Commentary on the Precocity Project

Abstract

First I should like to underscore a point made by Stanley in his paper. The social value of any efforts to identify and cultivate outstanding talent should need no justification. Yet in the present humanitarian surge of interest in the mentally retarded, the brain-damaged, and the physically disabled, we may lose sight of society's continuing need for the talented. Remember that it is discoveries by talented researchers in biochemistry, neurology, psychology, and other sciences that underlie current improvements in the condition and functioning level of the handicapped. Good intentions without the requisite knowledge base are not enough. Society needs the maximum cultivation and utilization of human talent—wherever found and in all fields of human endeavor—in order to improve the quality of life for all of us.