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by thaumaturgy
6561 days ago
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Just because people disagree on exactly what constitutes intelligence doesn't exempt the brain from the same general limitations that we see elsewhere in physiology. Take fast-twitch muscle tissue for one example. Different people have a genetic predisposition towards developing more or less fast-twitch muscle fibers, which gives them the potential to be faster runners or have faster reflexes. Now, that's not to say that someone without that predisposition can't train hard and also be fast; likewise, if someone with that predisposition doesn't make use of it on a regular basis, then they're not likely to be any quicker than anyone else in reasonably good physical condition. However, assuming the same training regimen, the person with the beneficial genetics will always have an advantage. There's no reason to think that intelligence -- regardless of definition -- doesn't work the same way. Yes, someone of average intelligence can work very hard and produce the same results as someone who's more intelligent and less motivated. But, you're comparing someone who's operating at their peak potential against someone who isn't. I think cperciva's original point was merely that due to the nature of the field of mathematics, there's a huge barrier to entry where that genetic advantage becomes necessary. I disagree with that point only a little bit; if I worked really hard at it, I might be able to produce a small handful of exceptions against the very large body of evidence in cperciva's favor. |
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I agree if what you mean is that there's no reason to believe that there is no fixed, genetically-determined components to intelligence. I disagree if you are making any sorts of claims about what these components are (as I said, I don't even think we can make gross claims like people are born with "good memories").
I also agree with the point that cultures look for certain intellectual traits in young children. I cannot say whether these particular traits are determined genetically because it is highly possible that we learn a great deal (and abstractly) even from the first day of our lives.
The thing is that (as another poster pointed out) there IS a salient statistic (g - for general intelligence) which we can be "better" or "worse" at - but its value in a field like math which requires highly specialized mental strategies is questionable.
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I think that you should look at the example of the polgar sisters - they were raised to be grandmasters in chess and 2/3 of them did (the other one become an international master). I think this puts a bullet in at least one interpretation of your theory.