Dangerous, sure, but wouldn't the momentary glee bestowed on so many before the inevitable tragedy or two sort of be like a draw, in the grand scheme of universal balance?
@Dale: The best parents I know are the people who, before they have kids, you wouldn't immediately think "parent material!" about. They tend to have purposes for their lives before and despite their parenting, treat their children as individuals rather than possessions or extensions of themselves or second chances for failed attempts at personal meaning.
If good parenting has as a component that of being a good example, then wouldn't you want your example to be that of a somewhat realized, complete person who defines his worth apart from his identity as a parent?
VERY strange and sad. Not totally unlike men with Real Dolls. Just...yikes. I mean, the impulse to have something to love is not strange or sad, but the living inside this manufactured remedy for loneliness, I guess.
Tom Hanks did it when he was stuck on that desert island, but that was a necessary device of mental self-protection.
@Polx: I think it's clear throughout that these savants are not "useless." They seem to be making contributions on many different levels. And to make a meaningful point about how these people are not geniuses, you would need to explain how you conceive of genius, or what the official, complete definition of that word is. If the definition of genius is at all fluid, I'm sure these people belong somewhere in the constellation. If the definition is narrow and rigid, then maybe you're right.
They're certainly extraordinary, and full of potential both within their own lives and for the greater community as we seek to expand our understanding of cognition and the brain.
Re grammar: "of data" is not at issue. The determining phrase is "12 terabytes-worth."
If the terabytes were considered plural rather than a mass of information, the plural construction would be fine. But it's actually "terabytes-worth," which is a singular concept. It's the worth that is the problem. If you dropped it, you could argue either way, I think.
If good parenting has as a component that of being a good example, then wouldn't you want your example to be that of a somewhat realized, complete person who defines his worth apart from his identity as a parent?
Tom Hanks did it when he was stuck on that desert island, but that was a necessary device of mental self-protection.
They're certainly extraordinary, and full of potential both within their own lives and for the greater community as we seek to expand our understanding of cognition and the brain.
If the terabytes were considered plural rather than a mass of information, the plural construction would be fine. But it's actually "terabytes-worth," which is a singular concept. It's the worth that is the problem. If you dropped it, you could argue either way, I think.