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@cho-uc They did mention chemicals in the book. They said there is some promise for possibly affecting gene expression. However, the author said that just about every claim out there for increasing IQ is false. Now, I do know that coffee affects the brain is such a way as to allow people to concentrate better. So chemicals to improve general brain function I think are a thing. Its just there are not credible ways to lastingly increase IQ. At least none of the ways that claim to do this have had any serious studies that have resulted in positives.
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Sad to learn we can’t get smarter and it is decided from birth(even before that lol).
But as you’ve said(almost) experience is the key. If you solve an IQ test you’ll get whatever your IQ is(give or take) but if you solve it again after few years for sure you’ll get a higher score since you’ll remember maybe not the question itself but way of thinking to employ while solving such problems. Or similarly you could solve a different IQ test and you’d still get better score than you would if you haven’t done the very first test. -
@neriald Yes, this is something I have observed. You learn the "tricks" of some of the questions. For instance a lot of times they have number sequences that you must get the next number. Many times this is actually more than one sequence in the same number sequence. They are also unrelated. However, once you know to look for that those get easier.
I think the book mentions "learning the test". They try to the tests to avoid this problem. However, this is only as good as the cleverness of the designer of the test. -
They also said basketball was a talent based on genes... until a watched a SHORT, FAT, MIDDLEAGED guy demolish a whole team of young, lean, 'experienced' players..singlehandedly.
They also said voice and singing were talents based on genes... until I watched the process of someone improving their vocal techique and learned it involves muscles..LIKE ANYTHING ELSE, that you can train.
Yes IQ is probably fixed, but skill is mostly about experience, and experience is mostly about learning *process* which is NOT fixed.
It's not what you have, it's how you use it.
And then theres the entire matter of *organization* and *specialization*, where say, you're not smart enough to do [x], but your buddy whos 'smarter' *is*, and you're good at soothing his anxieties and motivating him to get things done or persuading him to work together.
Who needs smarts when you can recognize and cultivate talent?
In any case, in all likelihood, science is probably wrong about fixed IQ too. -
@Wisecrack I secretly hope to find the secret to IQ improvement some day. However, even if one finds the secret it will take convincing and money to get it tested to be considered as data worth considering. So even if found the status quo belief will continue. It is also a ratio to other people. As other people get smarter (which they are, the book describes this) the IQ scores will stay the same. The book also says we are getting smarter at a rate that evolution cannot explain.
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@Demolishun
Probably has a lot to do with nutrition. Nutrition has improved massively over *just* the last 100 years. Of course we're "getting smarter."
And so what if you can't prove it? If it gives you an edge why would you share something so monumental?
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a fun stuff!
Intelligence had a future till...
I have an interest in methods to make myself smarter. At times some ideas seem to be just out of my reach. I don't always know the reason why. Eventually with persistence I am able to figure things out. However, I always wonder if there are techniques to learn things faster, better, more completely, with less struggle, etc. Would being smarter help with this. I wondered, "Can I create a program/method to increase IQ through training?"
So I found an interesting book called "The Neuroscience of Intelligence" by Richard J. Haier.
Very quickly I was engrossed in this book. It is written in a very accessible way and slowly trickles in the jargon. The book is basically the culmination of 40 years of studying the subject. The main point of the book is: you cannot increase your IQ through techniques and tricks. The only realistic avenue for increasing IQ is through genetics. Your IQ is based upon nature, not nurture. This is a result of the data, not opinion. The writer of this book follows what the science is telling him. This was not what I wanted to hear. He also went on to explain that the statement "You can be whatever you want to be if you work hard enough." He said this is false. Some people, no matter how hard they try, will not be able to get past certain limitations in aptitude. This statement will probably make a lot of people mad, but the data led this researcher to this conclusion. Though I sense he found this disheartening (my opinion). I know I did.
So after reading this book over the weekend I am a bit perturbed that there are not recognizable techniques to increase IQ through mental exercises. Websites all over will say otherwise, but it isn't a thing.
What to do? I decided I am going to find ways to maximize my potential. I will create a set of mental exercises that help me use what I got to the full potential. I know when I see different ways to think about things I get a bit better at solving problems. So learning and experience is still a way to improve your intellect, if not IQ. If I feel like I have made progress in this endeavor I will definitely share.
If you have any interest in neuroscience then I recommend the book I read this weekend. It is very accessible for the reader not versed in the subject. I knew virtually nothing about the topic and now I feel I have a good grounding in the state of the art. It has some neat info on some potentially better approaches to AI as well.
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