I am writing this on behalf of all dyslexics everywhere and especially on behalf of those who have failed exams because of not remembering facts, names or times tables.

There seems to be a new definition of ‘brainy’ being banded about on TV. I talk of those shows called ‘the Brainiest…’ and the one which would make Einstein turn in his grave, ‘The Einstein Factor’.

Both more than imply that intelligence can be measured by the amount of facts and numbers, often trivial in nature that you remember and can recall quickly. True genius apparently is being able to recall trivial facts the fastest.

So the famous physicist, Albert Einstein, who I assume the program is named after, would actually rate as … well pretty stupid. He could not recall even the most basic physics “musts” and in fact was heard to say that you “could know too many facts and get lost amongst them”. Why clutter a brain with facts when they can easily be found in a reference book?

- taken from “The Mind’s Eye” by Thomas G. West. Published by Prometheus Books 1991)

The brain, he said, could get cluttered by facts and that this took away your ability to think properly. So why, suddenly, does trivial facts equal intelligence? And if this is correct then why do intelligence tests not just consist of trivia questions?

What do you think?
If being able to easily recall facts were a sign of genius this would mean, of course, that computers are very intelligent and so are dictionaries. And as for the new personal organizers – well they should be running countries.

Whichever way you look at this here is another way of making us dyslexics seem stupid. I mean hasn’t the world come up with enough of them already? Could these people still be inventing ways of making us seem stupid because we are, in fact, brighter than them and far more successful – and they are envious?

How many of them can start a business and turn it into a million dollar industry in a few years, as many, many dyslexics have done? How many could actually unify space and time in one elegant theory, as Albert Einstein did? Could they have invented the electric light, the production line or the telephone? No instead they have invented English spelling. And how clever is that?

I leave you with a newspaper headline from the UK (The Sunday Times October 5 2003).
“Secret of the super successful…they’re dyslexic”.

‘Psychologists who analysed the mental make up of business winners found (dyslexic type) learning difficulties are one of the most important procurers of financial success’.

I run a few businesses but I would never employ anyone who won shows like these because, in fact, those who are worst at remembering trivia often turn out to be the cleverest at being successful. So in the next series of “Australians Brainiest Kid” the ones with the lowest scores should win.