Conversation with ‘JayStar’ on Development, Talents, Achievements, Mathematics, and Philosophy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Publisher: In-Sight Publishing

Publisher Founding: March 1, 2014

Web Domain: http://www.in-sightpublishing.com

Location: Fort Langley, Township of Langley, British Columbia, Canada

Journal: In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal

Journal Founding: August 2, 2012

Frequency: Three (3) Times Per Year

Review Status: Non-Peer-Reviewed

Access: Electronic/Digital & Open Access

Fees: None (Free)

Volume Numbering: 12

Issue Numbering: 3

Section: A

Theme Type: Idea

Theme Premise: “Outliers and Outsiders”

Theme Part: 31

Formal Sub-Theme: None

Individual Publication Date: August 8, 2024

Issue Publication Date: September 1, 2024

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Word Count: 2,694

Image Credits: NASA on Unsplash.

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN): 2369-6885

*Please see the footnotes, bibliography, and citations, after the publication.*

Abstract

‘JayStar’ is considered to be one of the most intelligent people in the world by those known to him. He has competed against and holds wins over some of the best players in the world in Super Smash Bros, reached an NTRP level of 5.0 in tennis by the age of 18 while being largely self-taught, published various articles in both academic and non-academic journals, and is a student of mathematics and philosophy (previously specialized in Integrated Sciences with interests in cognitive systems, statistical and biological sciences). Additionally, he holds an RCM level 10 piano certification at the age of 14 and was previously a participant at chess regionals hosted by the chess’n math association. ‘JayStar’ discusses: more substantial development points; tennis; an RCM level 10 piano certification; an avid gamer; the field of chess; mathematics and philosophy; academic, professional goals; personal hopes; and other areas of mental competition.

Keywords: academic interests, competitive experiences, emotional development, intellectual stimulation, mathematical and philosophical Infinity, piano certification, social skills improvement, Super Smash Bros tournaments, tennis achievements, video game addiction.

Conversation with ‘JayStar’ on Development, Talents, Achievements, Mathematics, and Philosophy

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: For personal life, what do you consider your more substantial development points?

‘JayStar’: As a kid I was extremely competitive, trying to be as good as I can get at everything I cared for. Throughout my competitive experiences, I was able to learn to deal with emotions, make healthier decisions, and develop great connections with others.

I was addicted to video games, loved going outdoors to play soccer, cycling, going to the park, and playing tennis near the local park. Succeeding in these activities made me happy and I even wanted to become either a professional tennis player, youtuber, or professional gamer someday. Reality hit, and I’d have to focus on developing actual study and communication skills if I wanted to succeed personally.

In academics, I had begun to take an interest in it after high school due to some obsession over certain topics. Issue is, I spent too much time on those topics (completely unrelated to the coursework) rather than focusing on the tasks in front of me. Although I didn’t pay much attention in class, or cared about doing homework throughout elementary and high school, I was able to begin developing my interests. My academic experiences have helped me develop presentation skills, writing skills, and critical thinking that will allow me to utilize them in other areas of life.

I used to struggle with toxicity, narcissism and immaturity due to a host of negative childhood experiences and a lot of emotional neglect, but I started meeting and talking to individuals with great social skills that guided me the right way and I started to work hard everyday on improving my social skills, empathy and maturity. Growing up, I later suspected I was gifted intellectually (after having very little knowledge and being quite confused about many things), and realized what I needed was more communication with gifted individuals but very rarely did I end up communicating with gifted individuals until joining chess clubs, the competitive gaming community, chess clubs, research organizations, and various online communities which would only begin in teenage years) to enhance intellectual stimulation. I was also not selected for a gifted program and didn’t skip grades likely due to some trauma and issues with attention prior to entering school (which led to gaming addiction and other various interests throughout my life). Once I discovered more about myself and others through cognitive testing, discussions, seeking knowledge and various life achievements, I began to see reality much more nicely which is the ultimate development I suppose. 

Jacobsen: You are a tennis player. How does this help develop physically? How far have you gone in this endeavour? You are a three-time regional champion.

‘JayStar’: The unique aspect of tennis has to be the sound of the strokes whenever you hit the ball. Tennis is also good at training lateral movement – although quick vertical movement helps in dealing with drop shots. 

My first sport was soccer which I played at the local park in the city I grew up in. I went to the park a lot and did a lot of cross crossing and cycling during elementary school as well. I was attracted to tennis because it was a lot of fun, and there were tennis courts near the local park so I could often just bike there and play. Initial athletic experiences will have a strong impact on one’s current and future athletic experiences. Sports like soccer build up stamina, teamwork, and agility. Running cross-country and track builds up endurance and speed. Volley-ball develops teamwork and coordination, and sports like table tennis, badminton, squash and pickleball all resemble the techniques and shots in tennis.

In tennis, my best achievement is a toss up between being awarded the All-Star Award in 2014 throughout league player matches, being an Antique Bronze Medalist at the provincial championships, awarded the Mens A/B championship trophy in Singles at my tennis club in 2020 and being a three-time regional champion (once in singles, twice in doubles). In the future, I hope to play more competitive matches with players at similar higher levels. Up until now, I have reached the highest level at the club level (5.0  NTRP – which is also considered the highest level a self-taught player should reach and roughly the top 2% of USTA players to the best of my knowledge). Although my parents do not really have any experience with competitive sports, since they almost always let me go outside and bike around, I was able to then take it upon myself to learn everything I needed about the game.

Jacobsen: You have earned an RCM level 10 piano certification and play the baritone. What were some of the earlier inclinations as to musical talent in these areas?

‘JayStar’: In elementary school, everyone learned to play the recorder – which I forgot mostly about.

I originally intended to become a percussionist or play the Tuba although I settled for the Baritone and found it to be an interesting instrument. I was far from the best in my band and I usually struggled with tune, so I eventually quit in junior year of high school.I played for the high school instrumental band for two years and then quit however due to lack of continued interest

I started playing piano at the age of 7 since my parents wanted me to learn. In general I began playing piano at the age of 7, took lessons for 7 years (switched teachers along  the way and skipped two or so grades at some point). After learning from two different instructors, at the age of 14 I finally received the certification from the Royal Conservatory of Music for grade 10 piano. This is based on practicing for roughly 30 mins a day on average for 7 years. Music is great to learn to promote good study habits, focus, and passion for other things. As a child, I was not passionate about music and so did not pursue it further, and for the most part, it was forced until I had finished level 10. Some children are forced to play an instrument and are also forced to continue up until level 8 at the very least (although it is true that many people quit early on if they are uninterested). I believe music can be played until a late age and it is something I find more enjoyable than as a kid. 

I have entered two competitions and received second in a small local competition. I also played for musical halls and was considered to be somewhat talented (although I never considered myself to be all that great). 

Jacobsen: Also, you are an avid gamer, particularly for Super Smash Bros Ultimate. How far has your ranking gone in online rankings?

‘JayStar’: As a kid I spent quite a large amount of time playing or thinking/studying Call of Duty Black Ops 2, Call of Duty Ghosts, Super Smash Bros Melee, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Smash Bros for Wii U. Surprisingly, I actually practiced SSBU less than those other games, but mainly studied quite a bit and attended a good amount of tournaments from the end of 2018 until now. 

I haven’t played enough tournaments to be ranked highly on wifi and most top players avoid wifi tournaments. My best achievement here is that I was able to take a set off of a player named Icymist whom (if memory serves me correctly) was considered to be one of the best wifi players in the world at some point in time.

The issue’s online arises due to a poor internet connection, and the game being quite a lot different online than offline. I tend to attend far fewer tournaments than most of the top Canadian players, so it is often assumed that I am playing wifi more (which is somewhat true), although I believe it is more important to think about the game in an analytical way such as by studying videos of various players, and of one’s own habits and mistakes. Super Smash Bros is ultimately a game that relies on analyzing and adapting on the fly, while processing loads of information and making informed decisions.

Although irrelevant to your question, I do want to point out something I have learned over time through my experiences although I won’t say much at this time since I still want to learn more.What I noticed about Super Smash Bros players as a whole – they are very good at learning. I personally believe top professional Super Smash Bros players (such as MkLeo and Hungrybox – the former wanted to be a physicist growing up and had an interest in astrophysics and the latter also became can engineer) are at the same level of intelligence as historical polymaths such as Leonardo Da Vinci and Johann Goethe.  

Jacobsen: How far have you gone in the field of chess?

‘JayStar’: At the age of 14 and for 6 months, I was extremely passionate about learning chess and played it a bit for a few more months after. My peak skill level might have been somewhere around 1400-1800 ELO (cannot remember exactly at this time) depending on the opening although I seem to have dropped to an average level now. In fact, there was a chess national master in my high school and I could never beat him once but my experience with the chess club was truly a great experience for me and helped me develop a great interest in chess during that time. My best achievement (despite the loss) is taking a player rated approximately 2000 down to endgame (which I believe was my biggest weakness at the time) during a chess regional (possibly due to playing out of my mind and also my opponent possibly underestimating me a bit). During a period of 6 months, as far as I can remember I must have been thinking about chess for at least 4 hours a day, often playing during lunch period and sometimes after school with rivals, and if not, I’d be studying openings, thinking about moves, or watching different kinds of videos. I played on chess.com a lot in the past and I managed to compete in chess regionals (after getting 5th out of individuals in my grade in the qualifying event). I am considering competing more in the future because I enjoy this game a lot. 

Jacobsen: What was the ultimate interest in studying mathematics and philosophy?

‘JayStar’: First year is a general science year and then I ended up specializing in Integrated Sciences after a solid first year (which is generally considered a major for people interested in medicine) where most if not all of the graduates apparently get into graduate school or professional school. I decided to switch into something else and the only fields that seemed possible to graduate were either statistics or mathematics. I also had some plans to go into either law, medicine or computer science but I ultimately became more interested in learning various fields in the social sciences and humanities outside of my coursework.

I was drawn to mathematics after a statistics phd holder mentioned how only a few individuals in the world could truly understand topology (after some minimum level of experience) and I found that if I were to prove myself (at least, I should be in mathematics (although I have come to like applied mathematics as well and see the beauty in application too). Philosophy also requires a lot of analyzing which is a strength of mine and I enjoy learning about the field overall (although admittedly, I have developed some poor study habits since a child and neglected pre-readings and generally have had some issues paying attention in lecture due to my other passions in the social sciences (which are not relevant to the course work). I also wondered about my math ability ever since a kid because I felt that I hadn’t put in much effort or focus (or possibly zero at all aside from somewhat paying attention in some lectures in sophomore year of high school), which was also the year I managed to receive a certificate of distinction from participation in the high school Cayley Mathematics Competition featured by the university of waterloo.

My university has various options for mathematics and I am generally pleased by the professors, students and course offerings. I had my first taste of upper-level coursework in 2021 through complex analysis and then later took real analysis and abstract algebra (courses that are most important to an undergraduate mathematics degree if one wishes to pursue graduate level math) and kept going ever since.

My best achievement in mathematics is getting a 97 (one of the highest marks in differential calculus) with only about 20 or less hours of “serious” mathematics study my whole life (although I realize such a claim will be hard to believe  – it is ultimately based on what I can remember to the best of my ability at the current time. Up until now I have (by my estimate) less than 100 good hours of study in mathematics (since elementary school) which means I must study both hard and smart if I want to reach new heights.

Jacobsen: What are your academic, professional goals now?

‘JayStar’: I have an interest in the subject of mathematical and philosophical Infinity (whether or not I study the topic in academia or outside) and various other fields in both pure and applied math.  My current level of knowledge is not quite at the level of a typical graduate student but this only means I need to start studying seriously (which is admittedly something I have failed to do my whole life before due to many distractions).

I may have to look into other options however due to the lack of career opportunities in pure mathematics so if not professionally, I will have to develop a lot of mathematics knowledge while being self-taught such as Ramanujan (also known as the Man Who Knew Infinity) who managed to become one of the greatest math minds without formal schooling.

I am mostly interested in work that involves analytical skills and numbers but only time will tell. 

Jacobsen: What are your personal hopes for the next couple of years?

‘JayStar’: I hope to publish articles and write on many different subject areas (including biological sciences, psychological sciences, mathematical sciences and more). I’d also hope to continue competing in the next Smash game and aim for greater heights and face off against the best in the world on the big stage. I also hope to continue to enjoy athletics – such as going to the gym, playing pickleball, tennis and possibly coaching as well. 

Jacobsen: Are there other areas of mental competition that you’d like to develop a skill-set in and then compete?

‘JayStar’: I am always willing to try new things and test my mental capacity in tasks that require me to adapt to new situations.

I have little experience with trivia for instance, but it is something I might like to try someday.

I really admire the mathematician Noam Elkies for being a talent in math, music and chess. He became a chess national master at the age of 20 and a world-chess solving champion at the age of 30. John Nunn who received a PhD in mathematics at Oxford at the age of 23 and also became a Chess grandmaster at the age of 23 is also someone of whom someone who increases my motivation to pursue various activities to a higher level.

In Canada, there is a mathematician named Adam Logan who is extremely good at Scrabble. I do not have an extremely large vocabulary or general knowledge (which are areas of weakness at the moment in which I’d someday want to fill some of those gaps). I am not so knowledgeable in history and geography and were often my worst subjects in school but I am very willing to learn much more in these areas.

Jacobsen: Thank you for the opportunity and your time.

‘JayStar’: Thank you Scott. I am always inspired by your work and knowledge. It was my pleasure. 

Bibliography

None

Footnotes

None

Citations

American Medical Association (AMA 11th Edition): Jacobsen S. Conversation with ‘JayStar’ on Development, Talents, Achievements, Mathematics, and Philosophy. August 2024; 12(3). http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/jaystar

American Psychological Association (APA 7th Edition): Jacobsen, S. (2024, August 8). Conversation with ‘JayStar’ on Development, Talents, Achievements, Mathematics, and Philosophy. In-Sight Publishing. 12(3).

Brazilian National Standards (ABNT): JACOBSEN, S. Conversation with ‘JayStar’ on Development, Talents, Achievements, Mathematics, and Philosophy. In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal, Fort Langley, v. 12, n. 3, 2024.

Chicago/Turabian, Author-Date (17th Edition): Jacobsen, Scott. 2024. “Conversation with ‘JayStar’ on Development, Talents, Achievements, Mathematics, and Philosophy.” In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal 12, no. 3 (Summer). http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/jaystar.

Chicago/Turabian, Notes & Bibliography (17th Edition): Jacobsen, S “Conversation with ‘JayStar’ on Development, Talents, Achievements, Mathematics, and Philosophy.” In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal 12, no. 3 (August 2024).http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/jaystar.

Harvard: Jacobsen, S. (2024) ‘Conversation with ‘JayStar’ on Development, Talents, Achievements, Mathematics, and Philosophy’, In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal, 12(3). <http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/jaystar>.

Harvard (Australian): Jacobsen, S 2024, ‘Conversation with ‘JayStar’ on Development, Talents, Achievements, Mathematics, and Philosophy’, In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal, vol. 12, no. 3, <http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/jaystar>.

Modern Language Association (MLA, 9th Edition): Jacobsen, Scott. “Conversation with ‘JayStar’ on Development, Talents, Achievements, Mathematics, and Philosophy.” In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal, vo.12, no. 3, 2024, http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/jaystar.

Vancouver/ICMJE: Scott J. Conversation with ‘JayStar’ on Development, Talents, Achievements, Mathematics, and Philosophy [Internet]. 2024 Aug; 12(3). Available from: http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/jaystar.

License & Copyright In-Sight Publishing by Scott Douglas Jacobsen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. ©Scott Douglas Jacobsen and In-Sight Publishing 2012-Present. Unauthorized use or duplication of material without express permission from Scott Douglas Jacobsen strictly prohibited, excerpts and links must use full credit to Scott Douglas Jacobsen and In-Sight Publishing with direction to the original content.