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"In September 1813 Colburn was being exhibited in Dublin. Colburn was pitted against the 8-year-old William Rowan Hamilton in a mental arithmetic contest, with Colburn emerging the clear victor. In reaction to his defeat, Hamilton dedicated less time to studying languages and more time to studying mathematics."

This is the same Hamilton that brought amazing contributions to physics and algebra. I didn't realize Hamilton was also a child prodigy, although it isn't surprising.




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