Canadian author and mathematician John Mighton is the founder of JUMP (Junior Undiscovered Math Prodigies), a charitable organization that works to educate students in mathematics. He is the author of The Myth of Ability (2003) and The End of Ignorance (2007). Mighton is also a playwright, whose works include Possible Worlds, The Little Years, Body & Soul, Scientific Americans, A Short History of Night, and Half Life. He has a Doctorate in Mathematics. He also advised Gus Van Sant, Matt Damon, and Ben Affleck on the script for Good Will Hunting while it was shot in Toronto; Mighton was originally contacted to check the math/script but Van Sant liked him so much that he gave him a small part as the professor's assistant. His one major line is a reference to his main idea in The Myth of Ability, which is that most people never get a chance because a teacher doesn't take the time to show them how to learn. Mighton was born in Hamilton, Ontario on October 2, 1957 and lives in Toronto, Ontario.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Mighton