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The boy who knew too much: a child prodigy

This is the true story of scientific child prodigy, and former baby genius, Ainan Celeste Cawley, written by his father. It is the true story, too, of his gifted brothers and of all the Cawley family. I write also of child prodigy and genius in general: what it is, and how it is so often neglected in the modern world. As a society, we so often fail those we should most hope to see succeed: our gifted children and the gifted adults they become. Site Copyright: Valentine Cawley, 2006 +

Saturday, December 29, 2007

50,000 blog visitors and counting

Today, this blog passed a bit of a milestone: it broke the 50,000 visitor mark. As of 7.55 pm, December 29th 2007, I have had 50,030 visitors to this blog since September 19th 2006 (Day 1).

I don't know how that compares to other blogs, but for me it is a satisfactory outcome. To have had 50,000 readers in every country of the world, is a fair introduction to the internet. Of course, though appreciable, it is a small number compared to the number of people in the world. By that measure about one person in 120,000 has read at least one article from this blog.

Thank you all for taking an interest. Happy reading!

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and no months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, four years and five months, and Tiarnan, twenty-two months, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, the Irish, the Malays, College, University, Chemistry, Science, genetics, left-handedness, precocity, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, gifted adults and gifted children in general. Thanks.)

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posted by Valentine Cawley @ 7:46 PM  0 comments

Aristotle on Democracy and its Value

It often surprises me how modern the thinking of the Ancients seems. They were thinking and writing, two and a half thousand years ago, but yet they wrestled with many of the same issues that people wrestle with today. Their thoughts, in some way, could be our thoughts, if only we sat down to think them. (Most, however, sit down, now, to watch TV, not to think).

Aristotle might have had advice for Pakistan, at this time. His words are to be found in his book, "Politics".

He wrote:

"If liberty and equality, as is thought by some, are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in the government to the utmost."

It seems to me that his words are not without relevance to many modern governments. Aristotle was observing that government works best to achieve liberty - that is freedom - and equality, when all members of that society have an equal voice. That seems wise enough. The odd thing is - and it would disappoint Aristotle to learn this - that two and a half thousand years after he had this thought, many societies around the world still do not afford an equal voice to their citizens. Even many "democracies" do not truly listen to their citizens with equal weight. In many societies there persists inequality and a lack of basic freedoms.

That last thought is a marvel to me. How can mankind be so SLOW to learn? Aristotle was stating what was best, in democratic terms, two and a half millenia ago - yet still many nations have not learnt the lesson he was trying to teach.

Perhaps, at this time, we would all benefit from reflecting on Aristotle's words, on their relevance to many of today's nations - and on the uncanny fact that he observed this two and a half thousand years ago.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and no months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, four years and five months, and Tiarnan, twenty-two months, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, the Irish, the Malays, College, University, Chemistry, Science, genetics, left-handedness, precocity, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, gifted adults and gifted children in general. Thanks.)

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posted by Valentine Cawley @ 5:03 PM  0 comments

Friday, December 28, 2007

Benazir Bhutto's Assassination and Democracy in Pakistan

As all the world knows, Benazir Bhutto, former Prime Minister of Pakistan, has been assassinated. I am not about to write an obituary, for others have done that, but I am going to comment on the wider meaning of this event.

Pakistan is a troubled country, that much is clear. It teeters on the brink of chaos. President Musharraf, who has been much criticized, has great difficulties ahead, in holding his nation together. That much is clear. However, tragic though it is for Benazir Bhutto's family and her party, the PPP (Pakistan People's Party), it has much wider implications for the prospects of democracy in Pakistan.

Already Nawaz Sharif, her political rival, and fellow opposition leader, has said his party will not run in the elections on January 8th. This is the first sign of the effects of this assassination. Politicians are human. They have hopes, fears and ambitions - and all of them, I am sure, have a deep-seated wish to live. Seeing a fellow politician murdered like this, simply for holding views not liked by the murderer will have a truly chilling effect on democracy in Pakistan. Would you, as a politician, like to say what you truly think and feel and campaign for what you truly believe in, if the consequence would be your own death - and the death of many others near you? Many people would falter at such a decision. They would do as Sharif has done: announce publicly that he will not run. I don't know the fullness of his decision making - but surely the fact that running could mean his own assassination no doubt has a great influence.

People of talent and gift, people who could contribute to the building of the Pakistani nation will remember what happened to Benazir Bhutto - and when they come to decide on what they would like to do with their lives, many who might otherwise have chosen to enter politics, may decide otherwise and choose to lead quieter, less influential lives. For what benefit is there in leading a life of influence if the penalty is death?

Ultimately, the long term future of Pakistan will suffer from this assassination rather more than people might anticipate. Relatively few people will be brave enough (or foolhardy enough) to challenge the status quo. Relatively few people will wish to upset the people, as yet undeclared, who prove to be behind this attack. Relatively few people will be truly free to engage in politics. In consequence, every Pakistani will be the poorer for it. A nation of 165 million people has lost a lot more than one charismatic political leader - they may have lost democracy itself.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and no months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, four years and five months, and Tiarnan, twenty-two months, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, the Irish, the Malays, College, University, Chemistry, Science, genetics, left-handedness, precocity, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, gifted adults and gifted children in general. Thanks.)

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posted by Valentine Cawley @ 2:37 PM  0 comments

Thursday, December 27, 2007

On being considerate: thinking about others.

Christmas is a festive time. It is also a time of reflection, a time to be with family, a time to catch up with all that has happened throughout the year. It is also a time of peace and quiet amidst busy lives - in the sense that it is usually a holiday period. Yet, not everyone respects this time.

Yesterday, was Boxing Day, the day after Christmas. It is a day which, being so close to Xmas itself, is usually spent on holiday, by most people. Few people work and most people are at home with their families. It should, therefore, be a day of relative quiet. However, that is not the kind of day I had.

From early in the day, until late afternoon, a party of tree surgeons, appointed by the ever wise and considerate Management Committee of our estate, were busily at work with chainsaws cutting away at our lovely trees. The fact that they were cutting such old and beautiful trees was shock enough (for they looked just fine without any "surgery") - but that they should do so on this day, of all days, was even more so. I couldn't quite believe what I saw, when I looked out of the window and witnessed the chainsaw laden men, atop their heavy machinery, high in the trees. The buzz of their saws had no trouble reaching through my closed windows into my home. It's penetrating cry accompanied my every activity, all day long. My day of quiet was not to be.

Why, I wonder did they appoint this posse of tree-cutters to do their work on such a day? Why not wait for January when all are at work and few would be bothered by their noisy work, during the day? No-one at the "Management Committee" had given a moment's thought to what effect the workers' tree-chopping would have on families trying to enjoy Christmas. They had never, for a second, considered how loud such work would be - nor whether it was appropriate for it to take place on such a day at all.

Was this unusual, you might ask? Is it abnormal for the needs of the people of Singapore to be ignored by those who make decisions? Not at all. It is, sadly, the norm around here. Decisions are made and things are done, without any consideration for the effect of the actions in question, on the public. No-one ever thinks of the effects of what they do. They just go ahead and do it.

There is a kind of mindlessness to all of this, of course. It is a type of roboticism in which people plow ahead with their plans, without looking around or ahead to see what effect it might be having on the environment, the citizens, the residents, the general way of life. The plan is made with only some very narrow consideration in mind, without the broader picture being consulted. So it is that trees are cut on Boxing Day - and many another inconsiderate action takes place. They are done because someone made a plan, without thinking of the effect of that plan.

It seems to me, that this is a very poor way to do things. A country, whose daily activities are planned in this way, quickly loses any right to be called comfortable, livable or welcoming. It becomes a place which daily shows its disregard for its residents and makes them feel unwelcome. Yesterday, I endured a day of earsplitting noise on one of the year's key celebrations. Is it saying something that, in all the countries I have visited (about 20), only in Singapore could such a thing ever happen? Only in Singapore do I see examples of such a disregard for the opinion of the people who would be affected by the decision made.

I don't know what the guiding purpose of our Management Committee is - but one thing that does not appear to be in their thinking, is whether or not a particular action is likely to have a positive effect on the residents. They seem to have forgotten that, in theory, the only reason they exist is to serve the residents. It seems, however, that they have conceived a new purpose: to serve themselves. Perhaps that is the problem, here: too many people are serving themselves, and not enough are serving the people who appointed them to their positions of influence, power and decision-making. That, it seems, to me, is a fundamental social error that can only ever have negative consequences for a country. I have never seen a good outcome in any situation in which such a dynamic exists. It is always to the detriment of the greater good.

Another characteristic of this and analogous situations is that no-one listens to feedback. I could make a complaint. I probably will. Yet, I am sure that my words will have no effect at all. The consultative process is something that is never taken seriously.

It is a pity that this is so. The opinion of the people - in this case, the residents of the estate - should be primary in any decision making. The decisions made should address their stated concerns and needs. Decisions should not be made that are against the will of the majority or would likely to be against that will. To do so, is to lower the quality of life, for all.

If asked, I very much doubt whether ANYONE on my estate would have said: "Yes, let us have the buzz of chainsaws all day on Boxing Day, please." Clearly, no-one was consulted on the matter. The Management Committee went ahead and commissioned the work, anyway, on this most inappropriate of all days.

I shall make a formal complaint to them. We will see how they respond. If they follow the Singaporean custom, my only response will be an unbroken silence.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and no months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, four years and five months, and Tiarnan, twenty-two months, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, the Irish, the Malays, College, University, Chemistry, Science, genetics, left-handedness, precocity, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, gifted adults and gifted children in general. Thanks.)

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posted by Valentine Cawley @ 6:01 PM  2 comments

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Children and Christmas Celebrations.

It is long since Christmas could make me jump with excitement, and anticipation - but today I was brought back to that time, by watching my children.

It was time to open their gifts. The children had risen early and huddled around the tree - but refrained from opening them: they just looked. It was not until we rose that they allowed themselves to pick up their gifts, one by one and begin to unwrap them.

If I were to pick one memory of today, to take with me into the future, it would be a single snapshot image. It would be of Tiarnan, so excited at the prospect of opening the gifts, which he had foreborn to touch, these past few weeks, that he could not open them. He was so consumed with the thrill of it that he jumped up and grabbed Syahidah's legs, encircling them with his arms. He held on tightly, suspended above the ground. In that moment did I fully understand how exciting this was for him. He did not know what to do with the excitement that he felt and could not express it in any better way, than that movement. I was touched.

He finally let go and set about opening his gifts, periodically jumping in excitement or smacking the table, as each wonder (to him) was revealed.

The other boys were also excited, but their response was somewhat more mature and less expressive. It was Tiarnan, twenty-two months, who showed best the spirit of the day.

I feel that it is moments like this that my young children will recall when they are adults, themselves. It makes me smile to know that they will remember this day.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and no months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, four years and five months, and Tiarnan, twenty-two months, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, the Irish, the Malays, College, University, Chemistry, Science, genetics, left-handedness, precocity, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, gifted adults and gifted children in general. Thanks.)

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posted by Valentine Cawley @ 9:22 PM  0 comments

Merry Christmas 2007 everyone

Merry Christmas, to everyone, everywhere.

Christmas in Singapore is different from the Christmases of my youth. I would like to say it was snowing here and that we were having a "White Christmas" - but that is something I have not seen since childhood. Christmas here is an equatorial affair, with ever present heat and humidity - but I am used to it.

However Christmas is, where you are, whether it be snowy, or raining, windy or sunny, I hope you all enjoy the festive season.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and no months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, four years and five months, and Tiarnan, twenty-two months, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, the Irish, the Malays, College, University, Chemistry, Science, genetics, left-handedness, precocity, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, gifted adults and gifted children in general. Thanks.)

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posted by Valentine Cawley @ 9:16 PM  0 comments

Monday, December 24, 2007

Is Singapore's population too low?

Singapore's population is a matter often in the news, in Singapore. It is a question that is raised again and again.

Presently, Singapore's population is about 4.5 million. However this includes about 1 million foreigners who are working here. The Singaporean government has long voiced the intention, in many news articles, of raising the population in the coming decades to 6.5 million people. I do not know the exact time scale over which this is to happen, but it always appears that they mean this to happen in the near future. That is in the lifetimes of most people now living in Singapore.

Without knowing what Singapore is now like to live in, it is difficult to judge the wisdom, or otherwise of such a number. Firstly, you should know that Singapore is a small island. It is, perhaps, a forty-five minute drive from its East Coast to its West Coast - and rather less from North to South. It is small. Secondly, you should realize that about 80 % of people live in high-rise government flats called HDB (for Housing Development Board). Most of the rest live in high rise private condominiums. Very, very few live in houses. Thus people are tightly packed together. The newer the apartment block, the taller it is. Old ones tend to be around a dozen stories, but the latest ones can have scores of floors.

Recently, I have been confronted with just how many people there are in Singapore. It is easy enough to do: just go shopping. My wife and I went to Orchard Road last night to see a film. Even though it was the evening, and one would have thought that many people would be at home having dinner with their families, Orchard Road was packed. At some places, it was a standing room only, jostling crowd. There was barely enough space to breathe. Yet, despite this evident inability to cope with its own population numbers, the official intention is to raise the population of Singapore by a further 50 % to 6.5 million. I find that incredible.

If you live in Singapore, you never get the feeling that it lacks people. So, why is the official view that it is 2 million short of its target? Well, one reason I read is that a study, many years ago, showed that the most successful small countries have a mean population of...you guessed it...6.5 million. Singapore has understood this to mean that you must have this magic number of people to be really successful. I think this is pure numerology. (Which, for me, means nonsense.) A country may be successful at almost any size. It is just what that country does that counts. It doesn't take a magic number of people to do this. I very much doubt that there is anything that Singapore could do at 6.5 million people, that it can't do at 4.5 million - apart from raise more taxes (and taxi fares - which here is the same thing), from its people. So, the only actual benefit of a larger population would be a larger tax base: nothing more.

There would, however, be considerable down-sides to a higher population. Already the main shopping centres can get uncomfortably crowded at peak periods (despite the fact that Singapore is just one big shopping centre anyway). The buses and trains (MRT) are often too overcrowded to be pleasant. The taxis are now unaffordable for many. Rental rates have doubled in a year (residentially and commercially). Indeed, my employer has complained of an office rent that has risen three fold, recently. Singapore is becoming a crowded, busy, expensive city. Yet, the official aim is to make it more crowded, more busy and more expensive. (The official policy is, for instance, to keep on raising taxi fares until most people are forced to use buses).

I think Singapore would be just lovely if it had a population of 2 million, not a population of 6.5 million.

People like a little room to live in. No-one likes to be sandwiched against the next person. Yet, if the population really does rise by 2 million, people will be sandwiched together. They will live in even higher rise estates, travel in overcrowded buses and trains and shop in standing room only shopping centres. It won't be pleasant. It won't, actually, be a city that people want to live in.

I think that last observation is what will defeat this population plan. You see, as Singapore becomes more crowded, more unpleasant, and more unlivable, people will just leave. Emigration will soar and, as quickly as new Chinese mainlanders can be persuaded to come here (for they constitute the majority of the immigrants), native Singaporeans and Permanent Residents will be leaving, for less crowded, more hospitable countries.

The effect of this population drive will be to drive away the people who have made Singapore their home these past few decades. For they will have seen Singapore go from poor, to relatively rich and comfortable, to rich but poor in living space and living conditions. These people will leave, finally, for somewhere else - for virtually anywhere else, would be less crowded.

Singapore has a high standard of public infrastructure. It looks clean. Most things work well enough. What it does not have, however, is space. There is very little room, here, per person. I don't think it is wise, therefore, to squeeze a couple of million more people onto this small, but well-formed island. For, as anyone knows, even the best looking small frame, shouldn't really carry too many extra pounds. Singapore needs to slim down a bit, not fatten up, as a nation.

It is possible that many people think Singapore is already too crowded. Why do I say this? Well, because the emigration rate is already rather high. That wouldn't be so, if people felt comfortable here. The matter of crowdedness is, no doubt, only one factor the emigrants would have considered before leaving - but I am sure it is a contributing factor. Let us hope that Singapore does not become more crowded still - for otherwise I can foresee that many more people will seek living space, elsewhere.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and no months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, four years and five months, and Tiarnan, twenty-two months, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, the Irish, the Malays, College, University, Chemistry, Science, genetics, left-handedness, precocity, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, gifted adults and gifted children in general. Thanks.)

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posted by Valentine Cawley @ 8:45 AM  19 comments

The career ambition of a young child

It is a cliche, throughout the Western world that many children want to grow up to be firemen or policemen (or the like). I suppose this is because these figures seem to play such a dramatic role in the tv dramas and stories children are aware of. Such people seem to have interesting, heroic lives and are, of course, in a tv show, or a story in a book, at the centre of the action.

Fintan's ambition, however, is a little different, though it shares one characteristic: his ambition is of someone at the centre of things, too, though in a rather more chaotic way.

We asked Fintan, four, in early December, what he wanted to be when he grew up.

His answer? "Mr. Bean."

I thought that funny and interesting, but the question is why would he wish to be Mr. Bean? It is clear that Mr. Bean is funny...but not intentionally so. It is also clear that Mr. Bean is different from the people around him. Perhaps that is part of the attraction. There is no-one, in real life, like Mr. Bean. Then, again, another thought occurs to me. Perhaps he means to be a performer, like Rowan Atkinson, the real life actor behind Mr. Bean.

It is unclear why he would like to be Mr. Bean, when he grows up. I shall have to ask him.

Note: For those who live in countries that don't receive the Mr. Bean tv shows, Mr. Bean is an idiosyncratic man, who doesn't speak, but interacts with the world in a logical but absurd fashion. His solutions to problems are always just the wrong way to get something done - even though there is reason behind them. (For instance, trying to paint a room quickly by putting an explosive into a pot of paint and letting it off.)

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and no months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, four years and five months, and Tiarnan, twenty-two months, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, the Irish, the Malays, College, University, Chemistry, Science, genetics, left-handedness, precocity, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, gifted adults and gifted children in general. Thanks.)

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posted by Valentine Cawley @ 8:34 AM  0 comments

Sunday, December 23, 2007

The life of Reilly

"The life of Reilly" was a phrase not infrequently uttered when I was growing up. Today, the phrase came to mind on hearing of Fintan's latest antics.

Fintan had gone to a kids party, in the run up to Christmas. Like many a kid of his age (four) he is rather fond of cars. So, on spotting a car, he duly hopped into it, raring to go. Unfortunately, cars fit for four year olds happen to come without engines. So, there he was, sitting in his car, wanting to race around, but without any horsepower to do so.

The situation didn't last long. He may have lacked a car engine, but he didn't lack the kind of appeal that commonly goes with an impressive sports car: within seconds four girls of his own age volunteered to help him. They gathered as one behind his car and began to push him around the house, while he steered.

It was very funny to see how he solved the problem of no engine. He got himself an engine, Fintan-style - in the shape of four helpful young ladies.

They tirelessly pushed him around the party until he had had his fill of driving.

Thank you, girls, for giving Fintan such a welcome. Merry Xmas to you all.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and no months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, four years and five months, and Tiarnan, twenty-two months, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, the Irish, the Malays, College, University, Chemistry, Science, genetics, left-handedness, precocity, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, gifted adults and gifted children in general. Thanks.)

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posted by Valentine Cawley @ 12:17 AM  0 comments

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