Science writer, Malcolm Gladwell, debates the worth of placing so much attention on childhood prodigies and whether the notion of childhood prodigy hasn't been romanticized beyond it's importance.

Our romanticized view of precociousness matters. When certain kids are singled out as gifted or talented, Gladwell suggested, it creates an environment that may be subtly discouraging to those who are just average. “In singling out people like me at age 13 for special treatment, we discouraged other kids from ever taking up running at all. And we will never know how many kids who might have been great milers had they been encouraged and not discouraged from joining running, might have ended up as being very successful 10 years down the road.”

I think putting so much attention on child prodigies also stresses them out and society's burdens become too much to bear... a typical thing is they become reclusive. Perhaps, while not overstated, this is what happened to William Sidis in a related clip @ http://www.clipmarks.com/clipmark/7EDAC6C6-53AA-4058-975D-D83E9309AB2D/

I like Malcolm Gladwell a lot, especially 'cause he gets described as so many things. He just doesn't pigeonhole well. Here, he's a "science writer"!