ordinary genius and magical genius Fascinating concept, k. But isn't 'ordinary genius' an oxymoron?
Perhaps, but I think it's an understandable one.
I agree that magical genius likely requires a strong power of concentration and imagination. (Not that I disagree with your other 2--I just haven't studied what you have.) What about Salvador Dali and his melting clocks? Or the (apocryphal, presumably) little boy who solved the problem that adults couldn't--that of getting the truck unstuck from the overpass, by letting some air out of the truck's tires? Would you say these two were magical genuises?
No in both cases, but that's my personal judgement. But let me make clear that I consider all of this loose talk.
Also--would you say that creative thinking might be a requirement?"
I think that imagination and creative thinking are so closely related that they should not be separate entries in our enumeration. I don't object to adding it to the list - I just don't think it's necessary.
Hmm--in proofreading, my attention was caught by "little boy"; is it likely that more men have been/will be magical geniuses because men have a stronger focus on getting to a solution quickly than women do?
I don't know. I've heard these kinds of arguments before. They're interesting to me, but not compelling. As you're aware, there have been and continue to be reasons why genius of any sort might go unnoticed in women. Getting to a solution quickly seems to be the emphasis of many mensans I know, and among those who are really into the IQ thing. Also, I don't know that the magical geniuses were all quick thinkers. Of the ones I listed, the only one known as a savante was Gauss. Feynman was tested at 125 in high school. (Some postulate that he was so brilliant and so contemptuous of the test, he just decided on what score he wanted and strove for it. I discount this as pure silly. The guy had no humility - if he had done something like that, it's absurd to think he would not have bragged about it in one of his books.) Einstein is reputed to have not spoken at all until he was 5 at which time he immediately began using complete sentences. I used to find this highly doubtful, but now only mildly doubtful - at least not completely ludicrous.
Just my opinion, of course, but I think what really separates them from their compatriots is the way they obsess with a single thing and worry it to death.
k
