A forum for discussion ideas
The skills demanded of a good writer depend upon the genre. I can speak with some experience on didactic writing, because I’ve written more than 30 non-fiction books and textbooks on mathematics, intelligence, and finance. However, I will only speculate on the intellectual requirements for different types of fiction. Fiction at the highest level, such …
Do you have to be intelligent to be a good writer? Read More »
Absolutely! Debating is a learned skill. Of course, having a high intelligence and a depth of knowledge is an advantage, but a smart person who hasn’t honed a debating skill could be beaten easily in a debate with a less intelligent opponent who understands some fundamental techniques. Here are some examples of debating principles that …
Do we all have the potential to become the next Albert Einstein, or are some people born with greater brain power than the rest of us? The debate rages on, fueled by strong emotions and fomented by cherished ideologies. Many who subscribe to an egalitarian ideology argue that, except for the mentally challenged, we all …
In 1904, Alfred Binet was the director of the psychology laboratory at the Sorbonne in Paris. The Minister of Public Education commissioned Binet to develop tests to identify less capable students who should be provided some form of special education. To this purpose, Binet set out to develop a series of tests connected to everyday …
What was the controversy over the existence of intelligence? Read More »
When we are young, our brains grow at a prodigious rate. In a very short time, we acquire verbal language, learn how to read and write, and absorb information quickly, retaining names and reciting snippets of television commercials with 100% accuracy. Parents have forgotten how quickly they acquired knowledge and skills during their formative years, …
Why do parents think their child is a genius until the IQ Test is taken? Read More »
IQ is not an absolute measure of intelligence, but rather a measure relative to the rest of the human population. IQ tests are normed so that IQ scores are distributed on a normal curve with mean 100 and standard deviation 15 (Wechsler) or 16 (Stanford-Binet), as shown in the graph below. Someone with IQ of …
Mathematics in the modern sense, as a subject requiring the elaboration and proofs of theorems, evolved from the quest for “truth” by the philosophers of ancient Greece. Around 600 BC, Thales of Miletus is said to have proved that an angle inscribed in a semi-circle is a right angle. For enunciating a general relationship that …
As early as 700 BCE, the Greek poet Homer stated, “So it is that the gods do not give all men gifts of grace–neither good looks nor intelligence nor eloquence.” Every elementary school teacher can tell you that the children who enter their classroom at the beginning of each year soon display different personalities, learning …
Is High intelligence a Blessing we don’t all share? Read More »
In almost all the sciences, and especially physics, mathematics is the language in which ideas are expressed. In some cases, the ideas are so abstract that they cannot be expressed with any precision in a natural language. For example, look at the Einstein Field equation(s) below: The first term on the left side of this …
Why is mathematics necessary for the study of science? Read More »
The relative importance of IQ and EQ in determining your level of success in life depends upon your defintion of success and the career path you choose. EQ (emotional intelligence) typically means “people skills.” If you have a low EQ, then you are below average in your ability to empathize and connect with others (interpersonal …
Can a person with high IQ but low EQ be successful in life? Read More »
