So many young prospective engineers read HN every day. Let's find comments that are encouraging or thought provoking or point readers in helpful directions Like @londons_explore did.
Bringing the beatdown is bad for everyone. Especially bad for young engineers. This kid is impressive, straight up impressive. Let's encourage him and others like him. HN shouldn't someone's supervillain origin story.
Unlike a lot of breathless "engineering breakthrough" stories, this piece, as well as young Mr. Sansone himself, readily acknowledge that this is a work in progress and may not pan out. Even if it doesn't, what an incredible achievement for a high-schooler – and just imagine the great contributions to the field this kid is poised to make in the coming decades.
Well let's curb the expectations for now, it can be quite damaging for a kid be held forever to an potentially unrealistic standard just because they did something great once. I mean sure for the occasional genius it turns out fine because they live up to it, but for the rest it's a self hate and imposter syndrome on steroids.
I don't think you have to worry too much about that.
Thanks for being real.
This is wonderful work and it makes me feel bubbly about the future of engineering when young adults are _this engaged_.
It's healthy to question media narrative as the media tend to sensationalize and embellish stories for clicks or views. It's disingenuous to try to make people feel guilty about it arguing if we question that story that child will turn bad or something, in an post-truth era. Nobody is attacking that kid, just how the media cover these stories with a template.
"The higher we soar the smaller we appear to those who cannot fly."
It might not be one of those, and it's not fair to assume it _is_ one of those... but discussing whether it is or not isn't rude/mean, and probably _should_ be standard practice.
> If this kid can't handle a little bit of criticism
I do expect adults - over 25 - to take the rough with the smooth. But children are not adults.
I think you're assuming your own competence at pedagogy. I would want to shield children from you until they've developed the resilience you demand from them.
Also, the emotional tone - sheesh
Giving and getting feedback is hard. It's a skill and it doesn't come easily to most. Sometimes hurting someone's feelings is inevitable, but starting from a place of "toughen up buttercup" is really self-serving and counterproductive.
There is always someone better than you, and always someone worse. Always someone who knows something you don't, and always someone who can learn from you.
He's 17 years old, so he's not a full adult. But classing him as a child, in the same category as 6 year olds, seems further from the truth than calling him an adult. 17 years old is old enough to join the army, today, in numerous developed first world nations like New Zealand, Norway, and with parental consent, Germany and America.
Most 6 year olds have figured out that "maybe" means "probably not". Many adults have forgotten that lesson.
I think it's worth celebrating even minor contributions toward a potentially world changing future personally.
Anyway, I hope Robert Samsone uses FEMM analysis to design his motor. It will definity help him build less prototypes.