
Big Bang theory
12 year old genius wants to disprove Big Bang theory
Jacob didn't start talking until he was 2 years old. It's now fairly evident that it wasn't because of a learning problem. Jacob is now 12 and in college - he taught himself his entire high school math curriculum in 2 weeks. This kid seems to be a real life Will Hunting - a truly amazing story - but the best part? His current mission is to disprove the Big Bang theory. Ref. Source 7
Wow: Glenn's stunning interview with 12 year old genius
Last night on TV Glenn interviewed Jacob Barnett, the 12-year-old with a 170 IQ whose hobbies include expanding Einstein's Theory of Relativity and disproving the Big Bang theory. Check out the interview which includes young Jacob teaching Glenn by writing on his NYC office windows. Ref. Source 4
I don't care how smart he is, Jacob should not be in college. He should be in middle school with the other 12-year-olds, where he belongs. There's more to school than just an education. There are also teamwork and friendship. How is poor Jacob supposed to learn how to interact with others his own age if he skips high school and goes straight into college? He isn't going to learn how to make friends at a college with a bunch of adults three times his own age. Most normal adults have no interest in a kid his age anyway. It will be hard for Jacob to make friends in college.
Besides, where is Jacob getting the money for tuition anyway? A 12-year-old is too young to go to work, so I already know he's not paying his own way like a mature adult. My guess is the college is giving him free tuition simply because he is smart. If so, then this is wrong! Just because he is smart, it doesn't make him any better than a person who doesn't get straight A's.
Jacob should not go to college until he graduates from high school at the age of 18. And, when he does go to college, he should have to pay for it like everyone else. He should not have his tuition handed to him free of charge. Work is an important part of life. It teaches us how to be responsible adults. The only way I'd support Jacob getting free college tuition was if the college gave everyone free tuition.
Small blue galaxy could shed new light on Big Bang
A faint blue galaxy nicknamed Leoncino, or 'little lion,' about 30 million light-years from Earth and located in the constellation Leo Minor has been identified by astronomers as possessing qualities that could shed new light on conditions at the birth of the universe. Ref. Source 1f.
I came here for the article, but Rasputin's comments are more concerning to me. I hope this isn't too far off topic, but I am going to address them. While I full-heartedly agree that there is more to school than just an education, that is no reason to hold back someone who is smart. School is meant to teach everyone the basics of what we know as a society. If Jacob really has a 170 IQ, he is able to study, learn, and remember facts much quicker than the other kids. He is probably bored by the school curriculum and to keep him in middle/high school just to socialize him is wrong. When kids get bored they act out and cause disruptions for the other kids. There are much better ways to socialize him than just to keep him school with kids his own age. As for the free college, I first assume you are in America where colleges are not generally state funded, but more to the point, people are given 'free rides' to college all the time for being smart. It is called a scholarship. Jacob probably has his GED, and aced the SAT and/or the ACT, and met all the qualifications for a fully paid tuition/room/board at college.
I am not nearly that smart, but I have an above average IQ, went through high school (Bored, but no choice), and was given a full ride to university as well. As a matter of fact, I never held a job until I graduated graduate school at 28 (Except school related jobs like supplemental instructor or teaching assistant). You can't lump everyone into 1 category and say that everyone must go through each grade and 1 certain age and can't progress to the next until they are older.
I agree he is not any better than someone who doesn't get straight A's and that the school shouldn't give him an 'special treatment', but there are already rules in place for 'above average' intelligence students to get free tuition. Jacob has a hard life in front of him, and with above average intelligence comes certain social detriments. He probably won't make many friends (At least not the go out and party kind), but that is also probably not what he is interested in. If he really enjoys his studies, he probably dedicates himself to them to the exclusion of social interaction. He will make friends with people who are similarly smart and who are open-minded enough to look past his age. I think it is very critical and close-minded of you to condemn the poor boy because he is so smart.