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Time is a harmful and elusive thing. It always oozes through your fingers and flows away to no one knows where. What to do if all your life you wanted to write symphonies better than Mozart's, and you have two children, a wife, a mother, and a burning project in addition to everything?

We are in website We are also extremely concerned about this problem: we want to realize ourselves in life and not choke on a bone. Not to give up and do great things, we are helped by examples of famous people who certainly had enough 24 hours a day.

Leonardo da Vinci

The famous “universal man” will head our list. Recall that Leonardo is an outstanding Renaissance artist (does everyone remember Gioconda?), an inventor (all his inventions formed the basis for the construction of modern submarines), a scientist, as well as a writer and musician. And he was the first to explain why the sky is blue: "The blue of the sky is due to the thickness of the illuminated particles of air, which is located between the Earth and the blackness above." He managed all this thanks to his own developed sleep system: he slept for a total of 2 hours (lights out for 15 minutes several times a day), and in all the rest of his free time he changed the world and himself for the better.

Anton Chekhov

The brilliant brother of his brother (he had such a pseudonym). The famous master of the short story, humorist and satirist, the greatest playwright and part-time doctor. He himself admitted: “Medicine is my legal wife, and literature is my mistress. When one gets bored, I spend the night at the other. Constantly torn at the crossroads of his two talents, Chekhov was engaged in medical affairs until the end of his life. He even gave his dogs names according to the name of drugs: Bromine and Hina. But he also respected his “mistress”: over the course of his life, Chekhov created more than 300 works, including short stories and impressive dramas. And the great comedian loved to collect stamps. Here was a man!

Vladimir Nabokov

Writer and entomologist, self-taught entomologist. In honor of Vladimir Vladimirovich, more than 20 genera of butterflies are named, one of which (that's cute!) Is called Nabokovia. Nabokov also played chess very well. They made several difficult chess problems. His love for this intellectual sport was reflected in the novel "Luzhin's Defense". Recall that Nabokov was fluent in English. "Lolita" in America is loved just as much as we do.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Goethe was known not only as a great writer and poet, but also as a scientist: he made some discoveries in the field of the theory of light. In addition, he actively collected minerals - his collection includes 18,000 copies (it is clear where Faust got such a craving for alchemy). The author of the famous drama was so lucky or well done that he slept only 5 hours a day, and he had enough strength for many, many accomplishments. Perhaps this is because Goethe adhered to strict rules and was a supporter of a healthy lifestyle: he did not drink alcohol at all and could not stand the smell of tobacco smoke. That is why he lived for 82 years and managed to create so many things.

Hugh Jackman

Not only a famous actor, but also a Broadway artist, and what a one! Within one season, he managed to get all the major theater awards. Everyone knows the third area of ​​Jackman's activity, in which he achieved success - family life. Hugh and Deborra-Lee Furness have been married for 20 years, and together they have two children. Yes, what is there! Our Hugh is generally capable of everything: he can play the piano, guitar, violin, and also ... vibrate his pupils and even juggle. Probably even Wolverine can't do that.

Salvador Dali

Everyone says that he is crazy, but they are silent about the fact that he was universal. Dali is famous not only as a painter and sculptor, but also as the director of the terrible Andalusian Dog. Dali also wrote several "works": "The Secret Life of Salvador Dali, told by himself" and "The Diary of a Genius." For the sake of his psychedelic masterpieces, the humble genius often "perverted" in terms of sleep. Let us explain: Dali hired a special servant for himself, who, seeing that the owner was starting to fall asleep in complete exhaustion, woke him up after waiting a few seconds. The disheveled Dali immediately grabbed the paper and tried to sketch what he saw in the first seconds of the superficial phase of sleep.

Mikhail Lomonosov

Russian natural scientist, chemist and physicist, poet, artist... you can hardly list everything here. Lomonosov is not just an active figure - he is revered as a reformer. It was he who carried out the reform of versification. Therefore, by memorization of iambs and choreas, we, oddly enough, are obliged to an outstanding chemist. By the way, being smart does not mean being bullied. While studying in Marburg, for example, Lomonosov perfectly mastered the ability to handle a sword. Local bullies avoided this overly capable and skillful Muscovite. That's certainly a talented person is talented in everything!

Isaac Newton

Everyone should know that he is not only famous for the apple that fell on his head. Newton wrote books on theology, where he spoke about the denial of the Holy Trinity, and was also chairman of the Royal Society of Arts. Not many people know that Newton also invented two stunningly ingenious things: a means for carrying cats and a door for them (where would we be without them now?). His love for furry and mustachioed friends is to blame for this. Newton preferred vigorous activity to sleep - he took only 4 hours a day for night rest.

Benjamin Franklin

We all know him as an uncle from the dollar and politics, but Franklin is still like our Lomonosov. He was a journalist and inventor. He invented, for example, the stove (“Pennsylvania fireplace”), and also predicted the weather. The first developed a detailed map of the Gulf Stream. He founded the Philadelphia Academy, as well as the first public library in the States. Franklin also had musical talent. Uncle Ben managed to keep up with everything by strictly following the daily regimen, in which only 4 hours a day were allotted for sleep.

Alexander Borodin

A man whose portrait hangs both in the music class and in the chemistry class. Do you know that the author of the famous opera "Prince Igor" was also a chemist and physician? He jokingly called himself a "Sunday musician": he had to sacrifice days off in order to create something of that kind for the world of music. The memory of Borodin's everyday life was left by his wife: "I could sit for ten hours in a row, I could not sleep at all, not have lunch." Still would! After all, as you know, one of Borodin's mottos was such a super-motivating phrase: "All that we do not have, we owe only to ourselves." Alexander Porfiryevich was also an active public figure - he was one of the initiators of the opening of Women's Medical Courses.

Flea (Michael Peter Balzary)

The tireless and daring bass player of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. He became famous for his unique style of playing the bass guitar, which was dubbed as slapping and popping - slaps and tweaks. It is surprising that Flea went to study music only in 2008 (after 25 years of playing as part of a group) - he admitted that he always played by ear, but did not know music theory. Nevertheless, Flea is recognized as one of the best bass players of all time. As they say, play for a quarter of a century and learn for a century. And if you think that rock musicians do nothing but rebel all day long, then Flea is a rebuttal to you: his filmography includes 25 films, including cartoons. By the way, he is that crazy boss in the movie "Back to the Future - 2".

Michael Bulgakov

In his youth, Bulgakov worked as a zemstvo doctor, and he had to be a generalist: a general practitioner, a gynecologist, a surgeon, and a dentist. "Notes of a Young Doctor" owe their birth to that period of the young Bulgakov's life. It was difficult to combine healing and creativity, so I had to “plow” a shift, treat the unpretentious village people all day, and then also carve out time for writing ... Whatever you don’t sacrifice for the sake of art. Once, in a letter to his mother, he wrote: “At night I write“ Notes of a Zemstvo Doctor. It might turn out to be a solid thing." Bulgakov is also an example of the correct attitude towards criticism. He collected critical articles about his work, including 298 negative and 3 positive reviews from critics.

Well, do you still think that you do not have enough time?

FEDERAL AGENCY FOR EDUCATION

State educational institution of higher professional education

"Altai State University"

Faculty of Geography

Extramural

Brilliant and gifted people (development of abilities or natural inclinations)

Prepared by student 981-z gr.:

Borisenko I.N.

Checked by: Cherepanova O.V.

Barnaul 2009

Introduction

Among the many problems of the mystery of the mind that have not yet been solved, there is one as important as the problem of genius. Where does it come from, and what is it, what are the reasons for its exceptional rarity? Is this really a gift from the gods? And if this is so, then why are such gifts given to one, while stupidity, or even idiocy, is the destiny of another? There is the question whether genius is a supernormal faculty of the mind, which develops and grows stronger, or of the physical brain, that is, its bearer, which, by some mysterious process, becomes more and more adapted to the perception and manifestation of the inner and divine nature of the over-soul of man.

A Great Genius, if he is a true and inborn genius, and not just the result of a pathological expansion of our human intellect, never copies someone, never descends to imitation, he will always be original, in his creative impulses and their implementation. To use a popular expression, it can be said that innate genius, like murder, sooner or later is revealed, and the more it is oppressed and opposed, the greater will be the flood of light caused by its sudden manifestation.

Genius is a rare occurrence. Lavater calculated that the ratio of the number of geniuses (in general) to ordinary people is about one in a million; but the same applies to a genius without tyranny, without pretensions, who judges the weak impartially, who rules humanely, and both in justice, there are one in ten million

Even genius - this is the only sovereign power that belongs to a person, before which one can kneel without blushing - even many psychiatrists put it on the same level with a propensity to crime, even in it they see only one of the teratological (ugly) forms of the human mind, one kind of madness. And note that such profanity, such blasphemy is allowed not only by doctors, and not exclusively only in our skeptical time.

Even Aristotle, that great ancestor and teacher of all philosophers, noted that under the influence of rushes of blood to the head, many individuals become poets, prophets or soothsayers, and that Mark of Syracuse wrote pretty good poetry while he was a maniac, but, having recovered, he completely lost this ability.

He says elsewhere: It is noted that famous poets, politicians and artists were partly melancholy and mad, partly misanthropes, like Bellerophon. Even at the present time we see the same thing in Socrates, Empedocles, Plato and others, and most strongly in the poets. People with cold, abundant blood (lit. bile) are timid and limited, and people with hot blood are mobile, witty and talkative.

Plato argues that delirium is not a disease at all, but, on the contrary, the greatest of the blessings bestowed on us by the gods; under the influence of delirium, the Delphic and Dodonic soothsayers rendered thousands of services to the citizens of Greece, while in their ordinary state they brought little or no use at all.

Felix Plater claims that he knew many people who, while distinguished by remarkable talent in various arts, were at the same time mad. Their insanity was expressed by an absurd passion for praise, as well as strange and indecent acts.

giftedness

According to experts, children who demonstrate a high level of achievement in one or more areas of activity can be called gifted: intellectual, academic achievements, creative thinking, artistic activity, sports success. Separately, they distinguish giftedness in the field of communication, leadership and leadership.

Therefore, not all parents perceive the discovery of the giftedness of their baby with enthusiasm: "I do not want him to be a genius. Let him be a normal, happy, adapted to life child." But what does normal mean in relation to a gifted child? It is quite normal for such a baby to be inquisitive, energetic, sensitive, quick-witted, remember everything, speak well and be very independent.

In America, there is a rather coherent system of services and agencies responsible for the search and selection of gifted and talented children. A single nationwide and a number of regional programs have been developed. An individual child development program is compiled by a gifted specialist who tracks the child's progress and growth over time. Parents and psychologists are directly involved in this work, supporting the young genius. Children with an IQ above 140 are under the most careful supervision not only of pedagogical structures. In England, in 1950, the MENSA society was created, uniting people with high IQ. Russia is the most powerful supplier of children's talents for countries where they are really appreciated.

Genius

“Genius is the highest degree that human ability can reach. In the thought born of the inspiration of a genius, there is something exorbitant, extraordinary - this is what distinguishes his creations. But when he is not obsessed with inspiration, he can only be more or less intelligent, more or less educated." Serge Voronoff, From Cretin to Genius, St. Petersburg, European House, 2008, p. 20.

At present, the phenomenon of genius has not yet been studied in detail. It has been established that genius children are much more common among boys than among girls. Medical authorities believe that hyper-gift is the result of high levels of hormones in certain glands, including the pituitary and adrenal glands. Geeks are brilliant because, the researchers of this phenomenon believe, their nervous system reaches its highest development long before the whole organism develops. There are different points of view:

According to Plato, genius is the fruit of divine inspiration;

Cesare Lombroso postulated a link between genius and mental disorders;

In psychoanalysis, genius is defined as the innate ability to sublimate one's deepest sexual complexes;

Behaviorism defines genius in terms of behavior: a genius notices, perceives, contemplates, feels, thinks, speaks, acts, creates, composes, expresses, creates, compares, separates, connects, reasons, guesses, communicates, thinks as if it were all for him. dictates or inspires a certain spirit, an invisible being of a higher kind; if he does all this as if he himself were a being of a higher kind, then he is a genius;

Gestalt psychology defines genius as the ability to see the general in the particular;

Cognitive psychology is closely intertwined with the humanistic direction and defines genius as the ability to have a stable goal with a very wide choice of ways to achieve it. Humanists introduce the concept of "I-concept" and put self-actualization as the central subject of study;

From the point of view of fashionable "quantum psychology", a genius is one who, as a result of some internal process, managed to break through to the seventh neurological circuit (called the vague term "intuition") and return back to the third already with the ability to draw a new semantic map - to build a new model of reality ;

Analytical psychology, led by Carl Jung, defends the opinion that "... a work of art arises in conditions similar to the conditions for the emergence of a neurosis ...".

According to the Oxford Dictionary, genius is "a natural intellectual force of an unusually high type, an exceptional capacity for creativity requiring expression, original thinking, invention or discovery."

In the third edition of the Great Soviet Encyclopedia, genius is defined as "the highest degree of manifestation of a person's creative powers." The term "genius" is used both to denote a person's ability to be creative, and to evaluate the results of his activity, suggesting an innate ability for productive activity in a particular area. Genius, unlike talent, is not just the highest degree of giftedness, but is associated with the creation of qualitatively new creations. The activity of a genius is realized in a certain historical context of the life of human society, from which the genius draws material for his creativity.

In all definitions, the most important, as clearly distinguishing between genius and talent, is a statement of what can be expressed by the formula: "Genius does what it must; talent does what it can." This formula implies the subjection of a genius to the task that his inner essence sets before him. This formula implies the fatal doom of a genius, his hopelessness in subordinating his creativity, the inevitability of exerting all his strength to achieve his goal, to solve a certain problem.

This formula unites Alexander the Great, despite the revolts of his exhausted soldiers, rushing east and south from the Indus, which he crossed, defeating King Por; Napoleon going to Moscow; Mozart, on the eve of the day of his death, playing the Requiem, which, as he thinks, means his end; Beethoven, who wrote most of his greatest works while deaf. This formula unites many other brilliant people who became fanatics of their creativity. If Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin did not have an obsession, a fantastic sense of purpose, then they, with all their abilities, being “wunderkinds”, would have remained so. But Beethoven wrote in his will that he could not leave this life without having accomplished everything for which he was intended.

Studying the biographies of geniuses of all times and peoples leads to the conclusion: geniuses are born. However, only a negligible fraction of potential geniuses born - in geniuses develops. And of the genuine, undoubted geniuses, only a tiny fraction is realized. Consideration of the mechanisms of genius, the emergence of a potential genius is primarily a biological, even genetic problem. The development of genius is a biosocial problem. The realization of genius is a sociobiological problem.

At first glance, this leads to pessimistic conclusions. Since there is no potential genius, there is nothing to do, there will be no great. But there is also the other side of the coin, which consists in the fact that not genetic, but biosocial and sociobiological brakes lead to the fact that only one genius out of tens of thousands of potential ones is realized. If we recognize as geniuses only those who are almost unanimously recognized by them in Europe and North America, then the total number of geniuses for the entire time of the existence of our civilization will hardly exceed 400-500 . Approximately to such figures leads the selection of celebrities who are given the maximum place in the encyclopedias of different countries of Europe and the USA, if we subtract from these celebrities those who got into history because of nobility or other random merit.

The diversity of the nature of genius

Geniuses are inexhaustibly diverse and often represent completely opposite types of personalities. Let's give some examples.

M. Faraday at the age of 40, after his epoch-making discovery of the phenomenon of electromagnetic induction, having resisted the temptation to go into industry for the sake of large earnings, he is content with five pounds sterling a week and remains a laboratory researcher, doing pure science.

William Thomson(Lord Kelvin) has amazing creative energy, and even on his deathbed continues to work on the completion of the latest scientific article. He became President of the Royal Society, a Peer of England, his fortune at death was estimated at 162 thousand pounds sterling, but he worked incessantly. His creative activity never stopped, he always worked - even surrounded by children, at a party.

The main feature of a genius really always turns out to be the ability for incredible work, absolute obsession and striving for absolute perfection.

Statement of thoughts Gauguin(I. Stone): “Hard work to coordinate the six primary colors, the deepest concentration, subtle calculation, the ability to solve a thousand questions in just half an hour - yes, the most healthy mind is needed here! And, moreover, absolutely sober... When I paint the sun, I want the audience to feel that it rotates with terrifying speed, radiates light and hot waves of colossal power! When I paint a field of wheat, I want people to feel how every atom in its ears strives outward, wants to give a new shoot, open up. When I paint an apple, I need the viewer to feel how the juice wanders and knocks under its skin, how the seed wants to break out of its core and find soil for itself.

Laplace once discovered that every time he began a phrase with the word “Obviously”, it turned out that behind this word was hidden the many hours of hard work he had previously done.

It is known that the strongest physicists and mathematicians spent months of labor in order to understand the actions that had to be taken to sequentially derive those eight to ten formulas that Einstein denoted by the words "hence follows ...".

History knows many early ripened musical talents. Chopin made his first public debut at the age of eight. Weber was appointed conductor of the Breslau Opera Orchestra at the age of seventeen. Richard Strauss began composing music at the age of six, as did Haydn with his compositions. Yehudi Menuhin played the violin with ease at the age of three, and at eighteen he was already considered an unsurpassed virtuoso. Landon Ronald started playing the piano before he could speak.

Most of the young mathematicians, when their finest hour passed, faded into obscurity. Great French physicist and mathematician Ampere, after whom the unit of current is named, was a notable exception. He not only achieved universal recognition and fame, but also demonstrated amazing talents in other areas of human knowledge. An avid reader, he devoured every book his father was able to get for him. But nothing gave the boy such pleasure as diving into the encyclopedia. Even many years later, he could almost verbatim retell most of this multi-volume edition. In 1786, when Ampere was eleven years old, he had already advanced so far in the study of mathematics that he began to deal with complex problems in Lagrange's famous work Analytical Mechanics. Throughout his life, Ampère revolutionized mathematics, discovering the fundamental laws of electrodynamics and writing significant works in chemistry, poetry theory, and psychology.

Remained in history Carl Friedrich Gauss, born in 1777 in a poor German family. At the age of twenty-five, he published his Studies in Arithmetic, in which he dealt with the foundations of number theory, and soon established himself as the first mathematician of the nineteenth century. Gauss began to show promise quite early. Already at the age of two, he corrected his father, who incorrectly calculated the wages of several workers, by making this calculation in his mind. Soon the boy turned into a local celebrity in his hometown of Braunschweig and, thanks to several noble patrons, was able to attend school, quite successfully coping with various and complex tasks. One fine day, the math teacher asked Karl not to bother attending his classes, because he could not teach the boy anything that he did not already know.

One of the famous English prodigies was George Bidder, born in 1805. Known as the "counting boy," Bidder showed his unheard-of mathematical abilities as early as the age of four, although he did not know how to write down numbers and, naturally, did not even understand the meaning of the word "multiple." But at the same time, the boy so impressed everyone who met him that his father decided to take him on a trip to England, and soon noisy crowds everywhere demanded a "counting boy", with surprising ease answering all difficult questions.

boy named Miguel Mantilla, who was born in Mexico, already at the age of two could answer the question: "What year was it if February 4 fell on Friday?" The answer was given in less than 10 seconds.

George Watson, born in Buxted in 1785, was considered almost a complete idiot in everything except counting and memorization. Although he could neither read nor write, in his mind he made the most complex mathematical calculations and could answer without hesitation any questions about what day of the week was during this or that historical event. If it happened that this historical date fell within the years of his life, he could still say where he was at that time and what kind of weather it was then.

Some geeks display truly all-round talents. Christian Heineken, born in 1921 and known as the "child from Lübeck", frightened everyone when, a few hours after birth, he suddenly spoke. Rumor claimed that he was not yet a year old, and he could already reproduce from memory all the main events described in the five books of the Old Testament.

John Stuart Mill, a famous philosopher and economist of the 19th century, could read Greek at the age of three. A little later, when he was ten years old, he easily navigated the writings of Plato and Demosthenes.

Blaise Pascal, a French philosopher and mathematician, was also a comprehensively gifted child as a child. He was not yet twelve years old when he wrote theses on acoustics; At nineteen, Pascal invented the first calculating machine. In the thirtieth year of his life, the scientist wrote several theological studies.

In other words, the main feature of a genius is really the ability to work incredibly hard, absolute obsession and striving for absolute perfection.

The Mystery of the Genius

Isn't there an internal contradiction in the expectation of an increase in the frequency of the appearance of geniuses? If in the entire history of mankind there were only about 450 geniuses, then how can one count on such a miracle as their additional appearance, or 10-100 times more frequent appearance of remarkable talents? Legitimate question.

Therefore, it is immediately necessary to say that there are two gigantic abysses, and they lie on the same path. First, the gap between geniuses (and remarkable talents) potential, born and developing geniuses. Secondly, there is no less deep gulf between the geniuses who have developed and the geniuses who have realized themselves.

As for the frequency of appearance (birth) of geniuses, let's consider one simple calculation. Just as there is not the slightest reason to believe that one race or nation is superior to other races or nations in terms of hereditary gift, there is no reason to believe that any nations in the past, in the Ancient or Middle Ages, were superior to the present in terms of the same hereditary gift. .

We have to pay attention to the fact that geniuses and remarkable talents almost always appeared in flashes, in groups, but precisely in those periods when they were provided with optimal opportunities for development and realization. One of these optimal eras was the age of the famous commander Kimon and the historian Thucydides - the "golden age" of Athens in the era of Pericles. At Pericles, geniuses of world rank gathered at the table: Anaxagoras, Zeno, Protagoras, Sophocles, Socrates, Plato, Phidias - almost all of them were native citizens of Athens, whose free population hardly exceeded 100,000 people. Bertrand Russell, in The History of Western Philosophy, points out that in Athens during its heyday, about 430 BC. BC, there were about 230,000 people, including slaves, and the surrounding area of ​​rural Attica probably had a much smaller number of inhabitants.

If we take into account that the creativity of the musical geniuses of Ancient Greece did not reach us, and that the geniuses of natural science, mathematics and technology could neither develop nor be realized, since only generals, politicians, orators, playwrights, philosophers and sculptors were revered, then it is clear that that even in that era in Athens hardly a tenth of the free-born potential geniuses could develop and realize themselves. The greatest minds of the Hellenic world did not gather in Athens at all. Athenian citizenship was not easy, only natives of the city and children from the marriage of an Athenian to an Athenian woman received this citizenship, children from the marriage of an Athenian to a non-Athenian were not considered citizens of Athens. The geniuses of the “circle of Pericles” were formed on the spot, as a result of social continuity, communication with each other, due to the fact that their work was understood and “demanded” not only among connoisseurs, but also from the people.

No genetic data allow even the thought that the Athenians were hereditarily superior to the surrounding then or modern peoples. The secret of the “outburst of genius” was entirely in the stimulating environment. But if such an “outbreak” happened once, then it is reproducible! Moreover, today flashes of genius would give dozens of times more names, since the range of talents that modern society requires has expanded hundreds of times.

There are many other examples where a very small stratum, which, however, has the possibility of developing and realizing its talents, and often usurping these maximum opportunities in one way or another, singled out a lot of exceptionally gifted people in comparison with other strata. This happened in England during the Elizabethan era, when many talented people quickly emerged, starting with the Cecil dynasty - Burghley and Bacon, ending with Drake, Raleigh, Walsingham, Marlowe and Shakespeare. So it was in France during the period of the Encyclopedists, the revolution and the Napoleonic wars.

The era of the Renaissance became a time of mass aspirations for culture, knowledge, and art. This was the era of mass demand for painting, not only on the part of patrons, but also on the part of the "crowd", the public spectator. In many workshops, gifted students, competing, discussing, criticizing, learning, created that “micronoosphere”, that circulation of ideas, that “critical mass” at which a chain reaction of creativity begins. It is simply impossible to give any reasonable idea of ​​the size of those sections of the population from which artists, poets, thinkers, outstanding popes and condottieri came out. It was an era of gigantic social change, breaking down barriers, overcoming the medieval way of life...

But in history, it is probably difficult to find any era of breaking caste, class and other restrictions, which would not be accompanied by the appearance of many talented people in various fields. Although, of course, even in the intervals between such social shifts that free the paths of development and implementation, here and there, “micronoospheres with critical masses” appear.

Charlemagne specially sent people to all parts of his empire to look for gifted young men. The result is the Carolingian Revival.

Talented boys were selected for the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum, they were given the opportunity to develop with good prospects for subsequent implementation - and what we now call the "lyceum effect" arose.

The term "noble period of Russian literature" has long been in official use. But, tracing the fate of the figures of this period, we see that almost all of them were, as they say, if not from childhood, then from youth, “familiar houses”. How this determined the goals, values, direction of efforts, can only be hardly imagined, despite all the work of Pushkinists and other literary historians. The unusually high frequency of remarkable talents and geniuses in those few genera that created this period is, of course, primarily due to the fact that members of these genera, as a rule, had very good opportunities for self-realization.

It may be premature and inappropriate to introduce a term like “the era of merchant patronage”, but it is perhaps difficult to imagine the development of Russian painting, sculpture, music and theater without Alekseev (Stanislavsky), without Tretyakov, Shchukin, Morozov, without the Abramtsevo circle (around Mamontov Vrubel, Serov, Vasnetsov, Chaliapin, Chekhov, Levitan gather in Abramtsevo). But these "merchants-patrons" were often neighbors, they were also "familiar at home."

The stratum of the highest Russian intelligentsia turned out to be extraordinarily rewarding, forming a self-stimulating, “familiar at home” collective, from which many of the brightest representatives of Russian culture and science came out: Blok and Bely came out, the Lyapunov and Beketov dynasties came out, the Struve and Krylovs came out ... Nobody will doubt the fact that heredity alone would not be enough - the most favorable social succession was required.

The frequency of occurrence of potential developed and realized geniuses

So, you can be sure that the frequency of the birth of potential geniuses and remarkable talents is almost the same in all nationalities and peoples. The frequency of origin, based on the implementation in historically foreseeable periods (in optimally developing layers) is determined by a figure of the order of 1:1000. The frequency of would-be geniuses who have evolved enough to make themselves known as potential talents in one way or another is probably in the order of 1 in 100,000. The frequency of geniuses who have realized themselves to the level of recognition of their creations and deeds as brilliant, probably even in the age of almost universal secondary and very often higher education, is estimated at 1:10,000,000, which implies the presence in the middle of the 20th century of about a hundred geniuses per billion inhabitants of civilized and countries not suffering from overwhelming need.

The order of initial values ​​is determined by historical precedents: the frequency of the appearance of genuine geniuses in Athens in the era of Pericles; in the age of Elizabeth - in the aristocratic families of England oriented towards the military-political initiative; in the branches of the Russian aristocracy oriented toward literary and poetic creativity, etc. Naturally, we do not claim that humanity in the third quarter of the 20th century really has a whole hundred recognized realized geniuses. We cannot prove, with figures in hand, how many geniuses born in our time successfully overcome both abysses that lie in their way. Probably, although we do not insist, out of a thousand potential geniuses, 999 are extinguished precisely because of underdevelopment, and out of 1000 developed ones, 999 are extinguished at the implementation stage. Approximate orders of losses are essential for us. It is essential for us that even a small country, for example, with 5 million inhabitants, but which has achieved the development and implementation of 10% of its potential geniuses and talents, will in half a century outstrip any other country, even if 100 times more numerous, which will retain its force existing barriers that prevent the full development and realization of their potentially outstanding people.

But how often a potential genius turns out to be unrealized! How often he is deprived of even the slightest opportunity to translate his creativity into something tangible! In one of the stories of Mark Twain, someone who has fallen into the afterlife asks to be shown to him the greatest commander of all times and peoples. In the person shown to him, he recognizes a shoemaker who lived in the street next to him and died recently. But everything is correct - the shoemaker would really be the greatest commander, he would be a military genius, but he did not even have a chance to command a company ... And the great winners of world history were, “according to the Hamburg score”, compared to this shoemaker, only more or less capable but by no means the greatest.

The significance of the early influences that develop the intellect is clear from the work Bergins(VerginsR., 1971), which shows that 20% of future intelligence is acquired by the end of the 1st year of life, 50% - by 4 years, 80% - by 8 years, 92% - up to 13 years. Obviously, already at this age, a high predictability of the "ceiling" of future achievements can be achieved.

It is extremely significant that this happens quite early (probably, it will happen even earlier), because, for example, the practice of awarding Nobel Prizes has shown that the fundamental discovery that precedes the person being awarded usually occurs at 25-30 years of age. In the work of A. Mestel (Mestel A., 1967) it is shown that the Nobel laureates in natural sciences for 1901-1962. made their discovery, later awarded the Nobel Prize, at an average age of 37 years, and this age has hardly changed from decade to decade.

In the course of studying the predictive value of intelligence tests, an extremely important truth was revealed and confirmed: starting with an intelligence coefficient of 110-120, i.e. in the absence of pronounced defects in the set of basic abilities of an individual, subsequent returns in the form of any achievements do not very strongly correlate with further an increase in intelligence quotient. At the forefront is a characterological feature that is not captured by existing tests - the ability to become more and more completely passionate about one's work. This ability is not so rare - selfless, absolute, displacing or pushing away other interests, any side activities, "hobbies". It forces fanatically concentrated, relentlessly engaged in the chosen business, be it the construction of some kind of apparatus, the improvement of an existing device or method, the creation of a picture, a literary or musical work. Of course, this complete self-mobilization can result in genuine creativity only when it is based on an appropriate arsenal of talents, professional knowledge, skills and abilities. But if it is not added to this arsenal, if there is no boundless enthusiasm that makes even the subconscious work for work, then a very high IQ will not lead to great achievements. In other words, from a certain threshold, it is not the level of measurable talents that becomes decisive, but the ability or readiness to maximize the mobilization of the existing, purposefulness sufficient for productive creativity.

But in all cases, genius is, first of all, an extreme strain of individually characteristic talents, it is the greatest, unceasing work for centuries, despite non-recognition, indifference, contempt, poverty ...

Geniuses are characterized by the ability for extreme self-mobilization, exceptional creative purposefulness, which, for many, probably, by the IQ of no less gifted, is spent on obtaining small goods, career achievements, prestige, honors, money, satisfying the instinct of domination, or it is simply dispersed into countless difficulties. and temptations, with which life has always been rich enough.

The social value of a realized genius

Although the products of most geniuses are not marketable, the history of mankind shows that the activities of any of them extremely highly raised, if not the scientific, technical, military or economic potential of the country, then in any case its prestige and authority.

But maybe a genius is not so necessary? How many genuine geniuses did Japan need to rush from the Middle Ages and the science and culture of the 20th century in 30-40 years? Kitazato, Admiral Togo, 10-20 more names... Are geniuses (except political ones) needed in order for the former colonial countries to rise to the level of advanced ones: to eliminate hunger, poverty, overpopulation? “Not so much,” many people probably think. But this is only because there is no need to blaze new trails in science and technology, medicine, and agriculture. But what if you need to not only adopt ready-made, import and copy, always lagging behind by a dozen years? If it is necessary to participate in a common breakthrough into the unknown and unfamiliar? What to do with the information crisis, when it is easier to rediscover lost knowledge than to find it yourself in the sea of ​​already existing information? Is it possible to get second-hand equipment in an era of rapid development? What to do with interdisciplinary research? With white spots that are located at the junction of not even two, but several scientific disciplines? What to do with ever-complicating technology? With conflicting ideas? We are convinced that all these problems can be solved in only one way - an early search for genuine potential talents and geniuses. The study of the laws of the appearance of geniuses, the study of their internal properties turns out to be relevant and even necessary!

We cannot evaluate in tons of foodstuffs or in specie what Mozart, Beethoven, Shakespeare or Pushkin gave to the world. It is impossible to evaluate in some material units what brilliant composers, playwrights, poets gave. It is also impossible to appreciate the contribution of a major, epoch-making inventor, whether it be Fulton or Diesel.

However, when they begin to count, it turns out that with his discoveries, Louis Pasteur, for example, compensated France for the losses incurred as a result of the military defeat of 1870-1871. These losses (in addition to losses in killed and wounded) are estimated at 10-15 billion francs (only indemnity amounted to 5 billion). During the life of Diesel, the number of working internal combustion engines numbered in the thousands. But his contribution to technology amounts to several tens of billions of dollars.

One can always object that Copernicus, Galilei, Kepler discovered what would have been discovered half a century later without them, that Stephenson had a predecessor Papin, that Newton had a rival Leibniz. However, an analysis of the history of any discovery, invention or major creative act shows that an absolutely extraordinary, titanic work fell to the lot of its recognized author, immediately advancing humanity for decades to come. And if we conditionally accept that humanitarian values, by virtue of their ennobling influence on humanity, by virtue of the unification of the spiritual forces of mankind around common values, by virtue of the creation of ideals, are equivalent in value to natural science values, and these latter are technical, then this will make it possible to move on to a conditional "market" assessment of the contribution of geniuses of very different directions.

Edison's 1,000 or so patents have brought the United States several billion in profits; sulfonamides, antibiotics and vaccines have saved the lives and health of hundreds of millions of people; short-stemmed varieties raised the yield of grain crops by tens of percent. Hardly anyone thinks that human geniuses were less valuable to humanity than genius inventors or genius scientists. And in this case, each realized genius brings billions of values ​​to humanity.

One can, of course, consider that art is not necessary and has no material value, like the humanities; that scientific discoveries that do not give immediate access to practice also have no material value, that most of the technical progress is the result of collective creativity, that the role of individual geniuses in the past was exaggerated, and now is rapidly falling. But, no matter how skillfully they add up the actual data - like an accordion, in a minimal amount - the geniuses of the recent past still have gigantic merits, and with the increase in the amount of knowledge, skills, abilities, information, only having which you can count on moving forward, the role of giftedness, naturally , should increase.

This is essentially what our work is about. We will try to show what, in our opinion, were the mechanisms for the development of genius, and we will do this in the form of the shortest biographical sketches, focusing on the internal mechanisms that stimulated the activity of a brilliant personality, on the specifics of the pathography of geniuses.

Long before the inexhaustible hereditary heterogeneity of mankind, which is one of the main laws of the formation of the biological species Homosapiens, was shown, the remarkable domestic anthropologist Ya.Ya. Roginsky emphasized that the study of a person's individual psychology should "contribute to the development of various methods of pedagogical assistance in freeing the inner possibilities of his personality from everything that constrains them."

Forty years later, in connection with the advent of the era of the scientific and technological revolution, we can say that we are faced with the task of not only releasing the internal capabilities of a person, but also actively stimulating them.

giftedness genius creative child

Genius and insanity

In 1863, the Italian psychiatrist Cesare Lombroso published his book Genius and Madness (Russian translation by K. Tetyushinova, 1892), in which he draws a parallel between great people and lunatics. Here is what the author himself writes in the preface of the book: “When, many years ago, being, as it were, under the influence of ecstasy, during which the relationship between genius and insanity was clearly presented to me in a mirror, I wrote the first chapters of this book in 12 days. , then, I confess, even to myself it was not clear what serious practical conclusions the theory I created could lead to. ... "

In his work, C. Lombroso writes about the physical similarity of brilliant people with crazy people, about the influence of various phenomena (atmospheric, heredity, etc.) on genius and insanity, gives examples, numerous medical evidence about the presence of mental abnormalities in a number of writers, as well as describes the special features of brilliant people who suffered at the same time and insanity.

These features are as follows:

1. Some of these people showed an unnatural, too early development of genius abilities. So, for example, Ampère was already a good mathematician at the age of 13, and Pascal at the age of 10 came up with a theory of acoustics based on the sounds made by cymbals when they are placed on the table.

2. Many of them were extremely drug and alcohol abusers. So, Haller absorbed a huge amount of opium, and, for example, Rousseau - coffee.

3. Many did not feel the need to work quietly in the quiet of their office, but as if they could not sit in one place and had to constantly travel.

4. They also changed their professions and specialties no less often, as if their powerful genius could not be satisfied with any one science and fully express itself in it.

5. Such strong, captivating minds passionately indulge in science and greedily take on the solution of the most difficult questions, as perhaps the most suitable for their morbidly excited energy. In every science they are able to grasp new outstanding features and, on the basis of them, draw sometimes ridiculous conclusions.

6. All geniuses have their own special style, passionate, tremulous, colorful, which distinguishes them from other healthy writers and is characteristic of them, perhaps precisely because it is developed under the influence of psychosis. This position is confirmed by the own admission of such geniuses that, after the end of ecstasy, all of them are not able not only to compose, but also to think.

7. Almost all of them suffered deeply from religious doubts, which involuntarily presented themselves to their minds, while a timid conscience forced them to regard such doubts as crimes. For example, Haller wrote in his diary: “My God! Send me just one drop of faith; my mind believes in you, but my heart does not share this faith - that is my crime.

8. The main signs of the abnormality of these great people are already expressed in the very structure of their oral and written speech, in non-logical conclusions, in absurd contradictions. Wasn't Socrates, the brilliant thinker who foresaw Christian morality and Jewish monotheism, crazy when he was guided in his actions by the voice and instructions of his imaginary Genius, or even just a sneeze?

9. Almost all geniuses attached great importance to their dreams.

In the conclusion of his book, C. Lombroso, however, says that on the basis of the foregoing it is impossible to conclude that genius in general is nothing but insanity. True, in the stormy and disturbing life of brilliant people there are moments when these people resemble madmen, and in mental activity and others there are many common features - for example, increased sensitivity, exaltation, replaced by apathy, originality of aesthetic works and the ability to discover, unconsciousness of creativity and great absent-mindedness, excessive use of liquor, and great vanity. Between brilliant people there are lunatics, and between crazy people there are geniuses. But there were and are many brilliant people in whom one cannot find the slightest sign of insanity.

If genius were always accompanied by madness, then how can one explain to oneself that Galileo, Kepler, Columbus, Voltaire, Napoleon, Michelangelo, Cavour, people who are undoubtedly brilliant and, moreover, who were subjected to the most difficult trials during their lives, never showed signs of insanity?

In addition, genius usually manifests itself much earlier than madness, which for the most part reaches its maximum development only after the age of 35, while genius is revealed from childhood, and in young years it already appears with full force: Alexander the Great was at the height of his fame in 20 years old, Charlemagne - at 30 years old, Bonaparte - at 26.

Further, while madness is more often than all other diseases transmitted by inheritance and, moreover, increases with each new generation, so that a brief fit of delirium that happened to an ancestor passes into real madness in a descendant, genius almost always dies with a man of genius, and hereditary brilliant abilities, especially in several generations, are a rare exception. Moreover, it should be noted that they are transmitted more often to the offspring of the male than the female, while insanity recognizes the complete equality of both sexes. Let us suppose that a genius can also err, let us suppose that he is always distinguished by originality; but neither delusion nor originality in him ever reaches the point of complete contradiction with himself or of obvious absurdity, which so often happens with lunatics.

Much more often we notice in them a lack of perseverance, diligence, firmness of character, attention, accuracy, memory - in general, the main qualities of a genius. And for the most part they remain lonely, uncommunicative, indifferent or insensitive to what worries the human race, as if they are surrounded by some special atmosphere that belongs to them alone. Is it possible to compare them with those great geniuses who calmly and with consciousness of their own strength steadily followed the once chosen path to their lofty goal, not losing heart in misfortunes and not allowing themselves to be carried away by any passion!

These were: Spinoza, Bacon, Galileo, Dante, Voltaire, Columbus, Machiavelli, Michelangelo. All of them were distinguished by a strong but harmonious development of the skull, which proved the strength of their mental abilities, restrained by a mighty will, but in none of them did love for truth and beauty drown out love for family and fatherland. They never changed their convictions and did not become renegades, they did not deviate from their goal, they did not abandon the work once started. How much perseverance, energy, tact they showed in carrying out the undertakings they had conceived, and what moderation, what an integral character they distinguished themselves in their lives!

The only, favorite idea, which constituted the goal and happiness of their life, completely took possession of these great minds and, as it were, served as a guiding star for them. To accomplish their task, they spared no effort, did not stop at any obstacles, always remaining clear and calm. Their errors are too few to be worth pointing out, and even they are often of such a nature that in ordinary people they would pass for real discoveries. Between brilliant people there are lunatics and between lunatics - geniuses. But there have been and are many men of genius in whom not the slightest sign of insanity can be found, with the exception of some abnormalities in the sphere of sensitivity.

Conclusion

Giftedness in its essence has two components:

1. Location to a certain area of ​​knowledge or human activity.

2. The ability for continuous self-improvement in this area.

The location can be both congenital and acquired or formed - pseudo-disposition. An example of an innate disposition is that a person from birth shows abilities in one or another type of activity, for example, has the physical inclinations for playing sports. Pseudo-disposition is formed mainly at an early age and depends on the environment in which a person grows up.

Self-improvement can also be divided into two types: self-improvement, which is based on internal motivation and interest, and self-improvement, which is based on external motivation.

Based on the foregoing, we can distinguish (we have identified) four groups:

1. Innate disposition and intrinsic motivation.

2. Innate disposition and external motivation.

3. Pseudo-disposition and intrinsic motivation.

4. Pseudo-disposition and external motivation.

At the same time, it is obvious that the mere presence of hereditary talent, even of the highest level, does not in the least guarantee the obligatory “going into practice”. Let us repeat once again that modern population genetics completely excludes the possibility of the existence of significant interethnic, interracial and interclass differences in giftedness. Let us recall once again the presence in history of "territorial" flashes of genius. It is unlikely that anyone will dispute the fact that there are peoples with a hundred-year and thousand-year history that have not given humanity a single truly brilliant discovery. No one doubts that potential geniuses in these peoples appeared thousands of times, but they did not have the conditions for development and realization.

The more obvious it becomes the need to find out what are the mechanisms for the development of genius, and this can be determined with a high degree of accuracy by studying the various conditions in which the recognized geniuses of world history and culture developed, thanks to what circumstances and how they realized their genius and how this genius was reflected on the history and development of mankind.

Modern studies also show that genius depends on upbringing and personal work by a maximum of 20-30%. 80% is innate! In other words, it is difficult to give birth to a genius, it is impossible to educate.

And yet, the most complete and holistic view of the origins of genius is the view of esoteric teachings, which assert that the phenomenon of genius has a Divine Beginning, which in genius has found an ideal vehicle for its expression. Here is what Lavater wrote about it:

“Whoever notices, perceives, contemplates, feels, thinks, speaks, acts, creates, composes, expresses, creates, compares, separates, connects, reasons, guesses, transmits, thinks as if all this is dictated to him or inspired by some spirit, an invisible being of a higher kind, he has a genius, but if he does all this as if he himself were a being of a higher kind, then he is a genius. The hallmark of genius and all his works is appearance; just as a heavenly vision does not come, but appears, does not go away, but disappears, so are the creations and deeds of a genius. What is not learned, not borrowed, inimitable, Divine - is genius, inspiration is genius, is called genius among all peoples, at all times and will be called as long as people think, feel and speak.

Bibliography

1. T. Alpatova. Tragedy of Mozart. Literature, No. 10, 1996

2. Altshuller G.S., Vertkin I.M. How to become a genius. Life strategy of a creative personality, Minsk, Belarus, 1994, 480 p.

3. O. Bogdashkina. Asperger Syndrome (Chapter 6) / Autism: Definition and Diagnosis., 2008

4. V.V. Klimenko How to raise a child prodigy // St. Petersburg, "Crystal", 1996

5. Audiobook Cesare Lombroso "Genius and insanity"

6. V. P. Efroimson. Genius. Genetics of genius // M., 2002.

Not so long ago, I was able to completely solve a crossword puzzle. Almost completely - only 3 or 4 words remained unsolved. I was proud of this achievement, told my friends about it (yes, all two) and even thought about getting a tattoo in honor of this event. But the moment I decided to edit the Wikipedia article about the smartest person on the planet, I was disappointed. Disappointment dug into my ankle, growled and tore my pants: seeing the biographies of other great people of the planet, I realized that the main achievement of my life is somewhat inferior to the accomplishments of other smart people. I had no choice but to talk about the 10 greatest geniuses of mankind.

Rating of the most brilliant scientists

Years of life: 11/07/1867 - 07/04/1934 (66 years old)

Maria's maiden name, Skłodowska, is of Polish origin. Curie is the surname of her husband, Pierre Curie, who died in 1906 (they were married for 11 years). After the death of her husband, Maria began to devote more time to work, studying radioactive radiation. During the First World War, she taught doctors how to use X-rays to take pictures.

Maria is undoubtedly the most famous and female scientist. She is the first and, to date, the only woman to win the Nobel Prize twice. One of the chemical elements, curium (Ci), is named after the Curie couple. Unfortunately, long-term experiments with radioactive uranium did not go unnoticed - radiation sickness led to the death of Marie Curie from leukemia.

9th place. Stephen Hawking

Year of birth: 01/08/1942 (aged 73)

Hawking is the only living member of this rating. He graduated from Oxford and Cambridge and is a professor of mathematics and theoretical physicist, as well as the founder of the science of quantum cosmology. For his achievements in the field of science, he received a total of 25 medals and awards. He studied the theory of the Big Bang and the nature of the origin of black holes, in which he achieved some success.

Around the age of 20, Hawking began to develop amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, as a result of which he was confined to a wheelchair. He was completely paralyzed and Hawking has to communicate with those around him with the help of a special speech synthesizer that reacts to the facial expressions of the cheek, which has retained mobility. In the same way, this scientist can use a computer. This circumstance probably played a role in Hawking's popularity - his outstanding work against the backdrop of such a depressing illness is admirable.

Stephen Hawking made a lot of efforts to popularize science. It is no wonder that he is so fond of being mentioned in various popular TV shows: Hawking voiced himself in several episodes of The Simpsons and Futurama, appeared twice in the TV series The Big Bang Theory and other shows less known to the domestic audience. And in 2015, Eddie Redmayne won the Oscar for Best Actor for his role as young Steven in the film The Universe of Stephen Hawking. So Hawking is undoubtedly the most popular modern scientist.

8. Plato

Years of life: 427 BC - 347 BC (80 years old)

Plato, the famous philosopher of antiquity, was noted for opening the Academy in Athens - the first higher educational institution among Western civilizations. Aristotle was one of the first students of this Academy. It studied not only philosophy: special attention was paid to mathematics and astronomy, a little less to the natural sciences.

To bring the education system to a new level, which gave rise to many outstanding minds in Greek, and later in Roman culture, and contributed to the development of mathematics, is no doubt a significant merit. Over the past century, Plato's philosophical ideas have often been subject to criticism, although they still have their followers. For example, the doctrine of the immortal soul was reflected in many common Christian religions.

7th place. Aristotle

Years of life: 384 BC - 322 BC (62 years old)

It seems not logical - in 7th place is Aristotle, in 8th - his teacher, Plato. In fact, everything is very logical - Aristotle's contribution to science was more multifaceted. Plato was an ancient thinker, focusing almost all his attention on politics, sociology and, of course, philosophy.

Aristotle went further - he began to pay attention to physics, having written several works in this area, he studied sociology. Aristotle laid down the general principles of logic that are still used today. It was he who introduced the concepts of ethics and ethics. Also, Aristotle did not hesitate to question some of the concepts of Plato, for example, arguing about the inseparability of the soul and body. Another significant item in Aristotle's resume is that he was one of the mentors of Alexander the Great.

6th place. Archimedes

Years of life: 287 BC - 212 BC (75 years old)

Unlike the comrades we mentioned above, Archimedes was not a philosopher - he was engaged in mathematics, physics, and engineering. He owns a lot of discoveries in the field of geometry and mechanics. The ideas of Archimedes surprised his contemporaries a lot, thanks to which amazing rumors circulated about him during his lifetime.

It is he who is credited with the saying "Give me a fulcrum, and I will turn the whole world upside down." According to another popular legend, Archimedes figured out how to measure the volume of the crown when he immersed himself in a bathtub, displacing water from it. With a cry of "Eureka!" the scientist jumped naked into the street to test his guess as soon as possible.

The older generation remembers an excellent and rather informative Soviet cartoon about Archimedes:

The historian Plutarch details how the Romans laid siege to Archimedes' hometown of Syracuse. With the help of the machines invented by Archimedes, it was possible to repulse any attacks of the Roman troops from land and sea: powerful stone throwers threw attackers at short and long distances, and special cranes picked up and threw enemy ships.

As a result, the assault failed and the Roman troops had to go over to the siege. In the autumn of 2012 BC. the city fell and Archimedes himself was killed. How exactly this happened is unknown - there are several different stories about the death of the great scientist. But everyone agrees that the consul Marcellus, who commanded the Roman legions, did not want the death of the old man, realizing what a priceless treasure his mind is.

5th place. Galileo Galilei

Years of life: 02/15/1564 - 01/08/1642 (77 years old)

Galileo is perceived by many as a symbol of the confrontation between science and the church. In many ways, this was true - Galileo defended the idea that the Earth, along with other planets, moves around the Sun, while it remains motionless. Copernicus first came to this, but his teaching was banned by the Catholic Church. Under the pressure of the Inquisition, Galileo had to “repent” and defend the truth more carefully so as not to formally violate the ban.

Galileo was the first to use a telescope to observe celestial bodies. He was able to detect the moons of Jupiter, sunspots and discover the fact that the Sun rotates on its axis. This discovery prompted Galileo to put forward the hypothesis that the Earth rotates on its axis in the same way - this seemed more logical than the idea that the entire Universe makes a complete revolution around our planet in a day.

In addition to the telescope, Galileo also has other inventions: the first thermometer, a microscope (though relatively primitive), and a proportional compass. Galileo was fond of not only astronomy, but also physics, was interested in optics and acoustics. He was the first to experimentally establish the density of air (not entirely accurate, but close to the truth).

Einstein and Stephen Hawking expressed the idea that Galileo is the father of modern science. His confrontation with church dogmas allowed many generations of scientists to believe that a person can understand the foundations of the universe. Although Galileo remained a Catholic, he did not change his other faith - in what he considered true. And some of his works became the basis for Newton's discoveries.

4th place. Leonardo da Vinci

Years of life: 04/15/1452 - 05/02/1519 (67 years old)

Leonardo da Vinci is the only representative of our rating whose main activity was not science. It was tempting to think of another great master, Michelangelo, but da Vinci certainly more than deserved his place in the ranking of the smartest. Although, in the first place, Leonardo became famous as an artist, he turned out to be a comprehensively developed personality (pardon the cliché): in addition to art, da Vinci was fond of mechanics, anatomy, medicine, literature and philosophy.

The most famous paintings by Leonardo: "La Gioconda" (Mona Lisa) and "The Last Supper". He painted in the genre of realism and was able to take this one to a new level by introducing certain innovations into it.

Leonardo was also an inventor. For a long time he worked on an aircraft that could rise and fall vertically. In his drafts, da Vinci outlined an idea that is now implemented in an airplane. The low quality of the materials available at that time did not allow him to create a working model of such a device. In our time, Leonardo is often portrayed as a kind of visionary genius who believed that science allows you to do real magic and achieve the impossible.

Here are some of da Vinci's other inventions: a parachute, a wheel-lock pistol, a bicycle, light portable bridges for the needs of the army, a two-lens telescope, and even a prototype tank. Yes, maybe Edison boasts a long list of inventions, but think about it - Leonardo was able to come up with all this 500 years ago, even before the advent of Galileo, at a time when the Inquisition ruled many processes in Europe, and serious scientific discoveries could be counted on the fingers.

3rd place. Nikola Tesla

Years of life: 07/10/1856 - 01/07/1943 (86 years old)

He was born on the territory of modern Croatia, but at the end of the 19th century he immigrated to the USA (Tesla is a Serb by nationality). It was he who became the man who brought alternating current into our world. The "war of currents" lasted for a long 100 years, until in 2007 Edison's direct current was finally defeated - New York completely switched to alternating current. And throughout the world, alternating current is most often used for transmission over long distances.

Tesla was the first to develop electric generators, modernized prototypes of which are used today. Nikola also contributed to the development of radio and radio-controlled technology. It was he who was the first to provide wireless current transmission - this technology has only recently begun to be put into practice (wireless chargers).

I almost forgot - once in the 30s, Tesla made an electric car

Nikola Tesla can deservedly be considered the most mysterious person in the scientific world, whose name is shrouded in a large number of legends and rumors. Some legends even attribute to him the explosion of the Tunguska meteorite (of course, In fact not a meteorite). Meanwhile, such an aura of mystery is not only the merit of the entertainment industry. Tesla had enough of his "cockroaches in his head":

• He was fanatically obsessed with cleanliness;
• He did not like women's earrings, especially with pearls;
• He had an amazing intuition - once he dissuaded his friends from getting on a train, which later went off the rails;
• Slept only a few hours a day;
• Settled only in those hotel rooms that are divided by 3;
• Walking along the street, he could do somersaults simply because of a good mood;
• He did not know how and could not work in a team;
• He did not build romantic relationships with women (as well as with men) - he was a virgin;
• On a walk, he liked to count the number of his steps, during lunch - the number of pieces of food, the volume of coffee cups or bowls of soup. If he failed to do this, he did not enjoy food.

This guy created the world we live in now. Do you know why? Without any benefit - just to make life more pleasant.

I think that this image will seem familiar to fans - they are such eccentric geniuses. Tesla has long been the most famous inventor and scientist not only in the United States, but throughout the world - and can still claim this title.

2nd place. Isaac Newton

Years of life: 01/04/1643 - 03/31/1727 (84 years old)

Isaac Newton studied physics, astronomy, mechanics and mathematics. It was he who brought physics into its "classical" form, dotting the "i" in many issues. In this Newton was helped by the work of his predecessors, especially Galileo. To describe all the work done by Newton would require a separate article, no less than this one.

The secret of his success was that Newton rejected the method of scientific research practiced for centuries with the help of logical guesses and constructions - this practice gave rise to many far-fetched theories. Instead, Newton developed and refined powerful mathematical methods of analysis (functions, differential equations, integrals) and viewed physics through the lens of mathematics rather than philosophy.

As a result, Newton was able to combine all the scientific experience that existed before him and supplement the missing elements. So the law of gravity and the law of motion (Newton's second law) were formulated from beginning to end. These important discoveries were able to explain a lot in astronomy and mechanics.

Newton devoted a lot of energy to research in the field of optics. He was able to create the first mirror telescope (reflector), which made it possible to achieve a sharper and clearer image than his lens predecessors. Newton was one of the first to consider optics as a science and build its evidence base: with formulas, explanations and proofs - before that, optics was just a set of facts.

Isaac was able to understand the nature of light and color. He was the first to understand and prove that the white color is not primary, but consists of a spectrum of all other colors - more precisely, from waves with different degrees of refraction. He published 3 books on optics, which explained the basic principles and concepts of dispersion, interference, diffraction and polarization of light.

It is curious that Newton was a deeply religious person. At the same time, he considered the Bible from a rational point of view, not embarrassed to question many church dogmas. Isaac rejected the doctrine of the Trinity (which he did not widely advertise in order not to have unnecessary problems with the law), studied the Hebrew language in order to independently study the Bible, published his interpretation of the book of Revelation and the chronology of biblical events, which he made based on his own research. According to his chronology, the end of the world was supposed to come no earlier than 2060.

The above list is far from all the achievements of this scientist, who lived 300 years ago, and, not having a computer with the Internet at hand, had knowledge that most of us did not even dream of.

1 place. Albert Einstein

Years of life: 03/14/1879 - 04/18/1955 (76 years old)

At the end of the 19th century, no one really aspired to be a theoretical physicist. After old Newton blew most of the white spots to smithereens, it seemed that physics became simple and understandable. It remained to deal with some minor issues, streamline everything and send out resumes in search of a new job. And everything was fine until the next problem with the speed of light was discovered.

At that time it was known that light is an electromagnetic wave. Consequently, the speed of its propagation was calculated using Maxwell's equations. And what happens if you try to calculate the speed of light of a spotlight that is on a moving train? Newtonian mechanics suggests the obvious answer - you need to add both speeds. But Maxwell's equations did not confirm such a result, depriving physicists of night rest and slipping them mountains of contradictions.

Repeated attempts by the scientific community to unravel the riddle did not bring results - Newton's proven and reliable mechanics were not questioned, and efforts to upgrade Maxwell's equations turned out to be fruitless. And only old Einstein figured it out and decided: probably, Maxwell's equations are correct - it was Newton who screwed up somewhere. Questioning Newton's mechanics is like criticizing the multiplication table - it seemed like an absolutely crazy idea. But non-standard thinking allowed Einstein to issue the special theory of relativity (SRT), which put everything in its place.

According to it, all physical processes in an irrational frame of reference occur in the same way, regardless of whether this frame is stationary or in a state of uniform rectilinear motion. Simply put, the speed of the searchlight on the train will be the same for the train driver, for the person remaining on the platform of the station, and for the searchlight itself - for everything in the world. It will always be equal to the speed of light, no matter how fast the spotlight moves. Also, based on SRT, there is a maximum allowable speed (the speed of light).

To be honest, the very essence of SRT is explained here extremely superficially and partially - perhaps only a few people can actually understand and formulate all the postulates of this theory. If you want to understand - the Internet to help. SRT gave rise to a certain number of paradoxes, which Einstein was able to explain in general relativity(OTO).

Among other achievements, Albert Einstein was noted for his contribution to the development of quantum physics, discovered the existence of induced radiation, which formed the basis for the creation of lasers, and received the Nobel Prize in 1922 for the theory of the photoelectric effect (SRT at that time was often criticized and was not universally recognized). Albert was also noted for a number of different inventions.

Despite significant achievements in science, Einstein remained a simple, friendly and sociable person with a good sense of humor. He positioned himself as a pacifist, speaking out more than once against fascism, violence and all kinds of injustice. The great scientist bequeathed after his death to celebrate a quiet funeral without publicity and magnificent ceremonies - he was an opponent of the personality cult. Only 12 of his closest friends attended the funeral ceremony. The body was cremated and the ashes scattered.

They say a genius must be born.

They ponder: how to explain the extraordinary giftedness?

They ask the question: why did this person become a genius? For centuries, people have tried to find an answer, first referring to the invisible spirit-genius overshadowing the chosen one of heaven, then assuming material earthly and cosmic influences, and finally turning to genetics, innate qualities.

We will now only touch on the secret of giftedness, without going into details and without claiming to have a final solution to the problem.

After correspondence, but sometimes quite close acquaintance with many geniuses (private evidence of this is this book), you come to the conclusion that the correctly posed question should sound like this: why do so many people not become geniuses?

We choose the greatest geniuses according to public opinion, partly by our own arbitrariness. Neither principle guarantees against errors and omissions. However, in any case, perhaps the most worthy ones will not fall into our list: those who left the first magnificent rock paintings, developed - without knowing it - the foundations of language and arithmetic, carried out the first astronomical observations, used fire to smelt metal ...

The list can be greatly expanded. It demonstrates one important pattern: the largest, fundamental achievements in various activities belong to individual tribes and peoples. People jointly created material and spiritual culture, not caring about priorities and not sticking out their personal contribution. In the end - it has been so in all ages, and remains so today - whatever we create, it remains a continuation of previous achievements.

On the other hand, there are recognized geniuses about whom almost nothing is known, and in some cases even their very existence is disputed. They will have to be mentioned separately.

Prince Pyotr Alekseevich Kropotkin was born in Moscow into the family of a general, a descendant of the Rurikovichs; graduated from the Corps of Pages with honors, was chamber-page of Alexander II. A brilliant career awaited him. He chose service in the Amur Cossack army, made a number of difficult expeditions, discovered previously unknown mountain ranges, volcanic regions, the Patom Highlands in Transbaikalia; clarified information about the geography and geology of Siberia and the Far East. Returning to St. Petersburg in 1867, he worked in the Russian Geographical Society, traveled around Sweden and Finland. He studied at the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of St. Petersburg University, earned a living by journalism and at the same time conducted educational and revolutionary propaganda work among the workers (he was a populist). Arrested and imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress, he wrote the classic work "Studies on the Ice Age".

He managed to make a daring escape from the prison hospital. He spent 40 years in exile. Collaborated in the "British Encyclopedia", published scientific works: "Mutual Aid as a Factor of Evolution", "The Great French Revolution", "Bread and Freedom", "Modern Revolution and Anarchy", "Ideals and Reality in Russian Literature", "Ethics" , as well as biographical "Notes of a Revolutionary". After the February Revolution of 1917 he returned to Russia. He died in the city of Dmitrov (Moscow region), was buried at the Novodevichy cemetery.

His fate is amazing, first of all, because his universal talent, no less amazing than that of Goethe, high professionalism in several types of activity did not bring him life's blessings. In this regard, he is a fantastic person. Perhaps he was referring to himself, referring to the failed student whose bread and butter always fell smeared side down.

The talented Soviet writer Yuri Olesha in his book "Not a Day Without a Line" asked: "Who was he, this crazy man, the only writer of his kind in world literature, with raised eyebrows, with a thin nose bent down, with hair forever standing on end? There is evidence that, while writing, he was so afraid of what he depicted that he asked his wife to sit next to him.

Hoffmann had an extraordinary influence on literature. By the way, on Pushkin, Gogol, Dostoevsky.

In Germany in the 18th - early 19th centuries, a whole galaxy of geniuses appeared: Kant, Herder, Schiller, Beethoven, Gauss, Hegel. There are many universal ones among them (Leibniz, Goethe, A. Humboldt, Hoffmann). And this is in a country divided into small principalities? Why did such a strange phenomenon occur?

We will not turn to far-fetched assumptions that have no scientific evidence about the impact on society of solar activity or outbreaks of "biochemical energy" ("passionarity") among the people. Everything was more difficult. Feudalism was coming to an end in Europe; small rulers, like large ones, cared about their glory and at least the appearance of prosperity. In the Age of Enlightenment, one of the most important criteria for the greatness of a sovereign, a prince, was the intellectual level of his subjects, their creative achievements. In addition, a series of revolutions, wars, violent social movements began, when the self-consciousness of peoples and individuals, the desire for freedom, the thirst for creativity awaken. Of considerable importance is the example of individual talented people who manage to achieve recognition. But the main thing, of course, is spiritual uplift, the desire to break the fetters of everyday life, to take the path of overcoming, and not adapting to circumstances.

The Russian poet Yevgeny Baratynsky responded to his death like this:

Extinguished! but nothing is left to them

Under the sun of the living without greetings;

He responded to everything with his heart,

What asks the heart for an answer;

With a winged thought he circled the world,

In one boundless found her limit.

He was born in a remote village near the mouth of the Northern Dvina, in the family of a simple peasant ...

It is generally accepted that the most favorable conditions have been created in the capital of the country or in large cities for the emergence of great thinkers, scientists, and cultural figures. After all, it is here that the best teachers, outstanding minds gather; there are relevant educational institutions, museums, universities, academies. Yes, at some stage of training or the first independent work, it is useful to be in a cultural center, communicate with specialists, and have access to intellectual and artistic values. But in childhood, the main thing is not to learn something special. It is important that a craving for knowledge, creativity awakens in a person.

When it is possible to easily satisfy this need, the child may quickly lose the initial impulse. On the contrary, if one has to overcome obstacles on the path of cognition, then the weak retreat, and the strong do not give up.

So it was with Mikhail Lomonosov. His homeland, northern Rus', has long given shelter to brave, enterprising, freedom-loving people. There was no humiliating serf slavery here, and the Tatar-Mongol yoke too. Local residents had to engage in various crafts: agriculture, cattle breeding, hunting, fishing. Pomors were excellent sailors.

What can be common between a lawyer, philosopher, scientist, theologian, inventor, public and political figure? Perhaps only one thing: there was a man who showed outstanding abilities in all these areas of mental and practical activity - Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. On top of that, he was still an outstanding theoretical psychologist.

The word of the physicist V.S. Kirsanov: "Leibniz is one of the most powerful and most remarkable phenomena of Western civilization, which in its scale and influence on scientific thought at the dawn of a new science can only be compared with the contribution and influence of Aristotle at the dawn of classical ancient science. The breadth of his intellectual interests is amazing : jurisprudence, linguistics, history, theology, logic, geology, physics - in all these areas he owns remarkable results, not to mention the fact that in philosophy and mathematics he showed himself to be a true genius.In all his scientific research, he developed practically one and the same idea, the particular expression of which depended on the respective discipline, namely, the idea of ​​the unity of knowledge.

In universal talent, which manifested itself very early, Gottfried Wilhelm resembles Pascal. But if the sickly Blaise was prone to pessimism, experienced bursts of creative activity and did not live long, Leibniz was constantly energetic, did not lose optimism and, without good health, lived for 70 years, leaving a vast intellectual legacy.

It is difficult to find in the history of mankind another similar example of the manifestation of so many talents in a short life. Mathematician and writer, physicist and philosopher, inventor and religious thinker - such is the universal genius of Blaise Pascal.

His father Etienne was a teacher of mathematics and a very educated person, he was interested in history and literature, he knew languages. He taught mathematics and Latin to his first daughter, Gilberte. In childhood, the only educator and teacher of the boy was his father (his mother died early). It can be assumed that Blaise's extraordinary curiosity is largely due to his father's outstanding teaching talent and, perhaps, the influence of his older sister.

Fearing for the health of his sickly son, Etienne Pascal was in no hurry to teach him geometry, thereby arousing his keen interest in this discipline. Little Blaise independently began to find the relationship between "sticks" and "rings", composing figures and finding out their properties. He came to the proof of the Euclidean theorem: the sum of the interior angles of a triangle is equal to the sum of two lines.

And the line between them is not strictly drawn.

So wrote the poet Michelangelo, more famous as a sculptor, painter, architect. He was a tireless and mighty inspired creator, who knew no rest (a heavy cross and a high privilege of a genius). In shapeless blocks of marble, his imagination saw images that were not yet embodied, and he released them with a chisel, considering nature itself as his co-author: