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Essential question
How does a community of diverse individuals foster new ideas?What do Athens, Florence, Vienna and Silicon Valley all have in common? At one time or another, they all served as incubators for genius, producing some of the greatest philosophers, artists and innovators the world has ever known. For his new book, “The Geography of Genius,” best-selling author Eric Weiner traveled to many places where genius clusters existed in the past or today to find out what makes the perfect conditions for attracting big thinkers. One of the biggest factors these places have in common is the presence of diverse populations coming together to share ideas. Once a city is large and wealthy enough to attract talent from elsewhere, natives and immigrants with a wide range of interests and ideas come together, inspiring and challenging one another. Competition is also necessary for creativity. Today, in places like Silicon Valley, California, people from around the world continue to come up with some of the best new ideas and technology. In the U.S., foreign-born employers make up 25 percent of employers, according to Director of Harvard’s Center for International Development Ricardo Hausmann. Although some security concerns involving immigration exist in today’s world, maintaining the influx of new ideas is key to growing future geniuses.
Key terms
interdisciplinary — involving two or more academic, scientific or artistic areas of knowledge start-up — an entrepreneurial venture or a new business Warm up questions ( before watching the video)- What is a genius?
- Who are examples of past and present geniuses?
- Why do you think famous artists like Michelangelo are considered geniuses?
Critical thinking questions ( after watching the video)
- What are some circumstances that contribute to the creation of genius clusters?
- Why is it important for geniuses including Leonardo da Vinci to be interdisciplinary in nature?
- How do a country's immigration policies affect its potential for genius and innovation?
