Stanford links genius and manic depression... I feel SO much better now... (via FARK)
posted by Samizdata on May 23, 2002 - 7 comments

Boy quits school at 7, becomes MIT professor at 20. Is alternative education a good idea? This article seems much more positive than another recent boy-genius post. It appears that most reporters assume that child prodigies are antisocial and that their parents are over-ambitious (they use negatively-connotated synonyms of those terms).
posted by alex3005 on Feb 17, 2002 - 20 comments

A true American tale: follow the rise and fall and rise and fall of David Stanley, the con artist with Christ-like charisma who dodged a prison sentence, dyed his hair, and began the multi-million dollar startup Pixelon without a driver's license, a social security card, or a shred of technology to sell. The people he has screwed over still love him for his kindess and genius. In Stanley's own words, "God has blessed me with a unique ability to defy reality". Why are people and corporations willing to invest millions of dollars into ideas without proof? And why do I admire this liar?
posted by sixfoot6 on Jun 27, 2000 - 1 comment

MacArthur Foundation genius grants -- I didn't get one this year, but Ben Katchor did. So did some other astonishing people, such as Patricia J. Williams, of whose column "Diary of a Mad Law Professor" in The Nation I am a particular fan.
posted by elgoose on Jun 14, 2000 - 2 comments