How do you notice a child genius (天才)? Gifted children tend to share three characteristics.
First, they develop skills at a very young age. Mozart began composing music when he was just five years old.
Second, they are self-starters. Srinivasa Ramanujan was building complex formula (公式) before he'd even been taught basic mathematics.
Third, gifted children can be crazy about their interests. For William James Sidis, a writer, had collected hundreds of street car models and had learned eight languages by the time he was eight. He was accepted at Harvard University at the age of 11.
They would all have been good members for Mensa, an international society for people with the highest IQs. Its youngest member is just two years old. But there can be disadvantages to being so clever. Members of American Mensa are three times more likely than the general public to suffer from allergies (过敏) or depression (抑郁), and they are almost six times more likely to struggle with anxiety.
These are just some of the physical and emotional problems that gifted children in particular may face.
Noticing those children is important, but many of them are being missed. To find out gifted children, you actually have to look for them in all places. The benefits can be huge when those "lost Einsteins" are found.
A study has been observing 5,000 gifted people since 1972. All of the children had test scores high enough to get into university when they were just 13. In adulthood, the first 1,650 people went on to publish 85 books, more than 7,500 articles. One-third of the group earned a doctor's degree that is 17 times the national average.
The founder of Google and Lady Gaga were discovered as gifted children. The child geniuses who could change tomorrow's world are already out there. But will we notice them?
