Are you a Jurassic Park fan? If so, you’ll pleased to learn that the inspiration for protagonist Dr Alan Grant is our featured famous dyslexic today… paleontologist Jack Horner! Horner is known as a maverick who, despite a lack of formal training, has fundamentally transformed his field of study with his keen insight into dinosaur research.
Horner was born and raised in Montana, where he found his first dinosaur bone at age 8. He struggled with academics all throughout school, and flunked out of university six times. In fact, he never graduated, though he was later awarded several honorary doctorates for his brilliant work in paleontology.
In an interview, Horner said: “Back in the days when I was growing up, nobody knew what dyslexia was. . . . So everybody thought you were lazy or stupid or both. And I didn’t think I was, but I wasn’t sure. I had a lot of drive, and if somebody told me I was stupid, that usually helped–it really helped me take a lot more risks. For someone that everybody thinks is going to grow up to pump gas, you can take all the risks you want. Because if you fail, it doesn’t matter.”
He has a special ability to make connections and see things that other paleontologists can’t see, which has meant that he has been on the cutting edge of research for decades. His latest project is to recreate a dinosaur relative by altering the DNA of a chicken…! It is hoped that some of this genetic research will provide clues to solving persistent human disease as well.
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Sarah Forrest is a Literacy Specialist for the Easyread System, an online program for children with reading difficulties, dyslexia, auditory processing problems, and more. Get a free 10-day trial at www.oxfordlearningsolutions.com
