INTERESTING(?) TEST RESPONSES

Test Responses - Wait...What...?

1. What battle did Hannibal die in?

A: His last.

2. Where was the Magna Carta signed?

A: On the bottom.

3. If you cut a pear in half, what can you say about the pieces?

A: I'd want the bigger half.

4. If you had a coconut and 2 bananas in your left hand and 3 lemons and 2 plums in the right, what number comes to mind?

A: No number, but your left hand is bigger than your right if it can hold a coconut and 2 bananas.

5. What is the primary reason for failure?

A: Low grades.

THE IMPORTANCE OF STORIES TO HUMAN INTELLIGENCE

Our lives revolve around stories - at home, at work, in school, at leisure.

We read them; we tell them; we listen to them.

Stories are entertaining, informative, and, sometimes, persuasive.

They chronicle our lives and put the world in context.

So, are stories the foundation of human intelligence?

For a brief, insightful exploration of that question, including the connection of stories to studies of artificial intelligence, read what Tania Lombrozo, psychology professor at UC Berkeley, has to say in an NPR piece.

CLICK HERE

SCIENTISTS CREATE SUPER-INTELLIGENT AND LESS ANXIOUS MICE

Researchers from Canada and Britain have discovered that manipulating a particular gene in mice can result in improved learning, memory, and problem-solving.  

In addition, the mice in the study became less anxious.

Focusing on the gene that controls the PDE4B enzyme, which is found in the brain and elsewhere, scientists were able to make mice smarter, with noticeably decreased levels of fear and anxiety.  The mice became faster learners and less fearful of normally "scary" events, such as the presence of cat urine.

The discovery, published in the science journal  Neuropsychopharmacology, has prompted a move toward similar increased studies, with a focus on animals, and with a hope that the results might eventually transfer to humans as well.  Such a transfer could mean potentially significant aid in the battle against brain difficulties, especially as related to aging.

BEST RECENT BOOKS ABOUT INTELLIGENCE

A diverse offering.  All published in the past year.  In no particular rank.


Search: How the Data Explosion Makes Us Smarter by Stefan Weitz

"Search is as old as language. We've always needed to find something in the jumble of human creation... Author Stefan Weitz explores the idea of access to help readers understand how we are inventing new ways to search and access data through devices in more places and with more capabilities."  
(Click image below to Look Inside.)






The Future of the Mind: The Scientific Quest to Understand, Enhance, and Empower the Mind
by Michio Kaku

"For the first time in history, the secrets of the living brain are being revealed by a battery of high tech brain scans devised by physicists. Now what was once solely the province of science fiction has become a startling reality. Recording memories, telepathy, videotaping our dreams, mind control, avatars, and telekinesis are not only possible; they already exist." 
(Click image below to Look Inside.)




Gender Intelligence:  Breakthrough Strategies for Increasing Diversity and Improving Your Bottom Line by Barbara Annis and Keith Merron

"World-renowned experts on gender intelligence Barbara Annis and Keith Merron suggest it’s time to move beyond arguments based on politics and fairness, building an economic business case for gender diversity in the workplace."
(Click image below to Look Inside.)

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SuperIntelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies by Nick Bostrom

"Superintelligence asks the questions: What happens when machines surpass humans in general intelligence? Will artificial agents save or destroy us? Nick Bostrom lays the foundation for understanding the future of humanity and intelligent life." 
(Click the image below to Look Inside.) 




How Successful People Think Smart: 7 Ways You Can Develop Their Mind Power by Dr. Jill Ammon-Wexler

"Why are some people so successful?  The secret is how they use their brain power.  Here's how YOU can duplicate their secrets. This fast-reading book shows EXACTLY how the brains of successful men and women are different – WHY they’re smarter, faster, more creative and unstoppable and end up on top."
(Click the image below to Look Inside.) 


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(The above description-blurbs are excerpted from the book's Amazon page.)

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO MATCH HUMAN INTELLIGENCE IN 30 YEARS?

According to a noted scientist at Imperial College London, machines may be as smart as humans in 30 years or sooner. 

Professor of Cognitive Robots, Murray Shanahan, an expert in the field of AI, is quoted in an interview with TechRadar that there is better than a 50-50 chance that artificial intelligence will match human intelligence in his lifetime. 

This prediction comes amidst the much-publicized interest of Google, Yahoo, and Facebook in the field of artificial intelligence.  Recently, Google purchased AI company DeepMind for a reported 400 million pounds.

Shanahan points to significant achievements in areas such as speech recognition as indications that the science of AI is progressing relatively quickly.

For more information on this report CLICK HERE 

For information about increasing intelligence in yourself or your children, or improving skills - such as memory, reading, writing, vocabulary, spelling, and English usage - explore INTELLIGENT CHILDREN and BRIGHTEN UP - click here 

CAN GESTURES HELP CHILDREN TO GET SMARTER?

Researchers at SF State have found that young children who use gestures solve problems well in certain instances.

In the study, children from two-and-a-half to five years of age were asked to sort cards by color and shape. Children who used gestures performed better than those who did not or those who gestured less. Gestures included hand movements that demonstrated card images, like rabbits.

CLICK HERE for more information on the study

INTELLIGENT CHILDREN

INTELLIGENT CHILDREN: A Brief Introduction To What Today's Smart Parents Know About Increasing A Child's Intelligence

Click Here For More Info

ILLUSIONS - WHAT YOU SEE VERSUS WHAT'S REALLY THERE

There is some fascinating material about Illusions in this video clip.  If you have a few minutes, it is worth watching, not only for its entertainment value but to understand just a bit better the complexities of the brain. Click here.

FLUID INTELLIGENCE AND CRYSTALLIZED INTELLIGENCE

In the world of "intelligence", we often hear the terms "fluid intelligence" and "crystallized intelligence".  What are they?  The simple, basic descriptions below will help to separate them.

Fluid Intelligence refers to the ability to solve problems and work with relationships without any previous training regarding those relationships.  It is the ability to reason, to think abstractly, to generate strategies, and to think quickly - "on the fly", so to speak.  When one develops strategies for an exam, for example, or solves puzzles, we see Fluid Intelligence in action.  It is thought that Fluid Intelligence is a physiologically-rooted capacity that sharpens and develops through the younger years into early adulthood, and then tapers off.

Crystallized Intelligence, on the other hand, is the ability to use stored knowledge or experience to complete a task - for example, when one recalls learned knowledge to answer questions on an exam.  It is thought that Crystallized Intelligence is rooted in personality, culture, and education, and that it continues to develop through the adult years.

Discover more about different kinds of intelligence in (click) Intelligent Children.