Comments on: Are we getting smarter or dumber?

Mike Merzenich, a neuroscientist, investigates whether intelligence in the Internet age is really on the upswing.

Effect vs. affect

Effect means to create, to bring into being, to cause to happen... "I will effect change".

Affect means to alter due to proximity... "I will be affected by change".

[meyersm]

Fixed

Thank you.

[noneofyobeeswax]

effect = noun, consequence

affect = verb, to have an effect upon

When you affect something, you produce an effect on it.

example: "Will the new rules have an effect on me?"
example: "Will the new rules affect me?"

[Lawrence Ricci]

Lamarckian vs Darwinian Evolution

Merzenich's proposition is as bold as "Inteligent Design" or some other alternate to evolution. Prior to Darwin, the accepted theory was Lamarckism- if animals stretched their necks to reach food our build big muscles to overpower prey, this trait would be passed on.

Merzenich seems to suggest our accelerating facility with information tools (manifest by 1000 examples) is in some way genetically passed on. Without connecting this sort of intelligence to Darwinian reproductive fitness (a long shot at best, at least over the last 20 years) we have a problem.

I, however, would not reject Merzenich's Lamarckian proposition out of hand however. Experiments have been done showing memory (encoded in RNA) CAN be passed thru the generations.

Misinterpritation

Im sorry friend, i believe you misinterprited the interview, he never said nor implied anything about genetically inhereting your parents thinking skills. What he ment was that as culture evolves (changes) the skills required of our minds are different aswell, although thrue our minds power of specification, we learn many of our ancestors skills whether we need them or not.

[Lawrence Ricci]

Lamarckian vs Darwinian Evolution

Merzenich's proposition is as bold as "Inteligent Design" or some other alternate to evolution. Prior to Darwin, the accepted theory was Lamarckism- if animals stretched their necks to reach food our build big muscles to overpower prey, this trait would be passed on.

Merzenich seems to suggest our accelerating facility with information tools (manifest by 1000 examples) is in some way genetically passed on. Without connecting this sort of intelligence to Darwinian reproductive fitness (a long shot at best, at least over the last 20 years) we have a problem.

I, however, would not reject Merzenich's Lamarckian proposition out of hand however. Experiments have been done showing memory (encoded in RNA) CAN be passed thru the generations.

[leedldeedl]

I don't believe it's a matter of answering questions to see how stupid we are. Depending on where and how you are brought up. You may also have learning disabilities that some would say indicate you are "stupid". For instance, I'm dislexic, a poor speller, but so what?
The real question is: Can you reason things out? Have you the ability to see the differences between things or understand the repercussions? This is what we should emphasize as a people not memory games. It's not "what temperature does water boil at" but knowing that if you stick your body in it, you will burn. That's the important concept. Why not ask: "How many steps to the moon?" Or "do you know the difference between baking powder and baking soda?" Probably not and it does not matter. That's it.