The Washington times., 1914-06-28
BRAINS OR TRAININGS,

The graduation from Harvard of
William James Sidis, the fourteen
year-old infant prodigy" has lent
the scientific world fresh opportunity
for discussion Of the youngsters in
tellectual achievements. And again
has his father, Prof. Boris Sidis
scoffed at scientists that attribute
the boys precocity to native
genius" From early boynood the
lad has been 4 marvel to scientist
and layman. Last year, at an age
when most youngsters are yet ignor-
ant of even the rudiments of algebra,
the Sidis boy astounded the Harvard
faculty by lecturing on the fourth
dimension. He was To oe graduated
then, but his degree was withheld on
the ground that he was too young.
This is the remarkable youngster
TO whom scientists attribute the
brain of genius and who is branded
by his father 'j2st an ordinary boy
who has been properly taught rather
than educated according to the pub
lie school system" Prof. Sidis' re-
marks about our educational sys-
tenn are worthy of consideration. He
protests that too mucn time is
wasted and that several years may
be saved in preparing a youngster
for college. He speaks from expert
ence and deserves a listening ear.
We have had "infant prodigies"
before. Galois, slain in a duel at
twenty, left the world work which
was the basis of research by mathe-
maticians for many years. Without
books ard untaught except by his
own experiences and striving, Pas
cal, at eleven, formed a geometrical
system which has been held to be
equivalent to the first book of Euclid.
Five years later he had completed
remarkable treatise On comic sec
tions, his conclusions being drawn,
we are told, from his own researches.
William Rowan Hamilton, in boy
hood, was hailed as the greatest of
mathematicians.,
Asserting that his son possesses
no extraordinary ability, Prof. Sidis,
himself an eminent psychologist,
maintains that any bright youngster
who is carefully educated from baby
hood can make the progress which
has marked his sons scholastic ca
reer. Prof. Sidis contends that sew
en- years of child's life are wasted,
ordinarily, before his parents seri-
ously undertake his education. Be-
fore he is three years old a child
learns the language spoken at home.
II he hears two or three languages
in his home at the same time. is
Prof. Sidis' contention, he will learn
them all.
"The process of education cannot
begin too soon," says Prof. Sidis. az
began to train the boy in the use of
his faculties Immediately after his
birth. He was bound 70 use them
anyway and / taught him to use
them properly and to the best ad-
vantage. ! taught the child to OBJ
serve accurately, to analyze, to syn
thctize and to make sound and logi-
cal deductions. He was not confused
with baby talk, meaningless sounds
or foolish gestures, yet his mind was
not more burdcred than that of the
ordinary child"
1t is to be remembered also that
young Sidis is fond of outdoor sports
and is an expert tennis player. He
is boy with all boyish instincts and
tendencies-minus the Stiffness bred
by childhood pampering.
If it is true, as Prof. Sidis insists,
that the young Harvard student has
attained exceptional mental develop
merit through early training, then
indeed may it be true that our edu-
cational system is lax, not itself be-
ing administered by the best fitted
for the work. But it cannot be pos
sible that all youngsters are possess
ed of the capacity of young Sidis
for Supreme training. In education,
as in other things, the standard must
take serious consideration of the
minimum level