ACX
Book Review: The Man From The Future
Scott reviews a biography of John von Neumann, exploring the mathematician's life, genius, and views on existential risk from technology.
38 min read 5,843 words
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genius
Essays tagged “genius”. Follow an idea across the archive.
Essays on genius
6 essaysACX
Contra Hoel On Aristocratic Tutoring
Scott Alexander argues against Erik Hoel's claim that the decline of 'aristocratic tutoring' explains the perceived lack of modern geniuses, offering alternative explanations and counterexamples.
16 min read 2,422 words
SSC
Rule Thinkers In, Not Out
Scott Alexander argues for valuing thinkers who produce original ideas, even if they're often wrong, criticizing the tendency to dismiss intellectuals for their mistakes.
8 min read 1,188 words
SSC
Book Review: Raise A Genius!
The post reviews Laszlo Polgar's book on raising genius children, discussing his educational philosophy and methods, while noting that his success likely comes from early specialization, focus, and one-on-one instruction.
33 min read 4,969 words
SSC
Hungarian Education III: Mastering The Core Teachings Of The Budapestians
Scott Alexander explores Laszlo Polgar's successful educational methods that produced chess prodigies, analyzing possible explanations and lamenting the unavailability of Polgar's book on his techniques.
17 min read 2,549 words
SSC
The Atomic Bomb Considered As Hungarian High School Science Fair Project
Scott examines the phenomenon of Hungarian scientific geniuses in the early 20th century, attributing it to a high concentration of high-IQ Ashkenazi Jews in Budapest rather than exceptional education.
30 min read 4,597 words