Human Intelligence Can Be Increased, and Can Be Increased Dramatically

[Guest guest]

STEPHEN M. KOSSLYN

Psychologist, Harvard University; Author, Wet Mind

 

 

Human Intelligence Can Be Increased, and Can Be Increased Dramatically

 

I am optimistic that human intelligence can be increased, and can be

increased dramatically in the near future. I see three avenues that will

lead to this end.

 

First, the fruits of cognitive neuroscience and related fields have

identified a host of distinct neural systems in the human brain. Different

combinations of these systems are used in the service of accomplishing

different tasks, and each system can be made more efficient by "targeted

training." Such training involves having people perform tasks that are

designed to exercise very specific abilities, which grow out of distinct

neural networks. Just as a body builder can do curls to build up biceps and

dips on parallel bars to build up triceps, we can design computer-game-like

tasks that exercise specific parts of the brain—mental muscles, if you will.

By exercising the right sets of systems, specific types of reasoning not

only can be improved but—the holy grail of training studies—such improvement

can generalize to new tasks that draw on those systems.

 

Second, people often grapple with problems in groups, be they formally

designated teams or casual huddles around the water cooler. I am optimistic

that understanding the nature of such group interactions will increase human

intelligence. Just as a mechanical calculator can extend our mental

capacities, other people help us extend our intelligence—both in a cognitive

sense (as required to solve problems) and in an emotional sense (as required

to detect and respond appropriately to emotions, ours and those of others).

In this sense, other people can serve as "social prosthetic systems," as

extensions of our own brains; a wooden leg can fill in for a missing limb,

and others' brains can fill in for our cognitive and emotional limitations.

To the extent that researchers come to understand how such social prosthetic

systems arise and operate, they will understand how to increase human

intelligence.

 

Third, the line between animate and inanimate information processing is

becoming increasingly blurry as research in multiple fields proceeds apace.

I expect that engineers will continue to press forward, designing

increasingly powerful machines to help us extend our intelligence. For

example, some people carry computers with them everywhere they go, and treat

Google as an extension of their own knowledge bases. Or, in my case, my PDA

extends my organizational ability enormously. We soon will have a wide

variety of mechanical helpmates. The distinction between what goes on in the

head and what relies on external devices is becoming more subtle and

nuanced, and in so doing human intelligence is being extended.

 

Crucially, each of these three developments amplifies the effects of the

others, producing synergies: As "brain exercises" enhance our personal

intellectual abilities, we can learn how to make better use of mechanical

aids and how to rely more effectively on other people. The confluence of all

three types of developments will produce positive feedback loops, where the

very act of interacting with others or working with smart devices will help

us continue to develop our brains, and as our brains develop we will in turn

be able to use increasingly sophisticated devices and rely on people in more

complex and powerful ways.

 

With luck, such developments will produce news sorts of extended social

links and highly integrated social networks, and a new kind of "smart

society" will emerge. And, who knows, such a society may not only be

smarter, but also wiser.

 

 

 

 

Regards

 

Rajeev Upadhye

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