ABSTRACT
Summary: The first years of a child’s life are characterized by a number of sensitive periods-periods of heightened and selective responsiveness to everything that is going on around him or her.1 Sensitive periods-which constitute the developmental foundation of individual innovation2-accelerate the child’s development through the actualization of his or her intellectual potential and the growth of cognitive resources.3 This chapter is about the developmental foundation of innovation in the case of scientific talent. It explores the role of sensitive periods in the development of Albert Einstein. It was found that a number of overlapping sensitive periods distinguished a trajectory of Einstein’s educational development and this explains the emergence of his scientific genius. The implications for innovation education are discussed.
