Originally Posted by
Redjack
i never understand why people think this is a competition.
No two geniuses are alike and, while their skills may overall, it's most likely their INTERESTS don't.
The easiest way to think of the difference between Shuri and T'Challa is she is focused on pure research and experimentation for its own sake (lots of adventure potential there) and he is concerned with practical applications and that can solve problems that are in front of him or coming up.
She might take too long to wrap her head around immediate issues while he is too keen to slap together an energy siphon or cosmic cannon right away. again, drama and conflict without competition.
How seriously do they take magic in a scientific context? Wakanda's history would indicate, for their culture, there's little difference between the two (contrast with Tony Stark and Reed Richards who are hardcore anti-magic as an actual thing). And also, what branches of magic are natural to a central African culture (possibly the first African actual culture ever) vs the western European kinds we're used to seeing portrayed?
etc.
drama doesn't always come from actual conflict. sometimes differences can be both energizing and happy.
once a year the sibling might have a contest to see who can solve a random problem using just the stuff on a workbench. just for FUN.
how do you actually unpgrade a techno jungle? who decides what's the best angle to take on that?
point is, genius, after a certain point, can't actually be qualified or measured, only expressed.