I have the same issue, with 12 and 13 year old sons. programming is a unique frame of mind and not everyone finds it as pasionate. I recently taught the oldest how to create domains and gave him access to a webserver and he is obsessed with coding html. ( www.kirkster.ky and www.simster.ky ) Dont know how much of it is original or just cut and paste but it looks impressive. With the other, being a bit more focused and detailed, i started building a graphics engine from scratch, and included him in the entire process, with the intentions of adding physics, collision, joints etc for a virtual robotic workbench, the trick here is to merge programming with something the kid finds rewarding, not just raw programming for programming sake. Its not structured but it does jump start the process.

My take on our motivation model shows that free will really is an illusion. We seem to exist with a basic rule, satisfy pleasure aquisition / pain avoidance quotas, but with some prioritization applied to the current set of existing opportunities. Bear in mind that pain / pleasure is not only physical but inferred. that we are hungry and can delay eating for some time while we complete an important task during the work day does not indicate free willed beings but intelligent puppets. We are enslaved by programmed needs. Might sound harsh but thats how i've seen it. As a programmer i love being self analytical, and have always asked this question, is pain virtual? this question when answered will help in designing very nice motivation systems. anyone has a thought on what pain really is?

Maybe a particular strain of evolution has a ceiling of permitted change. a sub-species by design (oops) might be limited to a finite amount of changes before it flatlines and never evolves anymore where another might evolve to extinction or ultimate superiority.