One of the hardest things about parenting is avoiding the Helpfulness Trap: the temptingly wrong idea that parents should assist their kids through their struggles: i.e. speedily intervening when they show frustration, smoothing over rough … keep reading
We love agility — that telltale combination of speed and nimbleness that marks great performers — not just because it’s beautiful, but also because it’s useful. Quick thought experiment: Go find the best chess player … keep reading
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXynrsrTKbI You should watch this short clip — not because it’s an remarkable story (which it is) or because it will make your eyes well up (which it might), but because it’s a good reminder … keep reading
Question: Who is the fastest learner in the world? That is, if there was a magical machine that could accurately measure the learning speed of every person on the planet — every writer, musician, math … keep reading
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itWxXyCfW5s What qualities do the world’s great performers possess that the rest of us don’t? It’s a great question, and our usual instinct is to answer the question by listing characteristics, as if they were … keep reading
Some people are highly organized about the holidays. They make precise lists. They do careful research. They comparison shop. They are able to confidently click “ground shipping” as an option. This list is for the … keep reading
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhAyX81zP2M Say hello to Footbonaut, a new machine for training soccer players. (Click the video to see it in action.) It’s a space-age beauty: built for the top German professional team Borussia Dortmund, it feeds … keep reading
Kids love to announce that they’re not good at something. They usually do it just after they try something new and challenging, and they say it with finality, as if issuing a verdict. I’m not … keep reading
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chrzpnL1OEM So a bunch of New Zealand animal trainers decided to fulfill the longstanding national dream of teaching a dog how to drive a car. Then, over seven weeks, using an intensive and tedious practice … keep reading
Having a prodigy in the family is usually thought of as a divine blessing. Teachers and coaches compete over them. Other kids envy them. Parents look at them wishfully, thinking: If only my kid could … keep reading
