Child Prodigy

[Al]

Oil board has such smart members unlike myself and never disappoints.

My daughter called yesterday and said she offered her son, 8 $100 to solve a Rubik cube. She sat down (doing her work) sitting next to him (to make sure he did not dis-assemble it. In "2 to 3 hours" he solved it.

My question: I went online to locate information in this area. (found nothing helpful) At this point its curiosity. Obviously (and I am probably jumping the gun). I would like information to help her(daughter)/him in this area. She is raising 3 kids (she is 50) so has probably not given this situation much thought. She is also busy with her job.

I am not bragging, but understandably impressed with him. He is a totally normal 8 year old. I would appreciate any thoughts on what you would do.

 

[oldhp]

 

[userfriendly]

New railroad employees should be given a Rubik's cube and told to make one side one color.

When they can do that, send them out to a rail yard and let them figure out how to switch 500 cars in 8 hours
without placing the chlorine cars next to the UN 1075s. (Patman knows all about that snafu)

 

[BMW Dom]

When I used to cube, there are about a hundred or so algorithms to memorize t o solve it in seconds.

Solving it normally, there are a few basic algorithms, that are less efficient. \

Solving it without these can be a challenging task

 

[PWMDMD]

The term prodigy can mean a lot of things. At one extreme, it can mean exceptionally great at singular tasks (Rubik's cube) or at the other extreme it can mean globally great at learning most things/everything or anything it can mean anything in between.

FWIW as far as "smart people"...from college on I've been straight A student with the only real difference between me and the C students (assuming average intelligence) being my ability to sit and work on an idea or problem for hours and hours or days or weeks until I understand it. I simply don't accept the idea that I can't learn something and I have a lot of patience to sit and do the work. I think many people, incorrectly, assume "smart" people just get it. Even mega-geniuses simply work harder. I'm a huge Richard Feynman fan, he taught himself calculus in high school not because he "just got it", but because he was super curious and he worked at it obsessively until he really understood it. Most 15 year olds don't have the patience to do this and so they don't but it's not like he read a book one day and knew calculus. He literally thought about it all day and night until he understood a concept. He obsessed about findings tricks to estimate logarithms in his head so he didn't need tables and most people were happy using tables or computers now. When he mastered one thing he moved onto the next thing to master it as well. Put that all together and you get a guy who at 25 can do things others can't, not because he just "got it", but because he worked harder than everyone else mastering concepts.

 

[AZjeff]

An 8 year old solving a cube on his own in 2-3 hours shows some favorable traits as P...D noted and/or intelligence. Are you asking how to have him tested for superior abilities? There have to be aptitude tests online if you know what to search for. Maybe someone at school (guidance? Do they still have guidance people?)

 

[SeaJay]

When I lived in NYC, there was a teen actor who had appeared in one of Woody Allen's movie, probably a small part. He was hanging out in the hood and saw one of my friends working on a rubik's cube, which were very popular at the time. The teen actor solved it in about 8 seconds.

 

[Al]

An 8 year old solving a cube on his own in 2-3 hours shows some favorable traits as P...D noted and/or intelligence. Are you asking how to have him tested for superior abilities? There have to be aptitude tests online if you know what to search for. Maybe someone at school (guidance? Do they still have guidance people?)

I was just wondering what others would do. (If anything) And bear in mind I am "just" the Grandparent.

Not that this is similar: But the child genius that wants to be a an astrophysicist is going to go to college. I think this is a bad idea. I think the "shole person" will be ruined for life. And Doubt he will ultimately be more successful. Hate to say it but I wonder if the Parents are not "exploiting" the child. Hope I am wrong.

 

[Aredeeem]

Kids are smarter than you think. Just get them away from mindless TV and tablets and stimulate them. Here’s my 5 year old grandson giving my wife a chess lesson.