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Could autistic teen disprove the big bang theory?

chad1389

chad1389

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12-Year-Old Genius Expands Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, Thinks He Can Prove It Wrong | TIME.com

"Could Einstein’s Theory of Relativity be a few mathematical equations away from being disproved? Jacob Barnett of Hamilton County, Ind., who is just weeks shy of his 13th birthday, thinks so. And, he’s got the solutions to prove it. Barnett, who has an IQ of 170, explained his expanded theory of relativity. While most of his mathematical genius goes over our heads, some professors at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey have confirmed he’s on the right track to coming up with something completely new."

“I’m impressed by his interest in physics and the amount that he has learned so far,” Institute for Advanced Study Professor Scott Tremaine wrote in an email to the family. “The theory that he’s working on involves several of the toughest problems in astrophysics and theoretical physics.”

"Barnett’s parents knew that there was something different with their son when he didn’t speak until the age of two. He was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, a mild form of autism, so they thought he might have problems in school. Instead, they were astounded when he started solving 5,000 piece puzzles by the age of 3. The 12-year-old taught himself calculus, algebra and geometry in two weeks, and can solve up to 200 numbers of Pi. He left high school at the ripe old age of eight and has been attending college-level advanced astrophysics classes ever since."

"Yes, he can play classical music by memory on the piano, but he also enjoys watching shows on the Disney Channel and sci-fi movies. In many ways, he’s your typical 12-year-old boy."

“The other day I calculated, they have this period where they suppose the hydrogen and helium were created, and, um, I don’t care about the hydrogen and helium, but I thought, wouldn’t there have to be some sort of carbon?” -Jacob Barnett

This is an old article, but I'm not sure if it was ever discussed here. I've read from another source that he's not out to disprove the Big Bang Theory, but more or less correct it, or come up with another theory all together. Yet some still maintain that he is out to disprove it, and is close to doing so. Any thoughts?
 
Well it was Einstein himself that said intelligence can't be gauged by one standard (I'm paraphrasing but I'm too lazy to search up the exact quote.) If he can disprove the Big Bang theory that'd be neat.
 
I wouldnt hold your breath.
 
chad1389 said:
-- This is an old article, but I'm not sure if it was ever discussed here. I've read from another source that he's not out to disprove the Big Bang Theory, but more or less correct it, or come up with another theory all together. Yet some still maintain that he is out to disprove it, and is close to doing so. Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

It's an amazing story, especially when at one stage his mum seems to have had to homeschool him because schools had "given up on him" or diagnosed him as unable to cope in schools.

I saw an interview on BBC Breakfast show 2 years ago and have forgotten about him till today - the link contains a video interview with Jacob and his mother. At the time he was 14 and studying his Master's in Quantum Mechanics!
 
Infinite Chaos said:
It's an amazing story, especially when at one stage his mum seems to have had to homeschool him because schools had "given up on him" or diagnosed him as unable to cope in schools.

I saw an interview on BBC Breakfast show 2 years ago and have forgotten about him till today - the link contains a video interview with Jacob and his mother. At the time he was 14 and studying his Master's in Quantum Mechanics!
Click to expand...

It is cool. From what I read a while back, the person with the worlds highest I.Q works as a manager at a Burger King or something. What a waste of talent. Would like to see this kid expound or disprove this theory.
 
chad1389 said:
-- the person with the worlds highest I.Q works as a manager at a Burger King or something. What a waste of talent --
Click to expand...

I remember reading something like that.. I thought it was a joke?
 
chad1389 said:
12-Year-Old Genius Expands Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, Thinks He Can Prove It Wrong | TIME.com

"Could Einstein’s Theory of Relativity be a few mathematical equations away from being disproved? Jacob Barnett of Hamilton County, Ind., who is just weeks shy of his 13th birthday, thinks so. And, he’s got the solutions to prove it. Barnett, who has an IQ of 170, explained his expanded theory of relativity. While most of his mathematical genius goes over our heads, some professors at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey have confirmed he’s on the right track to coming up with something completely new."

“I’m impressed by his interest in physics and the amount that he has learned so far,” Institute for Advanced Study Professor Scott Tremaine wrote in an email to the family. “The theory that he’s working on involves several of the toughest problems in astrophysics and theoretical physics.”

"Barnett’s parents knew that there was something different with their son when he didn’t speak until the age of two. He was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, a mild form of autism, so they thought he might have problems in school. Instead, they were astounded when he started solving 5,000 piece puzzles by the age of 3. The 12-year-old taught himself calculus, algebra and geometry in two weeks, and can solve up to 200 numbers of Pi. He left high school at the ripe old age of eight and has been attending college-level advanced astrophysics classes ever since."

"Yes, he can play classical music by memory on the piano, but he also enjoys watching shows on the Disney Channel and sci-fi movies. In many ways, he’s your typical 12-year-old boy."

“The other day I calculated, they have this period where they suppose the hydrogen and helium were created, and, um, I don’t care about the hydrogen and helium, but I thought, wouldn’t there have to be some sort of carbon?” -Jacob Barnett

This is an old article, but I'm not sure if it was ever discussed here. I've read from another source that he's not out to disprove the Big Bang Theory, but more or less correct it, or come up with another theory all together. Yet some still maintain that he is out to disprove it, and is close to doing so. Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

I can't help but wonder what your motivation is for posting an old article like this. Are you expecting him to prove that there was actually no big bang, but that instead god pointed his finger blaster and POOF everything just popped into existence exactly as it is today?

Whether it eventually gets disproven or not, it will do nothing to support your young earth creationist beliefs.
 
RabidAlpaca said:
I can't help but wonder what your motivation is for posting an old article like this. Are you expecting him to prove that there was actually no big bang, but that instead god pointed his finger blaster and POOF everything just popped into existence exactly as it is today?

Whether it eventually gets disproven or not, it will do nothing to support your young earth creationist beliefs.
Click to expand...

To get peoples thoughts on it. As I posted "Any thoughts?" It worked.
 
CMPancake said:
Well it was Einstein himself that said intelligence can't be gauged by one standard (I'm paraphrasing but I'm too lazy to search up the exact quote.) If he can disprove the Big Bang theory that'd be neat.
Click to expand...

All I know is he invented Gravity.
 
Infinite Chaos said:
It's an amazing story, especially when at one stage his mum seems to have had to homeschool him because schools had "given up on him" or diagnosed him as unable to cope in schools.

I saw an interview on BBC Breakfast show 2 years ago and have forgotten about him till today - the link contains a video interview with Jacob and his mother. At the time he was 14 and studying his Master's in Quantum Mechanics!
Click to expand...

Kids with Aspegers are amazing. We really need to be doing more to educate them. There is a lot of potential there.
 
chad1389 said:
12-Year-Old Genius Expands Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, Thinks He Can Prove It Wrong | TIME.com

"Could Einstein’s Theory of Relativity be a few mathematical equations away from being disproved? Jacob Barnett of Hamilton County, Ind., who is just weeks shy of his 13th birthday, thinks so. And, he’s got the solutions to prove it. Barnett, who has an IQ of 170, explained his expanded theory of relativity. While most of his mathematical genius goes over our heads, some professors at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey have confirmed he’s on the right track to coming up with something completely new."

“I’m impressed by his interest in physics and the amount that he has learned so far,” Institute for Advanced Study Professor Scott Tremaine wrote in an email to the family. “The theory that he’s working on involves several of the toughest problems in astrophysics and theoretical physics.”

"Barnett’s parents knew that there was something different with their son when he didn’t speak until the age of two. He was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, a mild form of autism, so they thought he might have problems in school. Instead, they were astounded when he started solving 5,000 piece puzzles by the age of 3. The 12-year-old taught himself calculus, algebra and geometry in two weeks, and can solve up to 200 numbers of Pi. He left high school at the ripe old age of eight and has been attending college-level advanced astrophysics classes ever since."

"Yes, he can play classical music by memory on the piano, but he also enjoys watching shows on the Disney Channel and sci-fi movies. In many ways, he’s your typical 12-year-old boy."

“The other day I calculated, they have this period where they suppose the hydrogen and helium were created, and, um, I don’t care about the hydrogen and helium, but I thought, wouldn’t there have to be some sort of carbon?” -Jacob Barnett

This is an old article, but I'm not sure if it was ever discussed here. I've read from another source that he's not out to disprove the Big Bang Theory, but more or less correct it, or come up with another theory all together. Yet some still maintain that he is out to disprove it, and is close to doing so. Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

Am I missing another article or video explaining where Barnett has an issue with the Big Bang theory? So far the only place I'm seeing mention of it is by the author jokingly quipping that "Einstein was 26 when he first published his Theory of Relativity. We figure that Jake has a couple of years to kick back and relax before he finally debunks the big bang theory."

So if Barnett doesn't, in fact, have his targets sighted on the BBT, then I'm going to say the theory is probably fine.
 
MildSteel said:
Why do you say that?
Click to expand...

I know why I would say that.

1)Evidence points to the universe originating from a single point.
2)The article didn't say anything about Barnett himself looking to disprove the Big Bang Theory.
 
Cardinal said:
I know why I would say that.

1)Evidence points to the universe originating from a single point.
2)The article didn't say anything about Barnett himself looking to disprove the Big Bang Theory.
Click to expand...

Not bad. I am impressed. Seriously.

Having said that, a couple of points

1. Evidence points to an expanding universe. No one has been able to mathematically describe what you loosely term "single point."

2. You are right, but that does not mean that what is loosely termed "big bang" theory, cannot be disproven.
 
MildSteel said:
Not bad. I am impressed. Seriously.

Having said that, a couple of points

1. Evidence points to an expanding universe. No one has been able to mathematically describe what you loosely term "single point."

2. You are right, but that does not mean that what is loosely termed "big bang" theory, cannot be disproven.
Click to expand...

It's expanding from a high density state, thus the "single point" I was referring to. And in the strictest sense no scientific theory is immune to being disproved. Again, in the strictest sense of science, that would mean that even gravity is open to being tested and disproved. However, based on the article and this thread alone, the big bang theory doesn't look like it's going anywhere any time soon.
 
Cardinal said:
It's expanding from a high density state, thus the "single point" I was referring to. And in the strictest sense no scientific theory is immune to being disproved. Again, in the strictest sense of science, that would mean that even gravity is open to being tested and disproved. However, based on the article and this thread alone, the big bang theory doesn't look like it's going anywhere any time soon.
Click to expand...

The mathematics make change to eliminate the singularities. There is someone who replaced some math with quantum trajectories, and eliminated the singularity conceptually. Interesting idea, and it describes dark matter/energy too. Now, it just has to be refined a bit more, and tested and we can see what happens
 
Cardinal said:
It's expanding from a high density state, thus the "single point" I was referring to. And in the strictest sense no scientific theory is immune to being disproved. Again, in the strictest sense of science, that would mean that even gravity is open to being tested and disproved. However, based on the article and this thread alone, the big bang theory doesn't look like it's going anywhere any time soon.
Click to expand...

Again, the theory cannot mathematically describe this "single point" or "high density state." That is its big flaw.
 
chad1389 said:
It is cool. From what I read a while back, the person with the worlds highest I.Q works as a manager at a Burger King or something. What a waste of talent. Would like to see this kid expound or disprove this theory.
Click to expand...

A few months back I read about a woman who has an IQ of 202, which was believed to be one of the highest IQ's ever...was a homemaker. She didn't pursue any higher academic or scientific endeavors.
 
Article is 4 years old. Has this kid made any progress or is this just one of those pointless articles that promises something great is just around the corner but somehow that future never seems to arrive?
 
Removable Mind said:
A few months back I read about a woman who has an IQ of 202, which was believed to be one of the highest IQ's ever...was a homemaker. She didn't pursue any higher academic or scientific endeavors.
Click to expand...

I'm actually okay with that. She chose to raise her family over a career. Had she decided to work at a fast-food joint however instead of pursuing anything academically, that would be a shame.
 
RabidAlpaca said:
I can't help but wonder what your motivation is for posting an old article like this. Are you expecting him to prove that there was actually no big bang, but that instead god pointed his finger blaster and POOF everything just popped into existence exactly as it is today?

Whether it eventually gets disproven or not, it will do nothing to support your young earth creationist beliefs.
Click to expand...

Its rather comical that you hold religious beliefs regarding the creation of the cosmos in such disregard, while at the same time you hold faith in the exact same belief system, sans the finger of God.
 
chad1389 said:
This is an old article, but I'm not sure if it was ever discussed here. I've read from another source that he's not out to disprove the Big Bang Theory, but more or less correct it, or come up with another theory all together. Yet some still maintain that he is out to disprove it, and is close to doing so. Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

The thing about science is that we're always learning and developing. If, scientifically, this teenager is capable of successfully developing a new way to look at this theory, then great. He will have a lot of work to go through for it to be accepted as new information. That doesn't mean that scientists are trying to prevent changes within their field, it means that information is taken seriously and everything is analyzed and researched first, and if it cannot be disproved then it becomes new information within the scientific field.

So, essentially what I'm saying is that yes, it is possible for an autistic teenager to disprove the Big Bang Theory. Anything is possible. Will he be able to based off of any information that he is able to provide as "new evidence?" We'll have to wait and see...
 
People seem to forget that autism is just a medical diagnosis for "Weird"

That's why I laugh when whack-job people get scared about increasing autism or something.

When I was younger, I kid you not, I probably would have been diagnosed with autism. I would ****ing pet bumblebees for hours like I had nothing better to do...

Good for this kid though even though it's kind of an old article and the kid has yet to do anything other than have a big mouth :D
 
chad1389 said:
I'm actually okay with that. She chose to raise her family over a career. Had she decided to work at a fast-food joint however instead of pursuing anything academically, that would be a shame.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I hear what your saying.

As I understand it, a high IQ score doesn't measure one’s practical intelligence, or if you will, knowing how to make things work.

Also, environmental factors are pretty important for folks who have high IQ’s.

People with high IQ’s who are from lower socio-economic backgrounds aren't always subjected to the types support or say have their intellect nurtured in a way that their potentials lead to higher education - or even motivated to pursue mathematical or scientific related professions - as people born into higher socio-economic backgrounds. In other words, IQ comes from a combination of both genetics and environment. Some brain experts say that environment plays a substantial role in how higher levels of intelligence will be channeled.

I don't know, call it fate or being dealt a bad hand by life, but not all people with a high IQ will consistently find themselves in higher, more utilitarian station in life. So it's entirely possible that there's a lot of high IQ'ers working at average type jobs.
 
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