling results. “Calculators,” those capable of mentally performing arithmetic, geometrical, or other complex mathematical operations, normally reserved for electronic calculators, achieve six to seven times the typical blood flow to parts of the brain observed to be active during mathematical operations.[3]

Mental calculators are not to be confused with other mathematical prodigies, because mechanically carrying out and keeping track of progress in a calculation is very different from having an understanding of the deeper principles behind mathematics. This is potentially one of the reasons why mental calculators do not necessarily go on to become mathematicians. A similar principle, for nearly the same mental mechanism, can be observed among players in games, such as, for example, chess or go.

In other studies, Paul Thompson and his colleagues used MRI to study the brains of 20 pairs of identical and fraternal twins. They found that intelligence was linked significantly to the amount of brain matter in the frontal lobes. An EEG study of working memory, specifically the "visiospatial sketchpad" which holds visual and spatial information, found that high IQ individuals showed activated areas in the rear of the brain. In EEG studies of alpha waves done by Norbert Jausovec on high IQ individuals revealed that they used less mental effort than average IQ individuals when solving closed problems; highly creative and gifted individuals used less mental effort in creative problem solving.[4]

More recently, research scientist Jeremy Gray found significant brain activity in the lateral prefrontal cortex, the region involved in working memory, planning, and goal-directed activity, in individuals with high IQ test scores when they performed exacting memory tasks. Using [[fMRI], he also found increased activity in several other brain areas, including the anterior cingulate cortex and the cerebellum. This confirmed earlier studies by John Duncan who used positron emission tomography (PET) scans in similar research. He called Gray's study "a significant step" toward understanding the specific brain mechanisms that were recruited into action by the kinds of problems found on intelligence tests. Gray's study on memory tasks suggests that fluid intelligence involves the ability to stay focused and keep new information in mind in the face of distraction. [5]

Social and emotional issues

The personal development of child prodigies has tended to capture a share of attention in popular culture; likewise, over the years prodigies been the subject of historical as well as sociological and psychological inquiry.

When a child prodigy fails to develop into an outstanding adult through some tragic happening, it always captures attention. Famous examples include Thomas Chatterton, Bobby Fischer, José Raul Capablanca, David Helfgott, Ryan Chan, Blaise Pascal, and Ruth Slenczynska. In cases such as Zerah Colburn, William James Sidis, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, history is colored by early achievement and promise of something greater, and tragic events of adulthood are particularly emphasized in historical or popular accounts. One early literary example of a child prodigy with a tragic fate is found in The Hampdenshire Wonder, but again the portrayal is rather colored, describing not an accurate account but a fictionalized idealization.

Counter examples, such as Jeremy Bentham, Thomas Young, John Stuart Mill, Murray Gell-Mann, Karl Benz, the Vilna Gaon or Pablo Picasso, suggest that it is possible for prodigies to have continued success well into old age.

It is often expressed that prodigies sometimes have difficulty adjusting socially. In the 1940s Leta S. Hollingworth noted that the "optimum IQ range" appeared to be between 125 and 155. Those above 155 had more problems with personal adjustment.[6] Above a certain point there was a slight inverse relationship between performance on "the Concept Mastery Test Form A," a test of verbal intelligence, and personal adjustment. It should be pointed out that this is based on an outdated test.

Although Hollingworth's findings may be outdated, some adjustment issues for child prodigies are obvious. It is not uncommon for the highly intellectually capable to be ostracized in school, or at least be emotionally dulled by the conversation of their average classmates. They typically have very different priorities than other people, with popularity, friendship, and common excitement being secondary to the quest for knowledge, mastery of skill, or more personal yearnings, creating a mis-step with society. In addition, the unusualness of a prodigy's priorities and capabilities may lead to difficulty in relating to peers.

Some may simply dream too large. The possibilities seem endless when one is young: one can progress rapidly through a subject which might take an average uninterested student much more time. As one matures, however, those that one is competing with are proportionally not much older, and possibly just as driven. Also, the subjects become increasingly difficult. For example, mastery of the fundamentals of calculus is not beyond most bright youngsters, but if this ability is misconstrued as a cue to jump into Quantum Field Theory when an individual is not ready, the result may be discouragement and burnout.

In spite of this, most individuals formerly identified as prodigies go on to lead generally happy lives. A famous study by Lewis Terman indicates this, and although the participants were pre-selected to some extent, the results are true of the majority of individuals.

The spectacular reversals of celebrity are held in the upper echelons of public awareness, but it should be emphasized that our history is filled with geniuses who have displayed phenomenal early talent. Such talent is de rigueur in classical musical performance, startlingly commonplace in the hard sciences and engineering, extremely well established in writing, journalism, debate, and law, and is becoming increasingly clear as the World Wide Web opens up a showcase for blossoming talent in artistic endeavors as well. An extraordinary number of Nobel Prize winners in physics, Fields medalists, Dirac medalists, Abel medalists, and Turing Award winners were educationally accelerated (sometimes remarkably), had remarkable school careers, or had an early obsession with computers.

An interesting question concerns the effects of early public celebrity in mass media in the transition of child prodigies into adulthood. Some child prodigies, such as Gregory R. Smith (USA), James Harries (UK), or Carlos Blanco (Spain), attracted strong public attention and even had frequent collaborations in high-share television programs, where they were able to show their skills. However, this early public recognition has also been known to result in problems at later times, as it happened with William James Sidis (1898-1944).

Dabrowski's theory of giftedness describes how human beings transform themselves from self-serving, conforming individuals to self-aware, self-directed persons who transcend their primitive natures and strive to "walk the moral talk."[7] This view gives a different perspective on prodigies. His theory is about authenticity, morality, becoming and being a good person; becoming truly human. Success in his definition is not material, nor is it related to academic achievement. Success rests in a life of service to others for the betterment of humankind.

Notable child prodigies

These are people who in childhood (at or before age 11) showed abilities in a specific field comparable to those of a highly skilled adult; hence the term "child prodigy."

Mathematics

  • Maria Gaetana Agnesi: Delivered a speech she translated into Latin at age nine.[8] Retrieved August 12, 2007.
  • Jean-Philippe Baratier: Said to be well versed in mathematics by age eight, published articles by age ten, joined the Academy at 14, and died before 20.[9]
  • Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss: His mathematical potential was noted at seven, and in his teens he unknowingly discovered the already extant Titius-Bode law.[10]
  • William Rowan Hamilton: A mathematical prodigy who was originally a languages prodigy.[11]
  • Blaise Pascal: At 11 or 12 he had secretly worked out the first 23 propositions of Euclid on his own.[12]
  • Regiomontanus (Johannes Müller)-Studied dialectics at 11.[13]
  • William James Sidis: Corrected E. V. Huntington's mathematics text galleys at age of eight and entered Harvard University at eleven where he gave his self-conceived lecture on four dimensional geometry.[14]

Music

  • Isaac Albéniz-Public performance at age four.[15]
  • Claudio Arrau: First public concert at five. Could read notes before letters. [16]
  • Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga: Composing at eleven and a two-act opera at 13.[17]
  • Samuel Barber: Composing at age seven, attempted an opera at age ten, and attended the Curtis Institute of Music at 14.[18]
  • Georges Bizet: Paris Conservatoire at age ten.[19]
  • Frédéric Chopin: Concerts and polonaises at seven, well-known composer by fifteen.[20]
  • Felix Mendelssohn made his first public concert appearance at the age of nine, was a prolific composer as a child and wrote his first published work, a piano quartet, by the time he was thirteen and produced twelve string symphonies between the ages of 12 and 14. [21]
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's first compositions, Andante (K. 1a) and Allegro (K. 1b), were written in 1761, when he was five years old.[22]
  • David Oistrakh-Debut at age six.[23]
  • Gregor Piatigorsky: At the Moscow Conservatory by age eleven, heading a quartet at 15.[24]

Sports

  • Wayne Gretzky: Began skating at the age of two and then scored 378 goals in one season at the age of ten. He went on to become the greatest player in ice hockey history. [25]
  • Michelle Wie: Qualified for the USGA Women's Amateur Public Links at ten and won the same event at 13, making her the youngest person both to qualify for and win an adult national golf championship.[26]
  • Tiger Woods: He first won the Optimist International Junior tournament in golf at age eight, playing in the nine-ten age group since there was no group for eight-year-olds at the time.[27]

Other

Prodigies in fiction and film

Child prodigies are a staple in much science fiction. Several episodes of the X-Files featured varying kinds of child prodigies; ranging from noble to violent and psychotic. Books such as Ender's Game, Matilda, Odd John, Beggars in Spain, Dune, Artemis Fowl and others deal with child prodigies or focus on them. There is also the Wesley Crusher character in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars.

Many fictional examples portray troubled or even tortured prodigies, even the seemingly happy ones. In the series Artemis Fowl books by Eoin Colfer, Artemis Fowl II is a 12-year-old (turns 13) criminal prodigy, who also experiences family problems, his father was kidnapped and this led to Artemis' mother going through serious depression.

A few films take a slightly different approach. In Little Man Tate, the character suffers from burnout in the middle of the film, but by the end he recovers and is ultimately better adjusted than he was before the film story began. A somewhat similar result occurs in Searching for Bobby Fischer where, after a tormenting level of external pressure, the prodigy finds his own way toward stability and even being "a good person."

The film Real Genius takes a mixed approach. It seems to indicate that impressive early ability, leading to grand self and external expectations, coupled with obsessive studiousness and a seriousness toward one's work and life, leads people toward burnout, a phenomenon well understood within the real life version of the thinly veiled environment that is portrayed (the California Institute of Technology). The central epiphany in that film occurs when the younger Mitch and the older Chris develop a balance within their lives, fueled by their rediscovered love of science.

Notes

  1. David Henry Feldman, (1991) Extreme giftedness: A developmental view. Retrieved July 29, 2007.
  2. Howard E. Gardner The relationship between early giftedness and later achievement. Ciba Found. Symposium. 1993 178: 175-182; discussion 182-186. Retrieved July 29, 2007.
  3. Andrew Marshall, Small Wonders, TIME Asia Magazine, February 17, 2003. Retrieved January 8, 2008.
  4. David A. Sousa, (2002) How the Gifted Brain Learns. (SAGE Publications. ISBN 076193829X)
  5. Erica Goode, Brain Scans Reflect Problem-Solving Skill, New York Times, February 17, 2003.
  6. [1]
  7. Sal Mendaglio, SENG: Articles & Resources - Dabrowski's Theory of Positive Disintegration: Some implications for teachers of gifted students. Retrieved July 19, 2007.
  8. Biography of Maria Gaetana Agnes.
  9. "Saints and their bodies" by way of Project Gutenberg. Atlantic Monthly 1(5) (March, 1858). Retrieved August 12, 2007.
  10. Biography of Johann Carl Friedrich Gaus. Retrieved August 12, 2007.
  11. Biography of William Rowan Hamilton. Retrieved August 12, 2007.
  12. The History Guide: Blaise Pascal. Retrieved August 12, 2007.
  13. Biography of Johannes Müller. Retrieved August 12, 2007.
  14. Doug Renselle[http://www.quantonics.com/The_Prodigy_Review.html A Review of Amy Wallace's The Prodigy]. Retrieved August 12, 2007.
  15. The Life of Isaac Albeniz.Alhambrismo! Retrieved August 12, 2007.
  16. Claudio Arrau Biography.Princeton.edu Retrieved August 12, 2007.
  17. Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga. Retrieved August 12, 2007.
  18. Paul Wittke. Samuel Barber. "Samuel Barber: An Improvisatory Portrait." Retrieved August 12, 2007.
  19. Classical Music Pages: Georges Bizet. Retrieved August 12, 2007.
  20. Frédéric Chopin: Poet of the Piano. Retrieved August 12, 2007.
  21. Felix Mendelssohn Retrieved August 21, 2007.
  22. Mozart's Life. Retrieved August 12, 2007.
  23. Legendary Violinists: David Oistrakh. Retrieved August 12, 2007.
  24. Gregor Piatigorsky. Retrieved August 12, 2007.
  25. NHL History: Wayne Gretzky. Retrieved August 12, 2007.
  26. Michelle Wie Timeline. Retrieved August 12, 2007.
  27. Tiger Woods Official Website. Retrieved August 12, 2007.
  28. John Stuart Mill: Overview, The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved August 12, 2007.
  29. Jean Piaget, Time Magazine, March 1999. Retrieved August 12, 2007.
  30. Online Picasso Project. Retrieved August 12, 2007.
  31. [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000073/bio IMDB: Biography for Shirley Temple]. Retrieved August 12, 2007.
  32. Lope de Vega, The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, 2001-05. Retrieved August 12, 2007.
  33. Zhu Da, Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved August 12, 2007.

References
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