Am I a genius?
Discussion
Radio 4 programme yesterday looking at the nature of genius, the suggestion being that the criteria is:
You have to be creative in what you do
You have to apply yourself to your chosen field, working long and hard but also knowing your subject well
and finally, and this is the biggie, your have to move your discipline on not just a bit but in a masssive step that others couldn't have dreamed of.
You can't just be very talented or have a sudden flash of inspiration.
On this basis the football 'genuis' George Best is a 'really good footballer' but not a genius, and John Lennon is not a 'genius', he is a bloke from Liverpool who wrote some nice tunes (although he regarded himself as a genius).
Nominations please by this radio 4 criteria.
I'll take the obvious ones; Einstein and Freud
You have to be creative in what you do
You have to apply yourself to your chosen field, working long and hard but also knowing your subject well
and finally, and this is the biggie, your have to move your discipline on not just a bit but in a masssive step that others couldn't have dreamed of.
You can't just be very talented or have a sudden flash of inspiration.
On this basis the football 'genuis' George Best is a 'really good footballer' but not a genius, and John Lennon is not a 'genius', he is a bloke from Liverpool who wrote some nice tunes (although he regarded himself as a genius).
Nominations please by this radio 4 criteria.
I'll take the obvious ones; Einstein and Freud
There are many definitions of "genius" - one being an IQ above about 150 (which is termed genius level).
I think the best definition is someone who displays outstanding talent and ability in a particular field or area of endeavour.
Individuals such as Da Vinci are polymaths - ie outstanding in many areas, and they are very rare.
I think the best definition is someone who displays outstanding talent and ability in a particular field or area of endeavour.
Individuals such as Da Vinci are polymaths - ie outstanding in many areas, and they are very rare.
chim_knee said:
Turing
Justify!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No, I wasn't sure if Turing was someone I should have heard of but haven't, or if s/he was just throwing random words on screen, or if this was a very clever (almost genius type) insult.
leftie said:
Turing
Justify!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No, I wasn't sure if Turing was someone I should have heard of but haven't, or if s/he was just throwing random words on screen, or if this was a very clever (almost genius type) insult.
Definitely someone you should have heard of
leftie said:
Turing
Justify!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No, I wasn't sure if Turing was someone I should have heard of but haven't, or if s/he was just throwing random words on screen, or if this was a very clever (almost genius type) insult.
more on Turing here www.turing.org.uk/turing/
http://web.bvu.edu/faculty/schweller/Turing/tinfo.ht
http://computing-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Tu
Alan's Turing genuis is quite hard to comprehend. He is in a very real sense the father of every single digital device in existance today.
Understanding that computers are no more than turing machines, and can be nested inside each other and are controlled by their inputs is a fundamental insight that has helped me solve problems thought insoluble.
Excellent book about his life : www.amazon.com/gp/product/0380973464/002-6689497-2688021?v=glance&n=283155
http://computing-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Tu
Alan's Turing genuis is quite hard to comprehend. He is in a very real sense the father of every single digital device in existance today.
Understanding that computers are no more than turing machines, and can be nested inside each other and are controlled by their inputs is a fundamental insight that has helped me solve problems thought insoluble.
Excellent book about his life : www.amazon.com/gp/product/0380973464/002-6689497-2688021?v=glance&n=283155
thats why i spelt it like that..i set it up..Rascal and Wanderer knocked it down 
In many ways a gentleman by the name of Tommy Flowers is as much of a genius as Turing.
Mr Flowers worked for the post office designing and building exchanges.
He took Turing's ideas and designed and built the world's first electronic programmable computer - Collosus - at Bletchley Park during WW2 to crack the Enigma, Lorenz and Shark codes. In a very real sense he is just as much the father of digital computing as Turing.
He died only a couple of years ago, and lived to see a Collosus rebuilt at Bletchley.
Mr Flowers worked for the post office designing and building exchanges.
He took Turing's ideas and designed and built the world's first electronic programmable computer - Collosus - at Bletchley Park during WW2 to crack the Enigma, Lorenz and Shark codes. In a very real sense he is just as much the father of digital computing as Turing.
He died only a couple of years ago, and lived to see a Collosus rebuilt at Bletchley.
Gassing Station | The Pie & Piston Archive | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff