My running has been pretty inconsistent this fall. I know I’ll be ready to cover the half marathon distance in January, but I’m not so sure I’ll be ready to run it in any sort of decent time. My longest run to-date is the 11-miler I did (rather stupidly) with June and Erica. On my own, my longest run is a 10K. I need to up the quality long runs, and soon. I ran last night for the first time since the 25K relay. With my cert sim and going out of town, I didn’t fit in any runs. I was surprised to find that I actually felt pretty good last night during my 3.5 easy miles on the treadmill. I plan to run again tonight, but unfortunately it will be on the treadmill again since I won’t be leaving work until at least 5:30. Stupid early darkness.
Last night Jose and I watched last Thursday’s Tivoed episode of Survivor. I’ve watched the show on and off over the years, but I’ve really gotten into this season for some reason. There’s one guy, Ozzy, that I totally have a crush on. He’s the only one of all of them that I believe actually could survive on his own in the wilderness, you know, without a TV crew and stuff. For that, I think he totally deserves to win. He’s like a monkey and a fish in one. He climbs trees! He spearfishes! He can hold his breath, like, forever! He’s by far the coolest castaway.
Afterwards, we got into a debate. Normally I don’t like debating/arguing, but I’ll make an exception for Jose because, well, yeah. The fundamental question was whether everyone’s brain is created equal — do all brains have the same capability or potential for intelligence? My supposition is that all brains have equal capability to be intelligent, but that different brains are predisposed to different types of intelligence. Some brains are good at math, some brains are good at art, etc. Jose’s stance is that all brains are equal, and all brains are capable of understanding everything. It’s a similar idea but not quite the same; he argued that brains that are good at math are only “better” at it than others because they’d had more math classes, or because they were just interested in math. But I maintain that for reasons unknown, some brains are just interested in different things and thus better at different things. Just like some people are faster, or some people are stronger, or some people are skinnier. Those are physiological differences that are understood, but I say that just because the brain isn’t totally understood doesn’t mean it can’t work in similar ways. I think that some people are probably born with a predisposition to be better at repairing cars while other people are prepared to be better at writing novels.
Of course, it’s not like I’ve done any serious study on the brain, so it’s all just my ideas without much factual basis. So. Anyway.
From that, we eventually ended up talking about personality, socioeconomic concerns, and what’s the definition of “smart” anyway? Can you really say that I’m smarter than an auto mechanic just because I have two college degrees and what’s considered a white collar job while he graduated from high school and went straight to his blue collar profession? He can’t do aerospace engineering, but on the flip side, I can’t fix my own car! We’re both tech-saavy, and I’m sure I could learn how to fix my car. But I bet he could also learn aerospace engineering if given the chance. At this point, I’d argue that everything comes down to socioeconomic status and what kind of situation you happened to be born into. Brains might be capable of anything, but it’s still next-to-impossible to significantly alter your socioeconomic standing in today’s society.
Hmm…
I like the nature/nurture debates too. I thought about it, and I dunno.
As far as what is ‘smart,’ I’ve always had the notion that if the dolphins wrote the IQ tests, it would be really heavy on echolocation, and they’d kick our asses.
I think the difference is relative. I think there is some nature – some brains are predisposed to be better at worse at some things. But with the exception of a few people on either end of the bell curve, the raw capability of the brain has very little variation when compared to the capabilities that people develop through education, interest, etc. A brain may vary in natural capability to do something from -1 to +1, but education/interest/nurture can make that capability go from -100 to +100 – your natural capability might give you a boost, but not much of one compared to what education will.
I don’t agree with either of you. I think some people are smarter than others, period. Meaning some people are better at just about everything than some other people.
Between racial and gender groups, though, I think there is no difference whatsoever. No disposition to be interested or good in this or that that goes with race or gender.
That is not, of course, to say that socioeconomic status isn’t important as well. I think it’s MORE important, actually. But I think smartness is also a factor.
I just got Brain Age for my gameboy, it trains your brain with daily use. You can borrow it if you want but just be warned I’ve been using it for the better part of a week now and I’m sooo sure my brain has got to be bigger than yours by now! Well, that and the fact that I went to UH Clear Lake! 😉 HAHAHAHAHAHA!!
Well if our brain scientist, Keith, is not taking a position, I shouldn’t. Then again, there is no way I buy either of your brain equality or potentiality hypotheses.