Where Geniuses Fail

We usually think of geniuses as always having an edge over the rest of us. They finish their tests first and still get all of the answers correct.  They complete the assigned reading before class is even out. But surprisingly, in rare cases, they are actually at a disadvantage, cases that exist with these puzzles.

Years ago I went on a backpacking trip with a large group, one of whom introduced himself as a “genius.” That night, sitting around the campfire, we observed a number of slow moving satellites in the night sky. The “genius” had never seen them before and was fascinated. The talk soon became lively and we all forgot about the satellites until more than two hours after sunset when the “genius” suggested we look for them again. I explained that satellites are lit by the sun, and it was too late now to see them because the sun was behind the earth relative to the satellites. Out of what appeared to be sheer arrogance, the “genius” said, “I don’t believe you. The satellites are farther from the Earth than that. The satellites must still be visible.” I suggested he go ahead and find more satellites, which, of course, he could not. The “genius” was wrong because he was accustomed to being right, accustomed to being able to figure things out that others couldn’t. Those who believe they can solve these puzzles simply because they’re smarter than everyone else, will find themselves searching in vain, just like our arrogant “genius.”

Another common stumbling block for geniuses is that they can generally get by without doing their homework. They can make it through high school with straight A’s having never cracked a book. The rub comes when they enter a highly-rated college possessing little to no studying skills. A high school friend of mine could read a 300-page book in an hour. He could start a term paper the night before it was due and still get an A. He could skip classes without falling behind. With excellent test scores, he got into a prestigious university and flunked out in his first year. This treasure hunt takes us to a higher level of difficulty than any of us have ever experienced. We are thrust immediately into a master class in mysteries, taken to school by a lone mad genius professor, Byron Preiss. Regardless of how smart we are, to solve these puzzles we must do our homework. We will have to be patient, objective, and practice good investigative processes and techniques. 

Moreover, geniuses sometimes don’t know how to deal with being baffled. When most of us are stumped, we just shake it off and move on. Geniuses simply aren’t used to it. They often reject radical new theories out of hand simply because it’s confusing to them. For example, when the math describing space-time predicted that the universe is unstable (expanding or contracting), Einstein rejected it, even though the prediction was based on his own work!  He added a constant so as to force a steady-state universe. Years later, when Hubble and his team proved beyond any doubt that the universe is actually expanding, Einstein called his assumption of a steady-state universe his “biggest blunder.” Everyone has been stumped by these puzzles for forty years. The challenges and solutions related to these puzzles will be confounding, even for geniuses. 

Finally, geniuses tend to expect perfection. However, this hunt represents the bleeding edge of puzzle technology, a level at which we all make mistakes—yes, all of us. Historically when scientists have come up with radical new theories that involve large numbers of diverse and disparate details such as evolution and plate tectonics, they have been met with ridicule and skepticism. Minor flaws in the data or logic are often raised up by “geniuses” as proof that the young theory is wrong. Each line of these poems requires its own radical new theory. We are all in uncharted waters here, so don’t be put off by a few small imperfections. Expect them. 

I welcome your reactions and encourage your feedback, but if after reading my interpretations you believe them to be wrong, all I ask is that you do not act like the arrogant backpacking “genius” rejecting my explanations at face value without properly considering them. Do your homework, expect radical ideas, and anticipate some minor imperfections. Once you’ve done all that, go ahead, find an error in my assumptions, find a flaw in my logic, find a better explanation, find some satellites in the late night sky.