Yes, this is a perfect example for the nature vs. nurture debate.
While the kid building his reactor is almost certainly intelligent and driven, he was also lucky enough to be born into a family in the upper 1% income bracket, because most people would have neither the space nor the funds to set up such a laboratory.
It's kind of the same with child prodigy musicians. Unless the parents have a piano at home, they'll most likely not notice their kids talent early enough. And most middle-income families these days don't own a house and won't have a piano around for decorative purposes.
“I am, somehow, less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein's brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops.”
To be fair on the kid, in a video on YouTube [1] he ends by saying he's trying to create an organisation to help kids do experiments who don't have the financial support that he does. I don't know what that means exactly, but it at least demonstrates some awareness to be saying that (even if it's just on behalf of his mom/dad who might have told him to say it).
Is there a reason to doubt that a guy who is capable of designing and building a home fusion reactor is also capable of noticing that being able to buy all the gear is a privilege others don't have?
I try to maintain a healthy level of skepticism where possible. I don't disbelieve this kid and that wasn't my point - I was defending him- there's just a bit of a gap between "noticing you have privilege" and helping to found an organisation to help other kids do experiments. The latter claim might start to set off "too good to be true" detectors, so I'm merely saying that even if that's not 100% true the fact he's talking about it is a positive thing since some young talented people do seem utterly oblivious to their own privilege.
Plenty of kids with pianos and parents musicians grow up not being child prodigies. But, pretty much no child prodigies grew up in environment where people don't listen music much, without access to piano, teacher (official or unofficial) and so on.
Unless the parents lie and literally manufactured it all, both components needs to be present. For most 13-15 years old, just focusing on one big project and keep interest is quite unusual. So is willingness to build one thing for so long.
While the kid building his reactor is almost certainly intelligent and driven, he was also lucky enough to be born into a family in the upper 1% income bracket, because most people would have neither the space nor the funds to set up such a laboratory.
It's kind of the same with child prodigy musicians. Unless the parents have a piano at home, they'll most likely not notice their kids talent early enough. And most middle-income families these days don't own a house and won't have a piano around for decorative purposes.
BTW, that harpers link is an amazing story :)