Comments on: 4 Wunderkinds

By: Christopher Beale is a fraud

Christopher Beale is a fraud — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 23:11:04 +0000

Christopher Beale’s father Theodore Beale (aka Vox Day) bought him that book deal: http://grumpyoldbookman.blogspot.com/2006/11/watch-out-for-aultbea.html
so the claim of “youngest author ever” is a bit unfair to those who’ve actually achieved something.

By: Reboot

Reboot — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 20:47:12 +0000

You should also point out Fred Chapman (even though it’s pre-modern, ie prehistoric).

He’s listed as having pitched at 14 years old (14 years 7 months 28 days).

http://www.baseball-almanac.com /players/ player.php?p=chapmfr01

By: Arlo

Arlo — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 18:45:55 +0000

Michael Kearney also recently won a million dollars on AOL Gold Rush.

This link provides a little more info about him: h**p://press.aol.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=1115§ion_id=14

By: Marika

Marika — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 18:07:05 +0000

Great. thanks for that. Now let me go wallow in my own self-hatred of underaccomplishement. Man! Why couldn’t I have written the script for Shawshank Redemption at 4?

By: Anthony

Anthony — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 17:57:30 +0000

Last September, I taped an episode of “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?” (wearing a Mental Floss t-shirt, no less!). Guess who was part of my group of contestants? Michael Kearney. Talk about intimidating. He’s a really nice guy, though. He’s currently teaching chemistry at Middle Tennessee State University. He said he likes to sit at the back of his classroom on the first day of classes while the students file in. He then engages them in conversation as though he is a student as well (remember, he’s only 23). He asks what they’ve heard about the teacher, ’cause he’s heard he’s a real jerk. About 8 minutes after the class is supposed to have started, he likes to throw out the old college student belief that if the professor doesn’t show up within ten minutes of the classes start time, you can leave and not be counted absent. Right at ten minutes late, he stands up, puts on his lab coat, and introduces himself to the class.

By: Erik

Erik — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 17:40:58 +0000

What about Doogie Houser MD?!?!?!

By: Miss Cellania

Miss Cellania — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 17:30:57 +0000

I listened to Joe Nuxall for years as I ran Cincinnati Reds games at the radio station, but had no idea he started that young!

By: Sarah

Sarah — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 15:33:37 +0000

Hey, what about William James Sidis? Look him up on Wikipedia, fascinating read.

By: Sid Morrison

Sid Morrison — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 15:20:22 +0000

My biz school alma mater, recently hired 2 prodigy Russian sisters, aged 19 & 21, to be finance professors.

h**p://simonschool.typepad.com/communicationsblog/2007/05/russian_sisters.html

I think I read earlier they each actually have a couple more degrees than is stated in the article — maybe it took them some time to “find themselves” :-)

By: jbb

jbb — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 14:41:20 +0000

Just FYI, that’s the University of South Alabama (not `Southern’).