What Makes Someone a Genius?

During our unit on the Renaissance, we learned about many great artists, scientists, and other influential people who were very important in that time of change. But what would classify them as a genius? According to the the handout we got in class, early geniuses were often skilled in more than one area, but this was not necessarily true for all brilliant minds.  Another criteria which I think a genius should have is that these people are creativeand made great contributions to society through their works and discoveries. One person of the Renaissance who definitely stands out as a genius is the “Renaissance Man”: Leonardo Da Vinci. He was a famous painter, inventor, engineer, and scientist who made many great works, such as the Mona Lisa, a tank, and a flying machine, that contributed to the Renaissance. Some other geniuses of that time were Francis Bacon, who promoted the scientific method during the scientific revolution, and William Shakespeare, who wrote many famous, classic plays and sonnets and invented many words and popular sayings. Galileo was skilled in physics, math, and astronomy,and by making an improved telescope, concluded that Copernicus’ theory of the sun-centered solar system was true. Issac Newton also was accomplished in math, physics, and astronomy. He discovered the nature of white light, invented the reflecting telescope, and discovered the law of gravity. These are just a few examples of geniuses from the Renaissance, but there are many more. The handout also says that the era of big geniuses may be over, but this won’t stop people from making new discoveries. So, what does make someone a genius? In my opinion, a genius is creative, is good at what they’re doing, and their works and discoveries make significant impact on society.