John von Neumann Shot Lightning from His Arse
8 days ago
- #Nature vs. Nurture
- #Education
- #John von Neumann
- John von Neumann's legendary intellect is often exaggerated, with myths about his abilities debunked.
- Pop-hereditarianism selectively credits genetics while dismissing environmental factors like education, mirroring past biases in the Nature vs. Nurture debate.
- Von Neumann's upbringing in early 20th-century Budapest provided an elite education, including private tutors and a stimulating intellectual environment.
- The 'von Neumann architecture' for computers was not solely his invention; he formalized existing ideas from Mauchly and Eckert.
- Many myths about von Neumann's childhood abilities, like memorizing phone books or performing advanced calculations at age 6, are false or misattributed.
- Von Neumann's memory was exceptional but not supernatural; he practiced memorization and had OCD-like tendencies.
- His contributions to fields like game theory and mathematics were significant but built on collaboration and formalization rather than pure originality.
- The 'Martians'—Hungarian Jewish scientists—were products of Budapest's unique socio-educational environment, not genetic superiority.
- Von Neumann's legacy is a mix of genuine brilliance and exaggerated legends, shaped by his education and historical context.