http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/17/science/17mund.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
Found this pretty interesting. Too lazy for synopsis.
- Forums
- Cross Site
- The Asylum
- And here I thought our buddy Al was responsible...
And here I thought our buddy Al was responsible...Follow
Reminds me of Lord Byron's daughter Ada who wrote computer programs centuries before the infrastructure was in place to use them.
Visionaries are amazing.
Visionaries are amazing.
In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.
Many, many great ideas are just rediscovered. It is evidence against the view of history that a few great individuals dominate the pace of technological and scientific advancement. There is a phrase which describes this effect: "it isn't who did it first, it's who did it last".
The ultimate problem is if you are describing a field which doesn't exist yet, it is difficult to leave messages for future thinkers to uncover, although in this case (the internet) it seems to have emerged as soon as technologically possible...so perhaps it would not have sped up progress.
Lastly, it is very, very rare for a visionary to live to see the results. Leo Szilard springs to mind. Those who don't are legion.
The ultimate problem is if you are describing a field which doesn't exist yet, it is difficult to leave messages for future thinkers to uncover, although in this case (the internet) it seems to have emerged as soon as technologically possible...so perhaps it would not have sped up progress.
Lastly, it is very, very rare for a visionary to live to see the results. Leo Szilard springs to mind. Those who don't are legion.
Very nice to know. It reinforces that feeling that there are a lot of bright lights under bushels around. People who have great ideas, who for one reason or another can't see it though into physical fruition, or great commercial success.
It also reminds me of a deep impact that came to me in my undergrad course learning Philosophy, Literature, Studies in Western Tradition, History and Liberal Arts. The subjects were co-ordinated, so that the same historical era (starting about 1000 BC, and finishing up at the end of third year at the present day). What left a huge impression from the written texts, and the engineering, art and architecture that we have been left, is that the human brain doesn't seem to have evolved intelligence wise at all in the last 3000 years. 3000 years ago, the only thing limiting humans was access to large amounts of energy and resources. Where energy and resources weren't a limiting factor, people were just as impressive, intelligent and creative thinkers and doers as they are now.
It also reminds me of a deep impact that came to me in my undergrad course learning Philosophy, Literature, Studies in Western Tradition, History and Liberal Arts. The subjects were co-ordinated, so that the same historical era (starting about 1000 BC, and finishing up at the end of third year at the present day). What left a huge impression from the written texts, and the engineering, art and architecture that we have been left, is that the human brain doesn't seem to have evolved intelligence wise at all in the last 3000 years. 3000 years ago, the only thing limiting humans was access to large amounts of energy and resources. Where energy and resources weren't a limiting factor, people were just as impressive, intelligent and creative thinkers and doers as they are now.
I think a good argument could be made it has gone the other way. Humans are currently not selected against for low intellect, except in extreme cases, such as mental illness (although even then...)
There is an amazing amount a hunter-gatherer must do just to survive. Serious tests are frequent. Removing that, a tremendous diversity is opened. I'm not afraid, even if average IQ is declining. Not that I think we can measure that accurately.
There is an amazing amount a hunter-gatherer must do just to survive. Serious tests are frequent. Removing that, a tremendous diversity is opened. I'm not afraid, even if average IQ is declining. Not that I think we can measure that accurately.
Quote:
What left a huge impression...is that the human brain doesn't seem to have evolved intelligence wise at all in the last 3000 years
Why would it have? It's probably only in the last 75 years or so that intelligence has become a positive trait for producing offspring, and even then it has also been a negative trait in many cases.
Recent Visitors: 283
All times are in CST
Anonymous Guests (283)
- Forums
- Cross Site
- The Asylum
- And here I thought our buddy Al was responsible...
© 2024 Fanbyte LLC