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January 15, 2012 6:50 PM

Jake: Hanging out with a teenage Einstein

By
60 Minutes Overtime Staff
Topics
Overtime Original

At 13, Jake Barnett has accomplished a lot. He is a college sophomore on full scholarship, he does paid scientific research on the side, and now, he's the subject of a profile on "60 Minutes."

Jake is a math and science prodigy and, as he told Morley Safer for this week's broadcast, he "permanently" remembers every math problem he's ever done. Clearly, Jake's photographic memory is one of the keys to his genius, but his physics professor Yogesh Joglekar says that's not what makes him truly special.

"What is more important is that he has the drive to learn more," said Jogelcar. "He definitely stands out as a powerhouse of raw talent."

Katy Textor, Morley's producer on this story, spent a lot of time just hanging out with Jake as she researched his story. This week on "Overtime" she discusses her impressions of the boy genius, and she tells us what Jake's mother hopes he'll accomplish in the next 10 years. It's not what you'd expect.

Watch: 60 Minutes Overtime, 01.15.12
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Add a Comment See all 18 Comments
by Mensafreak January 24, 2012 11:27 PM EST
My son is a lot like Jake. He has just turned 17 and has been in college for the last 2 1/2 years. There is an awkward stage where he struggled to have friends his age, because he preferred to hang out with older kids who could challenge his intellect. Since he started college, he has found his group to hang with, and is happy and well rounded again. I hope that Jake is finding that opportunity as well.
The problems we faced in public education, was there was nothing to challenge him on a daily basis. Brilliant kids like this, need and want to be challenged. This is not available in most areas of our nation.
We need more programs that offer testing and such from an outside agency. We need online tests for parents to test their own children...and if a high score, then they get advance testing at a center.
Testing that needs to be outside their current educational setting. I say this because apparently we were wrapped up in our "local public schools- red tape" and my son was told he did not qualify for the gifted program. The decision was not based on his ability in any way...it stemmed from his single mother challenging the system ... in a small town ...to demand classes and an education he was entitled to.
Had he been accepted earlier or I could of afforded testing from an outside agency earlier, he would already have his B.S. and would be working on a Masters degree right now.
There also needs to be an outreach for children like Kyle and Jake, which offer social interactions with other kids in their same league! There needs to be resources for their parents as well!
These are not just gifted children.... these kids are brilliant!
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by AMpathovet January 19, 2012 1:04 PM EST
Wonderful kid, wonderful parents. Lovely to see him having fun with learning.
It seems that the nowdays the world wants to place everyone in a shelf with a diagnosis. (if we keep like that we won't have any more Mozarts, Picassos, Eintsteins, etc). I don't think he is autistic, hes is just very gifted and at 1, 2 and 3 years of age he was probaby feeling frustrated because his language skills weren't matching his brain skills. The parents are truly amazing for channeling him so well. He is very charming! Loved this article
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by optimistnyc January 19, 2012 10:14 AM EST
The piece mentioned Jake was a 1 in ten million kid,which tells us that there are 30 more or less in the US. What happened to all the others? Oppressed by poverty, lack of opportunity? Let's search for and rescue them.
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by sixty9tea January 18, 2012 7:57 PM EST
Jake I think I know what your after... and I'm making this observation after only watching the 60 Minutes clip. "The Theory of Everything"... If not, sorry in advance. You are doing what I think about so often. Please keep having fun... Please help me (us) understand what should be understood!

Best,
Steven Ashe
sixty9tea @ gmail dot com
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by chuckergreg January 16, 2012 7:07 PM EST
I like this kid, but I also give huge kudos to his parents. They have a very well balanced approach with how they've catered to Jake's strengths as well as setting healthy expectations. If Jake does something amazing, GREAT. If he does not, GREAT. As long as he is able to channel his passion into something that's not destructive to others then things are good. Nothing is worse than negativity or unfair/unrealistic expectations aimed at somebody just because they are different. At the core, we're all human beings with faults and limitations.

As for Jake's ability - well, I think it'd be cool as heck just to follow him or someone like him around and lay chase to his thought processes. Really push my own mind to recapture the speed and sharpness of its youth. I miss that. This article makes me want to see him make a video on his fourth dimensional view. Have fun, Jake!
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by ZimOlson January 16, 2012 8:07 AM EST
Dear Jake Barnett:

This is my second email to you since your 60 minute. I wrote in prior email about my web site called Zim Mathematics on Creative Math, located at www.zimmathematics.com . I have since remembered a "Math Story" on my site I did years ago called "Forgetfullness". It is located at:

http://www.zimmathematics.com/htm/Math_Stories/Math_Story_Forgetfulness.htm

It is about the apparent function of 'forgetting' in the development of Mankind's intelligence over much 'time'. I myself, am quite proficient at this intelligence capacity. Hope you enjoy this story and my site. Zim Olson
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by optimistnyc January 19, 2012 10:23 AM EST
That site is all amateur nonsense, and Jake is exactly what we need to replace it.
by venusvegasvada January 16, 2012 4:42 AM EST
Pretty Cool.

The first think I thought of was a young version of Professor Farnsworth's from Futurama.
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by RealiteBites January 15, 2012 10:02 PM EST
What's his IQ? Mine's 155, which was average in the gifted program.

Something doesn't feel right to me about how his dreams for the future all revolve around status achievements, like obtaining degrees and getting articles published. But he's got no concept of making the world a greater place, of using his gifts to be of service to the world.

That's not ideal ...

I mean like what's his IQ ... 160? That's not particularly exceptional ... I mean maybe in a 99.99% kind of a way it is. But not so special that he ought to not be raised like an average kid. The 4th dimensions standard sophmore math ... same with the chemistry ... I don't see exceptional in his thoughts ...
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by kweiquartey January 16, 2012 12:36 AM EST
"No concept of making the world a greater place, of using his gifts to be of service to the world"? He's just a kid! Give him a little bit of a chance to develop some emotions. He's a genius, not a saint. And above all, he's still a kid.
by RealiteBites January 16, 2012 6:03 AM EST
Well he's living in an adult world where it would be appropriate at that stage in one's life to think ahead about what it is they want to do with their studies.

His IQ only seems to be around 160 ... that's not even special. They should keep him in regular school and try to find a gifted program where he can actually be just a kid.

That's what all our parents did for us who were in the gifted program ... it was a nice way to grow up, feeling like you belong.
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by privk7 January 15, 2012 8:40 PM EST
Wow.. amazing child... It would be wonderful to have a child like this.. But please do not tell the world that this is Autism...
60 minutes is painting an incorrect picture of autism.
Why not , for a change the news media focus on kids who are deeper into the spectrum, stripped away from all fun, living in a world of their own, not being able to understand or relate to what goes on around them....having to sit through the behavioral therapy ( the therapy that each parent has to fight for.. the fight that just does not seem to get easy).. Why not the media show how much the typical world would rather be away from this kids instead of considering them one among them...
The prodigy you showed is one in a million and his life fascinates the world but no one seems to care about the 1 in 96 boys who are at the other end of the spectrum...
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by smaymay15 January 15, 2012 8:10 PM EST
This kid is amazing! I'm 16 years old, and when I watched this, I really wanted to meet him. I really want to buy his book; can't wait! Amazing!!
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