The Autistic Kid Who’s More Intelligent Than Einstein

By on March 27, 2011 in News 49

A new theory of relativity — from a twelve-year-old?!? The Daily Mail reports that young Jake Barnett has “embarked on his most ambitious project yet – his own ‘expanded version of Einstein’s theory of relativity’” Here’s a video of the little genius explaining some of the finer points of calculus, with some of the Mail‘s story below:

His mother, not sure if her child was talking nonsense or genius, sent a video of his theory to the renowned Institute for Advanced Study near Princeton University.

According to the Indiana Star, Institute astrophysics professor Scott Tremaine  – himself a world renowned expert — confirmed the authenticity of Jake’s theory.

In an email to the family, Tremaine wrote: ‘I’m impressed by his interest in physics and the amount that he has learned so far.

‘The theory that he’s working on involves several of the toughest problems in astrophysics and theoretical physics.

‘Anyone who solves these will be in line for a Nobel Prize.’…

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  • http://hormeticminds.blogspot.com/ Chaorder Gradient

    Confirms my belief that if you teach powerful things to children they will love and and just run with it. Highschool students get bothered by this kinda stuff, and the unfortunate people who get introduced to calculus in college tend to loathe it.

    I personally think kids should be learning signal processing before middleschool (explained in the right way, the information is terribly simple and trivial). But then again we’d have a buncha kids running around actually knowing how things worked… and that would just be a terrible thing wouldn’t it.

  • http://hormeticminds.blogspot.com/ Chaorder Gradient

    Confirms my belief that if you teach powerful things to children they will love and and just run with it. Highschool students get bothered by this kinda stuff, and the unfortunate people who get introduced to calculus in college tend to loathe it.

    I personally think kids should be learning signal processing before middleschool (explained in the right way, the information is terribly simple and trivial). But then again we’d have a buncha kids running around actually knowing how things worked… and that would just be a terrible thing wouldn’t it.

    • grooveboss

      little rascals on their suped up mini bikes.

    • John V

      We learned electronics, computer programming and building amps etc in middle school and calculus by high school 23 yrs ago. The right teachers make a whole lot of difference in how students absorb and use information

      • http://hormeticminds.blogspot.com/ Chaorder Gradient

        I’m seriously jealous of you, I only got the high school calculus

  • http://strictlyapathy.comoj.com SoulArbiter

    The second coming of Einstein?

  • http://strictlyapathy.comoj.com/ SoulArbiter

    The second coming of Einstein?

  • grooveboss

    little rascals on their suped up mini bikes.

  • Guest

    not surprised at all. and not in that disabled-children-can-do-anything way, but really, autism is quite miraculous. i’ve had the pleasure of working with a few autistic clients. wow!

  • Guest

    not surprised at all. and not in that disabled-children-can-do-anything way, but really, autism is quite miraculous. i’ve had the pleasure of working with a few autistic clients. wow!

    • Blackoutdustin

      the integral of sinx is -cosx

      • Blackoutdustin

        i meant to just reply in general oops

  • Alexandreplante

    Brings back bad memories of calculus classes…. ;-)

  • Alexandreplante

    Brings back bad memories of calculus classes…. ;-)

  • justagirl

    that kid is just begging for a wedgie.

  • justagirl

    that kid is just begging for a wedgie.

    • dirtyjohnny

      & a noogie. & a dead arm. & an indian burn.

      • justagirl

        i am afraid to ask… what is a dead arm?

        • http://jordanjlloyd.me Jordan J. Lloyd

          Let me oblige @thersonly1me:disqus : You punch someone’s arm at speed and deadly force. If hit at the right angle, it causes the victim a large dull arching pain and the inability to feel their arm. Dead legs are a lot worse.

          - Signed, a guy who received lots.

          • justagirl

            thanks, that’s nice of you to answer, but, i already looked that up.

            -what did you get lots of?

          • justagirl

            have you ever heard of the five finger exploding heart technique?

            ~singed, justagirl

  • http://www.facebook.com/TheJakeyl Jacob Newton

    Intelligence is far greater than ones ability to do calculus. Just simply means his left hemisphere (simplistic explanation) is much more active and controlled than in normal people. Just like how some people have amazing talents such as memory, like being able to play any song ever, just after listening to the song once. The problem is, there brain is dedicated to the one task they are extraordinary in, but usually lack the ability to do anything else in an extraordinary way and are usually below average when it comes to other aspects of life.

  • http://www.facebook.com/TheJakeyl Jacob Newton

    Intelligence is far greater than ones ability to do calculus. Just simply means his left hemisphere (simplistic explanation) is much more active and controlled than in normal people. Just like how some people have amazing talents such as memory, like being able to play any song ever, just after listening to the song once. The problem is, there brain is dedicated to the one task they are extraordinary in, but usually lack the ability to do anything else in an extraordinary way and are usually below average when it comes to other aspects of life.

  • JacobNewtonsucksdonkeys

    Thank you Mr. Newton for another completely pointless post. How about you go back to flexing into your web cam and stop annoying everyone with your pointless drivel.

  • Blackoutdustin

    the integral of sinx is -cosx

  • Blackoutdustin

    i meant to just reply in general oops

  • dirtyjohnny

    & a noogie. & a dead arm. & an indian burn.

  • dirtyjohnny

    If I ever wake up in the Cube, I want to stumble across this bright little ‘tard for sheezy!

  • dirtyjohnny

    If I ever wake up in the Cube, I want to stumble across this bright little ‘tard for sheezy!

    • http://hormeticminds.blogspot.com/ Chaorder Gradient

      The cube series was definitely the superior “torture random people who have never met” movie. Saw fails miserably in comparison.

    • Josidhf

      Actually, it was the dumb guy that survived the CUBE. The math whiz died.

  • justagirl

    i am afraid to ask… what is a dead arm?

  • Tuna Ghost

    I only passed high school calculus because I wrote my teacher a song on my tests. Who’s the smart guy now, kid?

  • Tuna Ghost

    I only passed high school calculus because I wrote my teacher a song on my tests. Who’s the smart guy now, kid?

  • John V

    We learned electronics, computer programming and building amps etc in middle school and calculus by high school 23 yrs ago. The right teachers make a whole lot of difference in how students absorb and use information

  • http://hormeticminds.blogspot.com/ Chaorder Gradient

    I’m seriously jealous of you, I only got the high school calculus

  • http://hormeticminds.blogspot.com/ Chaorder Gradient

    The cube series was definitely the superior “torture random people who have never met” movie. Saw fails miserably in comparison.

  • John

    If this Jake kid doesn’t have something useful, it means nothing. So far he has not proven any of his ideas. Anyone can have an idea, but proving it takes a while, and many people with ideas like that discover they were wrong later. The people that thought the world was flat, and the astronomers that were convinced in their own minds that the universe revolved around the earth felt stupid when their personal theory was completely wrong. Just like anything, no puplicity is deserved unless a real discovery is made first. Scientists have to build a case, like a court case, to demonstrate their theory has value. This kid hasn’t produced anything that can be tested and proven right. He only has an idea about what he personally thinks. It seems like Jake might have been reading up on Project Home 2011. There is a scientific research project called Project Home 2011 that just recently succeeded with a matter acceleration test where solid mass (stainless steel) was successfuly accelerated to speeds approaching the speed of light on January 1, 2011. By the way, the 2 research colleagues were recruited at ages 12. The project used the research to develop technologies in quantum mechanics, including a magnetic levitation system for a vehicle, and other work in the area of magnetics. source: http://projecthome2011.tripod.com A scientific theory only holds up if it is observable, makes accurate predictions, and holds up as long as nothing proves it wrong. Until he has a real theory that is useful, he is just a kid with a dream. He is special to his parents and his parents just want to make him feel special. It is a publicity stunt, like the Balloon boy thing in 2009. They shouldn’t make any claims that this boy has discovered something unless he really has first. Saying that maybe he will is not good enough for the scientific community. IQ tests typicly use mathematical reasoning abilities, but not so much reading comprehension, or the ability to use non-mathematical things to solve problems. Because of the Autism, he probably wouldn’t do too well on the SAT. He would probably score high with the math, but have other areas that would be below high school level.

    Lets see if they say what kind of SAT score he gets, if they want to reveal that.

    I compared to those 2 other kids who were born in the ’60s from that project Home 2011, who still had to get their GEDs because although John and Matt Mitch were both child prodigies recruited for a private investor-funded research project lab at ages 12 in 1979, there are laws that do not allow a post-secondary school to accept a student without a high school diploma. They still had to wait until after turning 18 to take a GED to officially complete high school as credit by examination GED because the law said that there is a minimum 18-year old criteria to take a GED. The research firm paid for both of their college educations after they were accepted to a plethera of colleges only after aquiring their GEDs. Completion of high school credit has to be filled as a pre-requisite to college level courses. Whether these credits are obtained by attendance or by credit-by-examination. Most states require being at least 18 to be allowed to take a GED, therefore Jake could move ahead grades within the first 12 years of school but he could not be formally matriculated to college until at least age 18. Whether he fufilled the hours of coursework by attending high school (after satisfying grade school requirements) or by waiting until age 18 to satisfy high school completion via GED. I am sure Jake is still in school, but I am sure it is some kind of special education program. “Visiting” the college seems to be like a charitiable thing the college is doing for Jake to be supportive of him and nurture his interest in math. I don’t think Jacob Barnett is going to the college to build matter accelerators.

    This raises another thing to verify, like what Jake’s status at this other school is, and what his credentials are, and how he got them and compare and contrast how Jake’s credits coincide with the legal requirements for acceptance to a college. He cannot be legally formally matriculated for the reasons described. He was removed from school per the determination of a psychiatrist, not a prominent figure in the science community. Yes, he could be moved ahead grades within public school, but could not leave school to just walk into a college and start attending because he was “bored” with public school. The evidence reflects that Jake had to be taken out of school for reasons not mentioned by the purporters of the story. The meeting of the grade requirements in all of his other subjects other than math, that a college requires credit for, is something else to investigate. Colleges cannot require credit and GPAs for all of these completed courses, and then let a kid matriculate without them, when every other college student does have to have all their credits to matriculate. I’m curious to know the legality of their claim. It needs some digging to get to the truth, so any articles on Jake can tell the true information.

  • John

    If this Jake kid doesn’t have something useful, it means nothing. So far he has not proven any of his ideas. Anyone can have an idea, but proving it takes a while, and many people with ideas like that discover they were wrong later. The people that thought the world was flat, and the astronomers that were convinced in their own minds that the universe revolved around the earth felt stupid when their personal theory was completely wrong. Just like anything, no puplicity is deserved unless a real discovery is made first. Scientists have to build a case, like a court case, to demonstrate their theory has value. This kid hasn’t produced anything that can be tested and proven right. He only has an idea about what he personally thinks. It seems like Jake might have been reading up on Project Home 2011. There is a scientific research project called Project Home 2011 that just recently succeeded with a matter acceleration test where solid mass (stainless steel) was successfuly accelerated to speeds approaching the speed of light on January 1, 2011. By the way, the 2 research colleagues were recruited at ages 12. The project used the research to develop technologies in quantum mechanics, including a magnetic levitation system for a vehicle, and other work in the area of magnetics. source: http://projecthome2011.tripod.com A scientific theory only holds up if it is observable, makes accurate predictions, and holds up as long as nothing proves it wrong. Until he has a real theory that is useful, he is just a kid with a dream. He is special to his parents and his parents just want to make him feel special. It is a publicity stunt, like the Balloon boy thing in 2009. They shouldn’t make any claims that this boy has discovered something unless he really has first. Saying that maybe he will is not good enough for the scientific community. IQ tests typicly use mathematical reasoning abilities, but not so much reading comprehension, or the ability to use non-mathematical things to solve problems. Because of the Autism, he probably wouldn’t do too well on the SAT. He would probably score high with the math, but have other areas that would be below high school level.

    Lets see if they say what kind of SAT score he gets, if they want to reveal that.

    I compared to those 2 other kids who were born in the ’60s from that project Home 2011, who still had to get their GEDs because although John and Matt Mitch were both child prodigies recruited for a private investor-funded research project lab at ages 12 in 1979, there are laws that do not allow a post-secondary school to accept a student without a high school diploma. They still had to wait until after turning 18 to take a GED to officially complete high school as credit by examination GED because the law said that there is a minimum 18-year old criteria to take a GED. The research firm paid for both of their college educations after they were accepted to a plethera of colleges only after aquiring their GEDs. Completion of high school credit has to be filled as a pre-requisite to college level courses. Whether these credits are obtained by attendance or by credit-by-examination. Most states require being at least 18 to be allowed to take a GED, therefore Jake could move ahead grades within the first 12 years of school but he could not be formally matriculated to college until at least age 18. Whether he fufilled the hours of coursework by attending high school (after satisfying grade school requirements) or by waiting until age 18 to satisfy high school completion via GED. I am sure Jake is still in school, but I am sure it is some kind of special education program. “Visiting” the college seems to be like a charitiable thing the college is doing for Jake to be supportive of him and nurture his interest in math. I don’t think Jacob Barnett is going to the college to build matter accelerators.

    This raises another thing to verify, like what Jake’s status at this other school is, and what his credentials are, and how he got them and compare and contrast how Jake’s credits coincide with the legal requirements for acceptance to a college. He cannot be legally formally matriculated for the reasons described. He was removed from school per the determination of a psychiatrist, not a prominent figure in the science community. Yes, he could be moved ahead grades within public school, but could not leave school to just walk into a college and start attending because he was “bored” with public school. The evidence reflects that Jake had to be taken out of school for reasons not mentioned by the purporters of the story. The meeting of the grade requirements in all of his other subjects other than math, that a college requires credit for, is something else to investigate. Colleges cannot require credit and GPAs for all of these completed courses, and then let a kid matriculate without them, when every other college student does have to have all their credits to matriculate. I’m curious to know the legality of their claim. It needs some digging to get to the truth, so any articles on Jake can tell the true information.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_4K3KM67XITZTXUE45K42KS4OEE brian

    Dad comes home..”Stop writing on the window with magic marker you little freak!!!” “now go get me a beer and stop talking a gay robot!” …..’but dad I was just trying to expand on Einsteins theory of…’ “I SAID SHUT UP!!!” *smack* “Now stop crying and get me a beer….why can’t you be more like your brother Bobby….He plays FOOTBALL damn it…He doesn’t write on windows like some retard!”

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_4K3KM67XITZTXUE45K42KS4OEE brian

    Dad comes home..”Stop writing on the window with magic marker you little freak!!!” “now go get me a beer and stop talking a gay robot!” …..’but dad I was just trying to expand on Einsteins theory of…’ “I SAID SHUT UP!!!” *smack* “Now stop crying and get me a beer….why can’t you be more like your brother Bobby….He plays FOOTBALL damn it…He doesn’t write on windows like some retard!”

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_4K3KM67XITZTXUE45K42KS4OEE brian

    Dad comes home..”Stop writing on the window with magic marker you little freak!!!” “now go get me a beer and stop talking a gay robot!” …..’but dad I was just trying to expand on Einsteins theory of…’ “I SAID SHUT UP!!!” *smack* “Now stop crying and get me a beer….why can’t you be more like your brother Bobby….He plays FOOTBALL damn it…He doesn’t write on windows like some retard!”

  • Josidhf

    Actually, it was the dumb guy that survived the CUBE. The math whiz died.

  • http://twitter.com/jordanjlloyd Jordan J. Lloyd

    Let me oblige @thersonly1me:disqus : You punch someone’s arm at speed and deadly force. If hit at the right angle, it causes the victim a large dull arching pain and the inability to feel their arm. Dead legs are a lot worse.

    - Signed, a guy who received lots.

  • justagirl

    thanks, that’s nice of you to answer, but, i already looked that up.

    -what did you get lots of?

  • justagirl

    have you ever heard of the five finger exploding heart technique?

    ~singed, justagirl

  • justagirl

    have you ever heard of the five finger exploding heart technique?

    ~singed, justagirl

  • Antihero1221

     theres no way this kid is a tard just callin that out

  • Antihero1221

     theres no way this kid is a tard just callin that out