When John Glidden grows up I want to employ him. Anyone who polls 11 of their friends at age six and has a concept of what a Kuiper Belt Object is is welcome in my company.
(Yes I accept that his mum may have driven the data collection but it comes to the same thing. She's going to make sure he turns into a winner)
She going to make sure that he's exposed to a world that lies behind that of Playstations and 24h cartoon TV, and that's good.
But I also see the making of self-righteous, arrogant know-it-all. The kind of person that will complain over all non-A grades because his mum told him he's smarter than the teacher. Seriously, he's telling scientists how to do their job. Blind obedience to seniority is a bad idea, but so is that "sigh you got it all wrong, here, now, let me show you"-attitude.
"Know your place in the world and evaluate yourself fairly, not in terms of the naïve ideals of your own youth, nor in terms of what you erroneously imagine your teacher's ideals are"
- Richard Feynman
I doubt Feynman's reaction to the boy's letter would have been:
"I also see the making of self-righteous, arrogant know-it-all....Seriously, he's telling scientists how to do their job".
There's not a single thing in the boy's letter that is factually incorrect. It's merely a statement of opinion accompanied by some supporting data.
The child's name is in my comment. If you don't like something someone says then critique their opinion but try not to be personal and rude, it only makes you sound bitter.
I'm not trying to emulate Feynman, and what I wrote wasn't a reaction to the kids letter, but to your comment.
I'm not criticizing the child, I'm presenting an alternative scenario. I'm not saying he going to end up like that, but I am saying that it's premature to conclude he's going to be a particularly employable based on that letter.
(Yes I accept that his mum may have driven the data collection but it comes to the same thing. She's going to make sure he turns into a winner)