[SIGCIS-Members] Debunking the myth of individual genius

[Barbara B Walker]

Thanks to everybody for all these many wonderful citations on this topic! They are very useful and interesting in all kinds of ways.

Wishing all safety and good health,

Barbara


From: MICHAEL SCROGGINS <mscroggins at ucla.edu>
Date: Saturday, October 24, 2020 at 5:34 PM
To: Barbara B Walker <bbwalker at unr.edu>
Cc: "members at lists.sigcis.org" <members at lists.sigcis.org>
Subject: Re: [SIGCIS-Members] Debunking the myth of individual genius

Hello,

Ray McDermott's work on genius may also be of interest:

McDermott, Ray. 2006. “Situating Genius.” Counterpoints 249: 285–302.
Mcdermott, Ray. 2004. “Materials for a Confrontation with Genius as a Personal Identity.” Ethos 32 (2): 278–88.

Best,
Michael Scroggins




On Thu, Oct 22, 2020 at 8:43 AM Barbara B Walker <bbwalker at unr.edu<mailto:bbwalker at unr.edu>> wrote:
Hi, everybody,

Hope everyone is safe and well.

Here is an article on the importance of looking beyond the mythologies and cults of genius in the history of science and tech.

https://undark.org/2020/10/22/the-fiction-of-individual-genius/<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fundark.org%2F2020%2F10%2F22%2Fthe-fiction-of-individual-genius%2F&data=04%7C01%7Cbbwalker%40unr.edu%7C69461e016ae54da0404908d8787dac57%7C523b4bfc0ebd4c03b2b96f6a17fd31d8%7C1%7C0%7C637391828461075563%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=EuEq6ITikimpWA4NIlL6PUmhykaGQzrldNwXH%2FXWycQ%3D&reserved=0>

However, I would argue that in computer history as everywhere else in the history of science and tech, debunking is not enough – we must understand the reasons, cultures and process of cult-formation and myth-making that plays such an influential role in our understanding of the past. That’s something I’m exploring in an article on John von Neumann that I recently submitted for publication review (“Creation Myths”). Am also looking at the formation of political personality cults in a seminar I am teaching this semester.

Barbara Walker


Barbara Walker
Associate Professor
Department of History/308
University of Nevada, Reno
Reno NV 89557

_______________________________________________
This email is relayed from members at sigcis.org<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsigcis.org%2F&data=04%7C01%7Cbbwalker%40unr.edu%7C69461e016ae54da0404908d8787dac57%7C523b4bfc0ebd4c03b2b96f6a17fd31d8%7C1%7C0%7C637391828461085558%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=Npt6ZxHo0TO4lQmpNunLIklHFfrj6wVhJaQCNh4D7O8%3D&reserved=0>, the email discussion list of SHOT SIGCIS. Opinions expressed here are those of the member posting and are not reviewed, edited, or endorsed by SIGCIS. The list archives are at http://lists.sigcis.org/pipermail/members-sigcis.org/<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Flists.sigcis.org%2Fpipermail%2Fmembers-sigcis.org%2F&data=04%7C01%7Cbbwalker%40unr.edu%7C69461e016ae54da0404908d8787dac57%7C523b4bfc0ebd4c03b2b96f6a17fd31d8%7C1%7C0%7C637391828461085558%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=nl3K%2Fd%2Be1gxiaf%2B8%2Fu4vFRpF8NfWZ9B2KVSU9RCVcq0%3D&reserved=0> and you can change your subscription options at http://lists.sigcis.org/listinfo.cgi/members-sigcis.org<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Flists.sigcis.org%2Flistinfo.cgi%2Fmembers-sigcis.org&data=04%7C01%7Cbbwalker%40unr.edu%7C69461e016ae54da0404908d8787dac57%7C523b4bfc0ebd4c03b2b96f6a17fd31d8%7C1%7C0%7C637391828461095552%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=0RSYZTiSuCLDkFAVKodba9B6wtqNxZpiAzaUEGOFCB0%3D&reserved=0>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.sigcis.org/pipermail/members-sigcis.org/attachments/20201101/5ca9442e/attachment.htm>