learn, teach, grow!

[astroaztec]

Link of the week (maybe month, year, or lifetime).
Scientific American looks at human cognition, learning, motivation, and how the brain is a muscle.
There is no human for whom an understanding of this is irrelevant (nor animal, nor any aspect of human existence).

Comments

[kor27.livejournal.com]

Quite a good article!

The only problem I have with it is the constant use of the word "intelligence." From what little I've read and heard, "intelligence" itself is relatively innate.

And also overrated. It's at best comparable to processing speed in a computer system. But we all know that that pales when compared with wisdom, knowledge, and (for a whole host of problems) technique.

I knew a woman once who was, for all intents and purposes, pretty stupid. Every now and then she'd stop - and I mean freeze - for a few minutes, and then come back with a decision, and proceed with things.

And I've always admired her, because they were all really good decisions. She did much better than "smarter" people who made off-the-cuff determinations on the same things.

[astroaztec.livejournal.com]

I think this is why I prefer to discourse with "cognition" rather than "intelligence". The latter is subject to nitty arguments over its meaning, whereas the former is a process. It's like the kinds of arguments which arise about "science" in the absence of the context of the "scientific method".

[kor27.livejournal.com]

For the purposes of the article, I'd personally prefer words like "ability" or "achievement."

Last I heard, the best definition for "intelligence" was "that which IQ tests measure," and if you've ever met a lot of Mensa members, you'd know that was overrated.

[astroaztec.livejournal.com]

It's a meat process.