The MacArthur Genius Grants were announced today. I always enjoy reading the news about these grants, because I like to imagine the disbelief and excitement of the recipients at hearing they have won a big prize just for being extra-clever. I also love reading the descriptions of the type of work these people are doing. There is such little media focus on people like this, like the engineer who figured out how to have more efficient refrigerators and the artist who put little glass beads on everything in her kitchen. I think what makes them "geniuses" is not the fact that they are smart or brainy or particularly extra creative. What makes them notable is that they have taken the skills and talents they have and DISPLAYED them. They take their passion and put it on the public stage. They spread around the ideas, through art, science and technology - they show it to the world. The energy and love each one has for the work they do is palpable.

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