Intelligence?

what is Intelligence?

 

Are we more or less Intelligent than those who lived 50 years ago?

 

Are we more or less Intelligent than those who lived 500 years ago?

 

Are we more or less Intelligent than those who lived 5000 years ago?

 

Is a person of today who can read, more intelligent than the people of x,000 years ago who recognised the need for written language and set about designing one (well many)?

 

I am not talking about learned knowledge although that could be a subject all on it's own - I am talking about Intelligence or the ability to reason, learn.

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lloydslights wrote:

I hadn't thought too deeply about those scenarios.  

 

But I remember a primary school teacher telling us that the Aboriginals "hadn't even invented the wheel" when Captain Cook arrived.

 

DEB


 

 

did anybody else see Catalyst last night re the "Toorale" man?

 

It sort of relates to your comment Deb

 

http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/4211835.htm

atheism is a non prophet organization
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How very interesting.  Will keep an eye out for further updates on "Toorale Man".   Thank you.

 

DEB

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Lloyd-the Aboriginals-didnt need the wheel-but what a great invention 

and help was the ..boomerang.......................................................Richo.

.

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Talking about Aboriginals - I saw a doco on TV last week about a South American civilization - can't remember which - but it showed that they had an impliment like the Aboriginal woomera - sorry don't know the correct name. Did anyone see that?

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@rabbitearbandicoot wrote:

Talking about Aboriginals - I saw a doco on TV last week about a South American civilization - can't remember which - but it showed that they had an impliment like the Aboriginal woomera - sorry don't know the correct name. Did anyone see that?


evidently atlatl.

 

And also it had been invented / used in many parts of the world - that, I did not know - so .... as you were.

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Missed that show .rabbit-but the woomera-a spear throwing extension

was another great invention designed fron need.

Other places had poisoned darts and bows and arrows-suited their type of hunting....Richo.

 

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@rabbitearbandicoot wrote:

Talking about Aboriginals - I saw a doco on TV last week about a South American civilization - can't remember which - but it showed that they had an impliment like the Aboriginal woomera - sorry don't know the correct name. Did anyone see that?


Could it have been the Mayans?  They were amazingly advanced for their time and some think they even had

'discovered'  electricity because of a blue light they used for illumination.    Google will prove me right or wrong ... just going from memory. 

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@bright.ton42 wrote:

@rabbitearbandicoot wrote:

Talking about Aboriginals - I saw a doco on TV last week about a South American civilization - can't remember which - but it showed that they had an impliment like the Aboriginal woomera - sorry don't know the correct name. Did anyone see that?


Could it have been the Mayans?  They were amazingly advanced for their time and some think they even had

'discovered'  electricity because of a blue light they used for illumination.    Google will prove me right or wrong ... just going from memory. 


No, it wasn't the Mayans, it was a name that I have never heard of. I'll try to find the program.

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@i-need-a-martini wrote:

@rabbitearbandicoot wrote:


so, are you saying that the new generation is more Intelligent than their parents?

 

Or is it that they have been conditioned to a set of parameters that Microsoft (to a large extent) dictate - ie that all programs under Windows follow the same formula of 'intuitiveness' - if that's a word. ie the more modern programs at least feature a very similar Intuitive formula as far as operating them is concerned.

 

{edit: and so, once you know how one works - it's pretty similar to the next one}


 

You mentioned earlier an example of the cashier that couldn;t count and you said that have lost ability because of a calculator.The "use it or lose it" scenario.

 

Well there is also a "use it to improve it" rule - the more you use particular segments of your brain, the more intelligent that section becomes - the more it remembers, the better the output, etc. Lots of scientific evidence to back that one up.

 I think they both are interchangable?

 

So in theory, yes, we are more intelligent than our parents. Maybe not by much but in different ways.

 Surely that is not a difference in Intelligence levels - more a difference in environmental needs / requirements?

 

An example - Neanderthal man's brain wasn't evolved enough to invent a wheel but they were smart enough to survive in the wild. Neolithic man's brain  lost their ability to survive in the wild but evolved enough to invent the wheel.

 I don't know about that, but I do know, from my recent reading, that 'Neandethal Man is no different from a race of modern man' - can't remember exactly where I read it but it was one of the scientific sites that I was referred to.


So, where are we up to? Or has everyone lost interest?
 

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Still with you Rabbit.---back on hunting and thinking.

 

In some countries  -the natives worked out a way to catch monkeys.

A hollowed out coconut had a treat put inside-hole just  big enough for the

monkeys paw to grasp it-------then when chased-the monkey would hold onto the treat and

not be able to climb a tree and escape-good thinking.........................................Richo..

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