[xmca] FW: Autistic Boy: Higher IQ Than Einstein Dev's Own Th. of Relativity

["David H Kirshner" <dkirsh@lsu.edu>]

While we're on the topic of relativity...

 

 

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>From The Daily Mail [UK / Online], Saturday, April 16, 2011. See
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1369595/Jacob-Barnett-12-higher-
IQ-Einstein-develops-theory-relativity.html  . Our thanks to Monica
Neagoy for bringing this piece to our attention.

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Autistic boy, 12, with higher IQ than Einstein develops his own theory
of relativity

By Daily Mail Reporter


A 12-year-old child prodigy has astounded university professors after
grappling with some of the most advanced concepts in mathematics.

Jacob Barnett has an IQ of 170 - higher than Albert Einstein - and is
now so far advanced in his Indiana university studies that professors
are lining him up for a PHD research role.

The boy wonder, who taught himself calculus, algebra, geometry and
trigonometry in a week, is now tutoring fellow college classmates after
hours.

 

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PHOTO SIDEBAR [Youtube]:  Gifted: Jacob Barnett is so far ahead of his
age group he is now leaving university he is developing his own theory
on how the universe came into being.

----------------------------


And now Jake has embarked on his most ambitious project yet - his own
'expanded version of Einstein's theory of relativity'.

His mother, not sure if her child was talking nonsense or genius, sent a
video of his theory to the renowned Institute for Advanced Study near
Princeton University.

 

According to the Indiana Star, Institute astrophysics professor Scott
Tremaine - himself a world renowned expert - confirmed the authenticity
of Jake's theory.


In an email to the family, Tremaine wrote: 'I'm impressed by his
interest in physics and the amount that he has learned so far.

'The theory that he's working on involves several of the toughest
problems in astrophysics and theoretical physics.

'Anyone who solves these will be in line for a Nobel Prize.'

But for his mother Kristine Barnett, 36, and the rest of the family,
maths remains a tricky subject.

Speaking to the paper, Mrs Barnett said: 'I flunked math. I know this
did not come from me.'

And it hasn't gone un-noticed by Jake, who added: 'Whenever I try
talking about math with anyone in my family they just stare blankly.'

Jake was diagnosed with Aspergers syndrome, a mild form of autism, from
an early age.

His parents were worried when he didn't talk until the age of two,
suspecting he was educationally abnormal.

It was only as he began to grow up that they realised just how special
his gift was.

He would fill up note pads of paper with drawings of complex geometrical
shapes and calculations, before picking up felt tip pens and writing
equations on windows.

By the age of three he was solving 5,000-piece puzzles and he even
studied a state road map, reciting every highway and license plate
prefix from memory.

By the age of eight he had left high school and was attending Indiana
University-Purdue University Indianapolis advanced astrophysics classes.


His classroom presence is quite unnerving for many of the 18-plus year
old students at his IPIU lectures.

Speaking to the Indy Star, Wanda Anderson, a biochemistry major said:
'When I first walked in and saw him, I thought, 'Oh my God, I'm going to
school with Doogie Howser.'

She added: 'A lot of people come to him for help when they don't
understand a physics problem.

'People come up to him all the time and say, 'Hey Jake, can you help
me'.

'A lot of people think a genius is hard to talk to, but Jake explains
things that would still be over their head.'

And his Professor John Ross said his performance in lectures had been
'outstanding'.

'When he asks a question, he is always two steps ahead of the lecture.

'Everyone in the class gets quiet. Poor kid. . . . He sits right in the
front row, and they all just look at him.


'He will come to see me during office hours and ask even more detailed
questions. And you can tell he's been thinking these things through.

'Kids his age would normally have problems adding fractions, and he is
helping out some of his fellow students.'


According to his parents Jake has trouble sleeping at night as he
constantly sees numbers in his head.

But far from complaining, Jake has turned the sleepless nights to his
advantage - debunking the big bang theory.

The next step, according to professor Ross, is for Jake to leave class
altogether and take up a paid research role.

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SIDEBAR VIDEO: Go to the website, scroll down and view the videos -
Jacob Barnett teaches us Calculus 2. Techniques ... ; Death of a Star
... ; ...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1369595/Jacob-Barnett-12-higher-
IQ-Einstein-develops-theory-relativity.html

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PHOTO SIDEBAR:  Genius: Jake Barnett is now set to become a paid
astrophysics researcher

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SIDEBAR:  Gifted: Aspergers syndrome and the conditions affecting child
development


Autism: A condition that starts in early childhood, usually involving
serious developmental disabilities with social interaction and
communication.

People with this disorder can have a range of abilities, from being
severely disabled to gifted. It is estimated one in every 150 child has
the condition.

Aspergers: A syndrome that is similar to autism, but with the
distinction that those with it typically function better, have normal
intelligence and near-normal language development.

Savant: Rare condition in which persons with developmental disorders
have astonishing islands of ability, brilliance or talent that stand in
stark contrast to overall limitations.

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