In the past several months, I’ve posted comments decrying California’s Frameworks for Mathematics in its denial of giftedness and its abandonment of programs to meet the needs of gifted students. (See https://www.intelligence-and-iq.com/does-americas-have-its-priorities-in-order/) An important goal of the Framework is to replace ideas of innate mathematics “talent” and “giftedness” with the recognition that every student is …
The three concepts, intelligence, wisdom and cleverness, have some overlap because they all draw from our ability to learn. The following definition of intelligence, given by psychologist Linda Gottfredson in 1997, has achieved wide consensus among members of the American Psychological Association (APA): Intelligence is a very general mental capability that, among other things, involves …
What’s the Difference between Intelligence, Wisdom and Cleverness? Read More »
In the mid-1970’s, I was teaching a graduate course in number theory at the University of Toronto. About one-third of my fifty students were Chinese from Hong Kong. These students were significantly better in their mastery and application of number theoretic concepts than most of the others. It was one of my earliest encounters with …
Are the Asians Smarter than the Rest of Us at Mathematics and Physics? Read More »
In August 1900, a 21-year-old student named Albert Einstein graduated in physics from Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) in Zurich with a commendable mark of 4.91 out of 6. Since it was customary for students to be offered junior academic appointments upon graduation, Einstein was bitterly disappointed when he was the only one of his graduating …
Einstein was Born 143 years ago–Why Does he Remain the Icon for Genius? Read More »
When we see the genocide perpetrated by Putin, we assume that he is different from us–a psychopath who will destroy anyone who gets between him and his ambitions. Could it be that we all have the capacity to destroy others given the appropriate circumstances? Please read on before you smash your computer. A growing body …
If you’re a skier and you’ve attended a ski school, you observe that prior to instruction, the ski instructors divide their students into three or more groups. The beginners are assigned to the “bunny hill” where they learn to navigate a simple slope and use a rope tow to return to the top of the …
What are Some of the Advantages & Disadvantages of Grouping Students by Intelligence? Read More »
In theory, it would seem to be relatively easy to decrease intelligence by destroying brain cells or their interconnections (synapses). Surprisingly, the brain’s neuroplasticity enables it to rebuild parts of the brain that have been destroyed through surgery or disease. In cases when hemispherectomies (removal of one of the brain’s two hemispheres) have been performed …
Do You Lose IQ Points when You Tip a Glass or Two? Read More »
Today, March 1 is the birthday of Frédéric Chopin, one of the great musical geniuses of the Romantic Era in classical music. Frédéric Chopin was born on March 1, 1810 in Żelazowa Wola, a village near Warsaw. A renowned child-prodigy pianist and composer, he grew up in Warsaw where he completed his musical education. At …
A Celebration of Chopin’s Genius on his Birthday recalls the Defiance of Invading Armies Read More »
Throughout the cold winter weeks in February of 2022, Russian tanks rolled across the steppe of Eurasia to the border of Ukraine, gathering like a flock of vultures, patiently waiting for an opportune time to strike. Troops gathered by the hundred thousands waiting for orders while Vladimir Putin weighed his options. Was Putin playing high-stakes …
On February 24, the world watched in horror as Russian missiles were fired across the border and their tanks rolled into Ukraine. It was just 3 decades ago that the Cold War ended as the USSR collapsed from within, and now a new Cold War is about to unfold. Is it possible that the tribalism …
Is the Russian Invasion of Ukraine Evidence of Innate Human Tribalism? Read More »
