I like to listen to NPR on the way in to work. This morning they ran a piece discussing what is Genius. It was especially interesting since it the commentator pointed out that genius is not merely a factor of IQ. Marilyn vos Savant
holds the record for the highest IQ, 228. However, the commentator
pointed out that her skills don’t necessarily represent genius. She
chooses to spend her days writing a column for Parade magazine.
Instead, genius is a factor not only of intelligence but also of
contribution. Most of the individuals we regard a genius don’t have
the highest IQs and didn’t always show great promise as children
(Albert Einstein), while many child prodigies grow up to lead
unremarkable lives as adults. The part I found amusing was that level
of education rarely indicates level of intelligence. The commentator
pointed out that the closer one gets to PhD level the less likely you
are to be someone other consider a genius. This is especially true in
the art world, but spills into the harder sciences as well.
I am pursuing a PhD but have never considered myself genius so I don’t
feel threatened! :-). However, it makes me wonder if perhaps what is
wrong with education is our goals and if our current, dare I say
learning objectives, are not leading individuals to genius then where
are they taking us? In my PhD classes capitalistic, selfish business
is often mocked and looked down upon. Never mind, that it is the taxes
from those businesses and the individuals that work there that
subsidize most academic institutions. There was open disdain for an
educational system that produces “worker bees” (people who actually do
the majority of the work in this country). I still laugh at the
hypocrisy considering that PhD programs produce the same “worker bees”
just at a slightly more “educated” level. A PhD may make you feel
liberated and educated, but the biggest difference being that those
with high school educations turn out widgets while the product of most
PhDs is papers and grants. The environments are different but
underlying the pompous titles is the same requirement for output.