A Theory of Intelligence
[I think I'm going to post all my papers for my advanced composition class up here for criticism and discussion. Here's the first one. And yes, I will post the rest of my England Journal someday.]
Recently, "smart" has become the new "average." Parents are very disappointed when their children are "'only' above average." As humanity learns more, the amount of information that has been acceptable to know in the past becomes insufficient. People are often behind the learning curve. Every now and then, however, something is created, realized, or discovered that changes the way we think. Genius is something clever and innovative that no one has ever thought of before.
Often, when someone has a great idea, many people say something to the effect of, "Duh, why didn't I think of that?" Genius often appears to be very simple. If someone can solve a problem simply, it is much better than a solution that requires an actual "genius" to figure out. Something appealing to and usable by many, but that not many could actually create, is genius. For example, Apple's iPhone does a lot of things intuitively, without many complications. Underneath the sleek exterior, however, is a plethora of complicated chips, wires, and programming that took many years to develop to the point they are now.
Thinking outside the box often results in the creation of something fantastic. Innovation can create in a whole new field of knowledge, or a completely new method of doing something. While its actual technical "genius-ness" is debatable, "Monty Python's Flying Circus" did many things to lead the way for future television comedy. Until that time, the type of comedy and program formatting used on the show was unprecedented, and although it was very strange, it turned out to be very popular.
A bright mind is obviously a requirement for creating something of genius. Someone person with an average mind thinks the same types of thoughts everybody else thinks, and so is not extraordinary whatsoever. Those that do have superior minds, however, can find things that can change the world. The quintessential genius is, of course, Albert Einstein. His discoveries in physics were the result of an exceptional mental capacity which enabled him to comprehend things most people cannot understand even today. He wrote papers containing many different groundbreaking ideas about the nature of the universe, the most famous of which is his Special Theory of Relativity.
No matter if it is a social realization or a scientific discovery, if it is a perfect symphony or a flawless machine, something of genius can have a profound effect on the world. Of course, genius can be a bad thing. Albert Einstein helped, although unwittingly, to develop the first atomic bomb. Charles Darwin's Evolutionary Theory was groundbreaking, but was heavily protested by many religious groups as conflicting with the "Adam and Eve" story of creation in the Holy Bible. But genius can bring good things to many people, and can better the lives of everyone in the world. It makes us who we are, helps us to know what we know, and reminds us, every once in a while, that there is an enormous well of knowledge just waiting to be tapped.
Recently, "smart" has become the new "average." Parents are very disappointed when their children are "'only' above average." As humanity learns more, the amount of information that has been acceptable to know in the past becomes insufficient. People are often behind the learning curve. Every now and then, however, something is created, realized, or discovered that changes the way we think. Genius is something clever and innovative that no one has ever thought of before.
Often, when someone has a great idea, many people say something to the effect of, "Duh, why didn't I think of that?" Genius often appears to be very simple. If someone can solve a problem simply, it is much better than a solution that requires an actual "genius" to figure out. Something appealing to and usable by many, but that not many could actually create, is genius. For example, Apple's iPhone does a lot of things intuitively, without many complications. Underneath the sleek exterior, however, is a plethora of complicated chips, wires, and programming that took many years to develop to the point they are now.
Thinking outside the box often results in the creation of something fantastic. Innovation can create in a whole new field of knowledge, or a completely new method of doing something. While its actual technical "genius-ness" is debatable, "Monty Python's Flying Circus" did many things to lead the way for future television comedy. Until that time, the type of comedy and program formatting used on the show was unprecedented, and although it was very strange, it turned out to be very popular.
A bright mind is obviously a requirement for creating something of genius. Someone person with an average mind thinks the same types of thoughts everybody else thinks, and so is not extraordinary whatsoever. Those that do have superior minds, however, can find things that can change the world. The quintessential genius is, of course, Albert Einstein. His discoveries in physics were the result of an exceptional mental capacity which enabled him to comprehend things most people cannot understand even today. He wrote papers containing many different groundbreaking ideas about the nature of the universe, the most famous of which is his Special Theory of Relativity.
No matter if it is a social realization or a scientific discovery, if it is a perfect symphony or a flawless machine, something of genius can have a profound effect on the world. Of course, genius can be a bad thing. Albert Einstein helped, although unwittingly, to develop the first atomic bomb. Charles Darwin's Evolutionary Theory was groundbreaking, but was heavily protested by many religious groups as conflicting with the "Adam and Eve" story of creation in the Holy Bible. But genius can bring good things to many people, and can better the lives of everyone in the world. It makes us who we are, helps us to know what we know, and reminds us, every once in a while, that there is an enormous well of knowledge just waiting to be tapped.
posted by Dan at 21:54
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