What’s the Difference between Intelligence, Wisdom and Cleverness?

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 …

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Are the Asians Smarter than the Rest of Us at Mathematics and Physics?

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 …

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Einstein was Born 143 years ago–Why Does he Remain the Icon for Genius?

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 …

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What are Some of the Advantages & Disadvantages of Grouping Students by Intelligence?

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 …

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Do You Lose IQ Points when You Tip a Glass or Two?

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 …

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A Celebration of Chopin’s Genius on his Birthday recalls the Defiance of Invading Armies

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 …

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