To the Editor:

[Leonardo da Vinci] is reputed by some to have developed his genius mind by focusing on an aspect of intelligence that is often ignored. Leonardo, as a boy, sought to develop advanced perceptual skills in order to study the natural phenomena around him. While others sought to simply look at things, he sought to observe the designs of trees, plants, animals, including the human body. He was fascinated by the phenomena of movement when birds flew.

By challenging what he saw, he was anxious to generate more detail so as to increase his understanding in order to document remarkable observations in his Codex notebooks, which he continuously updated. He realized that the study of nature’s intelligent designs produced mathematical relationships and scientific associations not previously apparent. This resulted in his incredible inventiveness that was hundreds of years ahead of its times. He excelled in many scientific fields of study, including aeronautical designs.

Leonardo had no formal education. While other Italian youngsters focused on studying documents in order to learn to read and write, Leonardo instead sought to use his mind to learn about the different visual images in his constantly changing natural surroundings. There were few societal obstacles that impeded him from following this path to learning. This unique method of learning provoked his mind to make conceptual connections between things he heard, like the sounds of a church bell and the circular ripples he saw appearing when a stone hit the water. He sought to make new connections, which led to his genius achievements. This brain mechanism was recently discovered by neuroscientists. It is called “pattern recognition.” It involves millions of neurons operating together to recognize new connections not previously evident. This creative processing skill enhances understanding at higher level brain functioning.

One has to wonder why we trust educators who deprive our children of creative skill training when creative thinking is a necessary ingredient in developing intelligence. We are living and operating in a new creative paradigm with its new insights and principles. There should be a national concerted effort to rethink a curriculum to include training to nurture creative thinking skills. Recent reports point to the fact that the focus on creativity has declined in American schools.

While parents fail to realize the importance of creative thinking, they should read the recent Harvard report that identifies creative thinking skills as a basic requirement for success in the workplace. They remain content to accept their children’s inability to figure simple challenges or the lack of common sense in this new generation. Their minds are capable of “processing snap shots” of student report cards, intelligence test results, and SAT scores, believing that these are the only indicators of intelligence. But recent discoveries in the neurosciences postulate that the mind’s ability extends beyond our verbal mindset. The mind can reach beyond the current education model. The mind’s potential abilities are infinite because the whole universe is an intelligent field. Leonardo’s inventions and achievement attest to this.

Dr Rudy Magnan

Oakview Drive, Sandy Hook January 29, 2021