Greetings from quaint Wallignford Ct, .. I’m down here to do a science show at Rosemary Choate academy.. it’s a boarding school where a work colleague’s kid attends. I agreed to do a show here in return for getting some of the students to help me on some outreach projects. I drove down here after a full and uneventful day at work… The drive down was peaceful.. spoke with friends on the phone and finished listening to Malcalm Gladwell’s newest book ‘Outliers’.. I really liked it. Gladwell’s central premise is that upbringing, culture and opportunity have much more to do with a persons success than does natural ability.   He claims that most superstars.. be they rock stars, software moguls, physicists or wall street law partners .. only need to be ‘good enough’ and get the right lucky breaks. In fact he presents data that shows that most ability (eg, IQ, musical ability, etc) have a threshold level above which additional skill does not matter… The argument is important because it shows that if we spent less time trying to find and focus on the kids with the most talent, and spent more time providing opportunity and encouragement to kids who are talented ‘enough’.. we’d end up with more high achievers… I’ve always believed that..

Anyway… I’s just past midnight, and I’m in the three floor guest residence of Choate… it’s nicer than almost any hotel I’ve ever stayed in.. and from what I can tell.. I’m the only one in  the entire building..

Kinda cool.. and kinda spooky.. It’s the sort of place that makes me want to walk around in your bathrobe….. just because it’s empty.. But.. don’t worry.. I won’t…..  Gotta sleep now…

Nite folks.. Nite Sam
-me