Autistic, 12, and a higher IQ than Einstein

7 replies
  • OFF TOPIC
  • |
I thought this was a cool human interest story.
Savants, like portrayed in Rain Man, are very rare.
Here's a real one.



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.

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.
Video and source.


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.
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.
  • Profile picture of the author thunderbird
    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.
    Hmmm. Doesn't look like my 14-month-old toddler is headed in that direction... He has just barely figured out how to fit a round object into a round hole, but has yet to figure out that the square object would fit into the square hole. He does open doors, drawers, and the usual stuff toddlers do I guess.
    Signature

    Project HERE.

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4170251].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author thunderbird
    Originally Posted by Roaddog View Post

    I thought this was a cool human interest story.
    Savants, like portrayed in Rain Man, are very rare.
    Here's a real one.



    Video and source.
    He could be described as a savant, I guess, but definitely not an idiot savant like the character in Rain Man. I don't think an idiot savant would be capable of tutoring college students like this kid, since it would demand the ability to sense how others perceive and understand things.
    Signature

    Project HERE.

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4171000].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Roaddog
      Originally Posted by thunderbird View Post

      He could be described as a savant, I guess, but definitely not an idiot savant like the character in Rain Man. I don't think an idiot savant would be capable of tutoring college students like this kid, since it would demand the ability to sense how others perceive and understand things.
      ...stand corrected....definitely...corrected.....
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4171097].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author seasoned
    Raymond in rainman was a kind of idiot savant. If a person tests near or over average in measured areas of IQ, you can't really call them an idiot in that context. Most tests only test 3-4 types of intelligences and, interestingly, NON of them are directly affected by autism. So it IS possible for an autistic person to test high for ALL of them. I don't know if they are weighted in any standard way, but they are basically averaged to come up with the composite score that is often given. So one person may have a LOUSY vocabulary and GREAT math ability, and another may be the opposite, and they may both have the same composite score even though the actual abilities are very different.

    Steve
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4171207].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
    The kid lost me when he started writing on the window. The human mind is amazing. Not mine so much, but cases like that fer sure, Eddie. Saw a kid a few years back, he was 12 at the time I think, who created entire symphonies in his head. Once it was written down and performed, it was damn good music.
    Signature

    Just when you think you've got it all figured out, someone changes the rules.

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4171599].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author msmir75
    Rain Man did not really have autism, even though he was portrayed that way in the movie. The character was created based on a man named Kim Peek who had a condition called FG Syndrome where the right and left brain was intertwined. He memorized everything he read and had an incredible ability to do advanced math problems at the drop of a hat, but he still needed his father to put on his socks and brush his teeth, even after the age of 50. Autism is a complex disorder, my son has it but thankfully he is considered "high functioning". He is self sufficient but is behind in speech and academics and only talks about things that interest him. He also lacks social skills but thankfully he is progressing and will make sure he does so he can lead a "typical" life.. meaning he will function on his own. As I said in another post, enough people don't take autism seriously and many just don't care to learn about it. It is ashame because these kids can do some amazing things if they get the proper help and the help needs to be given at a young age for them to progress and blossom. Some people with autism that are severe will always be disabled and need lifelong care. But there are many who again live great, fulfilling lives... if they are given the right help. Therapy is just so expensive and there is still not enough of it to help kids who need it. All we can do is just keep spreading awareness, every little bit helps.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4171827].message }}

Trending Topics