Both hardware and software are necessary to make a computer run. IQ is crucial to do high-level scientific research. But IQ alone is utterly insufficient. You need to take your high IQ to school and study for a very long time. And then study some more. You are utterly useless for science until you’ve downloaded software in the form of learning onto your brain.
Why am explaining this boring and obvious fact? Because I’m reading a novel Notes on Infinity by Austin Taylor, and she seems blissfully unaware that major scientific discoveries aren’t made by college sophomores. Harvard professors don’t beg said sophomores to join their research labs. Nobody expects them to do any research or to publish solo scientific articles before finishing their second year of college.
It annoys me when people pretend that intelligence is not genetic and inborn. It annoys me as much when people pretend that high IQ means you can be instantly successful in any field without having to learn.
Clarissa's Blog 