The Singular Mind of Terry Tao
Authors routinely cherry pick mathematicians / scientists to perpetuate the 'scientist as weirdo' myth. It is fundamentally dishonest and misleads the general population. Here, the author chooses, Newton, Nash, and Pearlman. Of that, Nash was diagnozed and treated for a mental illness. That doesn't make him a weirdo at all. There is very likely no causative relationship between passion for math or science and schizophrenia. However, in Newton and Pearlman's case, their singular passion for math / science probably did lead them to be 'weirdos' in other matters.<p>Now, coming to the cherry picking part, the author may well have chosen, Bohr, Einstein, Feynman, Von Neumann, and Witten and come to the exact opposite conclusion that Tao is in the mold of the 'typical' otherwise-normal scientific genius.<p>I think journalists, etc. owe it to the general public, and in particular, to young aspiring scientists, to not perpetuate the myth of the mad scientist.