Are Individuals with Autism Truly Geniuses in the Field of Physics?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bestfrog
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Genius
AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the phenomenon of exceptionally gifted children with autism achieving advanced degrees in Physics at a young age. While these individuals are often labeled as geniuses, the conversation questions whether high IQ alone is sufficient for making significant discoveries in the field. It emphasizes the importance of imagination and creativity, suggesting that successful physicists must possess more than just intelligence; they also need the ability to collaborate and think innovatively. Additionally, there is a recognition that only a small percentage of autistic children exhibit such extraordinary talents, highlighting the complexity of genius beyond mere academic achievement. The thread also touches on the career trajectories of these young achievers, prompting curiosity about their professional outcomes after graduation.
Bestfrog
Sometimes I read about children affected by autism that get a master degree in Physics at the age of 14-17.
They seems the geniuses of the modern age, but are they really geniuses?
Do you think that a very high IQ is the key for a physicist to do a sensational discovery in his subject? Or this cleverness and super-speed of learning is not enough? Does a very brilliant physicist requires a little bit of imagination and a sort of fancy, doesn't he?
Tell me what you think.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
What happened to them after they got their master's? What kind of jobs did they end up getting?
 
Bestfrog said:
Sometimes I read about children affected by autism that get a master degree in Physics at the age of 14-17.
They seems the geniuses of the modern age, but are they really geniuses?
Do you think that a very high IQ is the key for a physicist to do a sensational discovery in his subject? Or this cleverness and super-speed of learning is not enough? Does a very brilliant physicist requires a little bit of imagination and a sort of fancy, doesn't he?
Tell me what you think.
Only a small fraction of children on the autistic spectrum have the high acting or "genius" type.
A physicist will require imagination and creativity to make discoveries, and he may need to work in a team, so high intelligence alone is probably not enough.
 
Similar to the 2024 thread, here I start the 2025 thread. As always it is getting increasingly difficult to predict, so I will make a list based on other article predictions. You can also leave your prediction here. Here are the predictions of 2024 that did not make it: Peter Shor, David Deutsch and all the rest of the quantum computing community (various sources) Pablo Jarrillo Herrero, Allan McDonald and Rafi Bistritzer for magic angle in twisted graphene (various sources) Christoph...
Thread 'My experience as a hostage'
I believe it was the summer of 2001 that I made a trip to Peru for my work. I was a private contractor doing automation engineering and programming for various companies, including Frito Lay. Frito had purchased a snack food plant near Lima, Peru, and sent me down to oversee the upgrades to the systems and the startup. Peru was still suffering the ills of a recent civil war and I knew it was dicey, but the money was too good to pass up. It was a long trip to Lima; about 14 hours of airtime...
Back
Top