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The post that was quoted here has been removedIts cultural and has to do with how important school is to the parents. In Zambia school is considered very important and the dream job is Engineering or something in the sciences at least. So from a very early age, maths is prized by both the children and parents.
The post that was quoted here has been removedYes, but you would never enter an Olympiad if you didn't do any mathematics in school.
Originally posted by twhiteheadYes, of course. India is a poor country, and yet there are many contributors in the field of math. Srinivasa Ramanujan wasn't perhaps poor but he had a talented from young age. He is my favourite.
Keeping in mind of course that even though it is relatively cheap it is still beyond the means of the poorest people.
Originally posted by EladarThe problem is this: when you have a large population that can't get an education, like the US 200 years ago or Africa today, you are going to be missing, not finding, a genius buried in that crowd. Some of them will find a way to make themselves known, like the kid, I think in Nigeria, who tinkers with wind generators, using car alternators, that kind was like, 14 years old and his own ambition drove him into prominence. But other kids may not have that motivation and be hidden out and never found to be genius level till way too late, they find out a guy or girl is genius at age 40, its a bit too late to have an effective education. You know that from playing chess, like me, I learned to play when I was 18 in college. All I ever got to was grade B, like 1700 USCF. If I had learned when I was 8 and had proper coaching, it would be a different story, I could be at least an IM but at 18 with no coaching, too bad for me and chess.
Of course when I say black, I mean African blacks.
Originally posted by sonhouseYeah well you can rationalize just about anything can't you.
The problem is this: when you have a large population that can't get an education, like the US 200 years ago or Africa today, you are going to be missing, not finding, a genius buried in that crowd. Some of them will find a way to make themselves known, like the kid, I think in Nigeria, who tinkers with wind generators, using car alternators, that kind was ...[text shortened]... ng, too bad for me and chess.
Same with almost any other discipline. Especially the sciences.