Editing Norbert Wiener (section)

===Youth===
Wiener was born in [[Columbia, Missouri]], the first child of [[Leo Wiener]] and Bertha Kahn, [[Jewish]] immigrants from [[Lithuanian Jews|Lithuania]] and [[German Jews|Germany]], respectively. Through his father, he was related to [[Maimonides]], the famous [[rabbi]], philosopher and physician from [[Al Andalus]], as well as to [[Akiva Eger]], [[chief rabbi]] of [[Poznań|Posen]] from 1815 to 1837.<ref name=Montagnini-2017/>{{rp|style=ama|page=4}}

Leo had educated Norbert at home until 1903, employing teaching methods of his own invention, except for a brief interlude when Norbert was seven years of age. Earning his living teaching German and Slavic languages, Leo read widely and accumulated a personal library from which the young Norbert benefited greatly. Leo also had ample ability in mathematics and tutored his son in the subject until he left home. In his autobiography, Norbert described his father as calm and patient, unless he (Norbert) failed to give a correct answer, at which his father would lose his temper.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wallace |first=Amy |url=https://archive.org/details/prodigy00wall/mode/2up?q=%22wiener%22&view=theater |title=The prodigy |date=1986 |publisher=New York : E.P. Dutton |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-0-525-24404-2 |pages=57}}</ref>

In "The Theory of Ignorance", a paper he wrote at the age of 10, he disputed "man’s presumption in declaring that his knowledge has no limits", arguing that all human knowledge "is based on an approximation", and acknowledging "the impossibility of being certain of anything."<ref>{{harvnb|Conway|Siegelman|2005}}</ref>

He graduated from [[Ayer High School]] in 1906 at 11 years of age, and Wiener then entered [[Tufts College]]. He was awarded a [[Bachelor of Arts|BA]] in mathematics in 1909 at the age of 14, whereupon he began graduate studies of [[zoology]] at [[Harvard]].  In 1910 he transferred to [[Cornell University|Cornell]] to study philosophy. He graduated in 1911 at 17 years of age.<ref name="NYT Norbert Wiener obituary">{{cite web | title=Dr. Norbert Wiener Dead at 69; Known as Father of Automation | website=The New York Times | date=1964-03-19 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/03/19/archives/dr-norbert-wiener-dead-at-69-known-as-father-of-automation.html | access-date=2024-01-14}}</ref>