Genius

What is the quality called "genius"? My dictionary gives several definitions, but the one I like best is:

1. "great mental capacity and inventive ability; especially great and original creative ability in some art, science, etc. 2. a person having such capacity or ability.

I've always thought the term "genius" was an appropriate description of someone who can do something (either with the brain or body) that even people who are themselves proficient in that area of thought or performance are amazed by and in awe of the person's ability. In the field of physics for example, Richard Feynman was regarded as a "genius" even by others who were regarded as being geniuses by the "average" theoretical physicist. In fact, he was regarded as a "magician", because nobody could comprehend how he did what he did. I suppose that his example shows that there are different levels of genius.

By the way, since the brain is a part of the body, the distinction I've made above may very well be redundant. But, there is still some sort of difference between those who excel at strictly mental work (math, physics, linguistics, etc.) and those whose brains enable their bodies to do amazing things (dance, basketball, boxing, etc.).

I decided to look through all my you-tube links I've saved over the years and see if I could find a few that illustrate this (somewhat elusive) quality I call "genius".

And, I found quite a few, some of which I'm including here. I hope you take the time to watch them all - none is over 10 minutes, and all (I think) are fascinating.

David Blaine (Magician)

David Blaine is the Houdini of our time. In addition to being a "conventional" magician (albeit one of "genius" ability) he is (like Houdini) a "daredevil". A few years ago he stood on a 100 foot pillar in Central Park for something like 36 hours. I saw a show about it on TV and someone who had watched this feat as it was happening referred to it as "religious experience", and I understood why. He also holds the world record for holding his breath under water (17 minutes and 50 seconds. His most recent stunt was to hang upside-down in Central Park for 60 hours. That's dangerous. And awe inspiring.

He likes to travel around and perform "street magic", that is, do tricks for people he meets while walking around. What amazes me about many of his tricks is that I can't even begin to formulate a theory about how he does them. You will probably see what I mean if you watch the video whose link is directly below. By the way, if you do have any ideas on how he does his tricks, please send them along to me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7C0UCE2YGg

Steve Wright (Comedian)

Steve Wright has a very unique style, which is one of the reason's I regard him as a "genius". His comedy probably doesn't appeal to everyone, because it's relatively sophisticated intellectually. He even brings in philosophical ideas at times.

I think seeing him perform adds a lot to the material. This video is from a concert he did in the 80's.

My question is: how does he come up with his comic ideas? Well, that's what geniuses do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56v_jenBUpU

Don Imus (Talk Show Host)

"Talk Show Host" doesn't really describe what he does. His show now is a mixture of comedy and interviews with politicians, journalists, sports figures, and various people from other fields of endeavor.

Imus is by far the best interviewer I've ever seen, which is why I have hundreds of his interviews on disk. The video below is a very brief look at his career, and features part of his interview with Bill Clinton.

Over the last 15 years (and this is not mentioned in the video, which is relatively old) Imus has changed his life considerably. He has been completely off drugs and alcohol for almost 20 years, and is now a "health nut". He is now married and has a 10 year old boy. He and his wife run a ranch for children with cancer, and they are both active in environmental affairs.

It is very easy to misinterpret Imus, and many people have (particularly those who don't listen to the show, but have heard some of the remarks he's made out of context).

And, the video itself does not illustrate why Imus is a "genius". You would have to listen to him talk (and in particular listen to his interviews) for a while before that would be clear.

I've been listening to him for around 15 years, which is why I have no problem including him in this newsletter about "genius".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VFjUSSkY5g

Sid Caesar (Comedian)

I'm old enough to actually remember "Your Show Of Shows", a live, 90 minute comedy show that ran for five years beginning in 1950. I was too young to appreciate it then, but I have seen many sketches from it over the years. And, it is quite obvious that Sid Caesar was (and he's still alive at age 88) a genius. And, he was regarded as precisely that by all the writers who worked for him (people like Carl Reiner, Neil Simon, and Mel Brooks).

He's a "physical" comedian (like Stan Laurel and Dick Van Dyke). He also had an interesting natural ability: the ability to sound like he was speaking a foreign language, even though what he was saying was nonsense. He used this often and in hilarious ways. I imagine that he could have been a serious linguist had he been so inclined.

The video here is one of a married couple arguing to the Background of Beethoven's 5th. As brilliant as this skit is, it boggles the mind to think that it was performed live.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEhF-7suDsM

Pilobolus Dance Theater

It's hard to label a dance group as a "genius" since it is a collaborative effort, so I guess I'd have to refer to the collective genius of it's founders. Here's some brief background on the group from Wikipedia:

Pilobolus is an internationally-renowned dance company, whose origins are traced to a 1971 Dartmouth College dance class taught by Alison Chase; the founding members were Robby Barnett, Lee Harris, Moses Pendleton, Nicholas Bochte and Jonathan Wolken. The group first began performing in October 1971, and has been touring worldwide since that date, primarily with artistic directors Barnett, Chase, Wolken, and Michael Tracy, though Chase left in 2006, after having collaborated with Pendleton in 1980 to form the offshoot group Momix. Their performances have long been characterized by a strong element of physical interaction between the bodies of the performers, and exaggerations or contortions of the human form (or other anthropomorphic forms), often verging on gymnastics.

Pilobolus has recently come up with an idea it calls "Shadow Dancing". I'm planning to see the group in New York this summer (for the second year in a row), and plan to make sure I see their program of shadow dancing. Here's an example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKcYWYvUQPA

Daniel Tammett (Mathematical And Linguistic Savant)

It's not easy to describe Daniel Tammett. He has some talents that are hard to believe are possible. Remember that film "The Rain Man", about the retarded guy who had extraordinary abilities (like being able to multiply huge numbers in his head)? Well, Tammett is like the "rain man" in that sense.

But, there is a very significant sense in which he is different from people like that (who are often called "idiot savants"), in that he is definitely not retarded (although he is considered to be a "high functioning" autistic, he is incredibly articulate). And (this is very significant to the scientists who are studying his mind) he is able to explain how he does what he does.

He can speak 12 languages, and was once given a challenge to learn a difficult language (Icelandic) in a week. One of the videos I'm including below (a small part of a documentary I saw about him) is the story of how that turned out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMz3gjl9x-M

He once recited pi to 22,514 places. What fascinates me about this is that he really didn't memorize the numbers in the way that the normal person thinks of it. As he explains, he sees numbers as shapes, and he "sees" pi as an incredibly beautiful structure, which he simply "looks" at in his mind and translates the shapes he sees into numbers.

Here's a short interview he did with Diane Sawyer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YYEObFxfGA

Stephen Wiltshire (Painter)

Steven Wiltshire is autistic, but what he can do is... astounding and unbelievable. Of course, much of what "geniuses" can do is exactly that. Just watch this video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8YXZTlwTAU

After watching it, if you're wondering if he can also draw people, the answer is yes. He has a gallery now in London and is expanding his repertoire. Here's a link to his website.

The Stephen Wiltshire Gallery - Drawings, paintings and prints

Muhammed Ali (Boxer)

Ali is someone who has always inspired me. He is (in my relatively informed opinion) the greatest boxer who ever lived. That in itself would qualify him for my list here. But, that's not the reason he's on the list. The fact is, he'a a genius in many ways. He could have been a great comedian, a great orator, a great politician, a great ballet dancer (although there is a great similarity between dance and boxing). In fact, many of his fights are comparable to the most beautiful ballets. Watch this brief interview below for an example of his verbal and comedic gifts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfHhjBXReEY