Hi, > Orlando here, > What > is it that allows Newton or Einstein or Picasso to see something > essential that no one has seen or understood before?
I guess the time is just ripe (viz.: enough knowledge has accumulated and is lying around for a new synthesis) at certain moments for intelligent guys to have insights. If it hadn't been Einstein or Newton, then it would have been another bright person 5 years later. The intelligence of these people in relation to other people is usually overrated. See this lovely post by Eli Yudkowsky on OB about Einstein, the village idiot, and _real_ superintelligences: http://www.overcomingbias.com/2008/05/my-childhood-ro.html Cheers, Günther -- Günther Greindl Department of Philosophy of Science University of Vienna [EMAIL PROTECTED] Blog: http://www.complexitystudies.org/ Thesis: http://www.complexitystudies.org/proposal/ ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
