Science finds recipe for genius

To my surprise, the recipe for assuring a child grow up to be highly intelligent is not simply “Mate with RagManX” according to the folks who did this study. Seems hard work (which I’ll grant is involved in mating with me, since I’m as well endowed as a moth) is a part of the recipe, but there is more to it than that.

If you think the innate talents of your child alone will produce the next Albert Einstein, think again.

The real recipe for producing a bright-minded adult, according to a new study, calls for a few ingredients-cognitive abilities, educational opportunities, interest, and plain old hard work.

The 35-year study, published online on Dec. 18 by the journal Perspectives on Psychological Science, tracked 5,000 mathematically gifted individuals throughout their lives, beginning at age 12. Success was measured by the number of patents earned, tenures secured at universities and income, among other factors.

We found that mathematical gifts and a variety of aptitudes have a significant impact, but that special educational opportunities and commitment can dramatically increase this impact,” said study co-author David Lubinski, a researcher at Vanderbilt University. “These students are intellectually gifted, and those gifts are best fully realized when they have the full support and understanding of their teachers, their parents and their social network.”

[tags]The secret to raising a genius[/tags]