CommentsDisplaying BonnieVonnie's 10 most recent comments.

• A Beautiful Mind? 12-Year-Old Boy Genius Sets Out to Disprove Big Bang

  March 25, 2011 at 11:13am

  In reply to ares338.

  It seems I am not the only one who recognizes that this child is not the one to bring up the chance of “reward”. It was the professor, probably thinking about his name being associated with the child and the possibility of the Nobel Prize, and the potential to significantly advance his own career. The child hasn’t done anything yet to warrant consideration.

  With the “dumbing down” of the American Public education system and standards of performance, the concept of reward for work well done was removed to “equalize the playing field for ALL children”–no child left behind and all that jazz! The truth is, reward for a job well done is a GREAT (exceptional) motivator. We adults get raises based upon merit (performance). The idiocy of not rewarding good behavior and the pursuit of excellence in performance has always escaped me. And just consider the national results…poorer performance across the board, around the country, except among, for example, the Asian population where hard work and dedication and the pursuit of excellence is still ingrained in the culture.

  Yes, there is prestige connected to being awarded a Nobel Prize. At least there used to be. It lost all is appeal to me when our current sitting President was given one (for what amounts to doing nothing of any significant value). Mother Theresa deserved a Nobel Peace Prize. Gandhi deserved his, but Barack Obama?

  In reference to the potential in this child, time will tell. If he successfully expands upon Einstein’s theory to the degree that he absolutely astounds the scientific community, he may well deserve the Nobel Prize. But that is yet to be seen…