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Are we getting smarter or stupider?
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Nose' Feliciano
#1 - 2014-08-11 17:20:41 UTC
Some food for thought.

If a Time Traveller Saw a Smartphone

Quote:
Are we getting smarter or stupider? In “The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains,” from 2010, Nicholas Carr blames the Web for growing cognitive problems, while Clive Thompson, in his recent book, “Smarter Than You Think: How Technology Is Changing Our Minds for the Better,” argues that our technologies are boosting our abilities. To settle the matter, consider the following hypothetical experiment:


A well-educated time traveller from 1914 enters a room divided in half by a curtain. A scientist tells him that his task is to ascertain the intelligence of whoever is on the other side of the curtain by asking whatever questions he pleases.

The traveller’s queries are answered by a voice with an accent that he does not recognize (twenty-first-century American English). The woman on the other side of the curtain has an extraordinary memory. She can, without much delay, recite any passage from the Bible or Shakespeare. Her arithmetic skills are astonishing—difficult problems are solved in seconds. She is also able to speak many foreign languages, though her pronunciation is odd. Most impressive, perhaps, is her ability to describe almost any part of the Earth in great detail, as though she is viewing it from the sky. She is also proficient at connecting seemingly random concepts, and when the traveller asks her a question like “How can God be both good and omnipotent?” she can provide complex theoretical answers.

Based on this modified Turing test, our time traveller would conclude that, in the past century, the human race achieved a new level of superintelligence. Using lingo unavailable in 1914, (it was coined later by John von Neumann) he might conclude that the human race had reached a “singularity”—a point where it had gained an intelligence beyond the understanding of the 1914 mind.

The woman behind the curtain, is, of course, just one of us. That is to say, she is a regular human who has augmented her brain using two tools: her mobile phone and a connection to the Internet and, thus, to Web sites like Wikipedia, Google Maps, and Quora. To us, she is unremarkable, but to the man she is astonishing. With our machines, we are augmented humans and prosthetic gods, though we’re remarkably blasé about that fact, like anything we’re used to. Take away our tools, the argument goes, and we’re likely stupider than our friend from the early twentieth century, who has a longer attention span, may read and write Latin, and does arithmetic faster.

The time-traveller scenario demonstrates that how you answer the question of whether we are getting smarter depends on how you classify “we.” This is why Thompson and Carr reach different results: Thompson is judging the cyborg, while Carr is judging the man underneath.

The project of human augmentation has been under way for the past fifty years. It began in the Pentagon, in the early nineteen-sixties, when the psychologist J. C. R. Licklider, who was in charge of the funding of advanced research, began to contemplate what he called man-computer symbiosis. (Licklider also proposed that the Defense Department fund a project which became, essentially, the Internet). Licklider believed that the great importance of computers would lie in how they improved human capabilities, and so he funded the research of, among others, Douglas Engelbart, the author of “Augmenting Human Intellect,” who proposed “a new and systematic approach to improving the intellectual effectiveness of the individual human being.” Engelbart founded the Augmentation Research Center, which, in the nineteen-sixties, developed the idea of a graphical user interface based on a screen, a keyboard, and a mouse (demonstrated in “The Mother of all Demos”). Many of the researchers at A.R.C. went on to work in the famous Xerox PARC laboratories. PARC’s interface ideas were borrowed by Apple, and the rest is history.

Since then, the real project of computing has not been the creation of independently intelligent entities (HAL, for example) but, instead, augmenting our brains where they are weak. The most successful, and the most lucrative, products are those that help us with tasks which we would otherwise be unable to complete. Our limited working memory means we’re bad at arithmetic, and so no one does long division anymore. Our memories are unreliable, so we have supplemented them with electronic storage. The human brain, compared with a computer, is bad at networking with other brains, so we have invented tools, like Wikipedia and Google search, that aid that kind of interfacing.

Our time-travelling friend proves that, though the human-augmentation project has been a success, we cannot deny that it has come at some cost. The idea of biological atrophy is alarming, and there is always a nagging sense that our auxiliary brains don’t quite count as “us.” But make no mistake: we are now different creatures than we once were, evolving technologically rather than biologically, in directions we must hope are for the best.




I always fall back on the idea that intelligence is the ability to problem solve. Very different from just the ability to retain information.

For example:

I give you three wood matchsticks:

| | |<--matchsticks

Without breaking them, make four out of the three matchsticks.
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Ready?
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Answer:



| | | <---3 matchsticks


I V < -- four made out of three matchsticks without breaking them.

another answer:

| | | <---3 matchsticks


4 < -- four made out of three matchsticks without breaking them.

Intelligence is also a measure of the ability to think "outside the box."

Remodeled Crane Concept
Riyria Twinpeaks
Perkone
Caldari State
#2 - 2014-08-11 20:14:39 UTC
Mental abilities need to be trained just as much as physical ones.

With our current technology many things that used to strain, and thus train, our bodies and minds in the past don't need to be done by humans anymore.

For example, on the physical side we have technology helping us with travel and transport, while on the mental side we have technology helping us with remembering and calculating things.

Does that mean our bodies and minds get less exercise and thus are less developed than in the past?

I don't think it's like that in general.
Sure, there are people doing a job which challenge neither physical nor mental capabilities and in their free time they watch TV and that's it.
But there are also many people compensating for the lack of necessary physical exercise by doing voluntary physical exercise: sports
And there are many jobs where our creativity and our brain's ability to understand and solve complex problems is required day after day.
Jonah Gravenstein
Machiavellian Space Bastards
#3 - 2014-08-11 21:21:37 UTC
Nose' Feliciano wrote:


4 < -- four made out of three matchsticks without breaking them.

My first thought when I saw your matchstick problem Big smile

In the beginning there was nothing, which exploded.

New Player FAQ

Feyd's Survival Pack
Kaarous Aldurald
Black Hydra Consortium.
#4 - 2014-08-11 21:58:40 UTC
I was a professional tutor for a few years.

I can say without question that humanity is definitely getting dumber. I played a similar mental trick (the St Ives one) on a bunch of college students once, about half of which were struggling through the "Math for Education Majors" class (which is only a few levels above gradeschool by the way), and they all sat there staring at me like I had pulled a coin out of my ear.

And more than a few of them became educators. These people are teaching your children right now, folks.

"Verily, I have often laughed at the weaklings who thought themselves good because they had no claws."

One of ours, ten of theirs.

Best Meltdown Ever.
selket Shihari
Sebiestor Tribe
Minmatar Republic
#5 - 2014-08-11 22:01:38 UTC
our technology is getting smarter while we are getting dumber....at least thats my view on things

When life gives you lemons...BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!
Nose' Feliciano
#6 - 2014-08-11 22:04:03 UTC
The story "The Feeling of Power" by Isaac Asimov just came to mind.

Quote:
In the distant future, humans live in a computer-aided society and have forgotten the fundamentals of mathematics, including even the rudimentary skill of counting.

The Terrestrial Federation is at war with Deneb, and the war is conducted by long-range weapons controlled by computers which are expensive and hard to replace. Myron Aub, a low grade Technician, discovers how to reverse-engineer the principles of pencil-and-paper arithmetic from computers—a development which is later dubbed "Graphitics". The discovery is appropriated by the military establishment, who use it to re-invent their understanding of mathematics. They also plan to replace their computer-operated ships with lower cost, more expendable (in their opinion) manned ships to continue the war.

Aub is so upset by the appropriation of his discovery for military purposes that he commits suicide. As Aub's funeral proceeds, his supervisor realizes that even with Aub dead, the advancement of Graphitics is unstoppable. He executes simple multiplications in his mind, which gives him a great feeling of power.


Remodeled Crane Concept
Mudkest
Contagious Goat Labs
#7 - 2014-08-11 23:57:40 UTC
“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” Albert Einstein


I think one of the biggest problems with education this day is, there are people deciding "I know all this, and I think this information is very important and kids should know it all as well" and then theye proceed to make an education program with that, and simply ignoring the fact that theye had 40 years or even more to learn it all, and then expect kids to learn that in 4 years or even less.
And to make it easier on the teachers, every 2-3 years when it turns out that that setup is not working a new program is thought up, thrown onto the teachers and theye have to teach it that way to the new kids, but keep the old way for the older classes so teachers have to juggle 4-5 different schooling programs with their classes.

Then there's the testing method that is old fasioned, trivia is expected to be memorized, when did this person die, when was he born, where did she come from, what year did that guy invent that. Basic math? nah dont memorize that, we got calculators, when do you need to know what 5+5 equals anyway? "grammer? use a spel tchekker"
baltec1
Bat Country
Pandemic Horde
#8 - 2014-08-12 00:15:28 UTC
Both.
stoicfaux
#9 - 2014-08-12 01:59:51 UTC
Mudkest wrote:
“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” Albert Einstein


Speaking of Einstein:
“Einstein was once asked how many feet are in a mile. Einstein's reply was "I don't know, why should I fill my brain with facts I can find in two minutes in any standard reference book?”

Pon Farr Memorial: once every 7 years, all the carebears in high-sec must PvP or they will be temp-banned.
Baneken
Arctic Light Inc.
Arctic Light
#10 - 2014-08-12 07:52:09 UTC
There is this scifi show that started airing here in Finland not long ago about some agent who was wirelessly hooked to the internet for real time data.

My first impressions: wow that guy must have premium package and incredible antenna to get all that to work, wonder how much is his data cots to transfer gigabytes worth of data in seconds. P
Slade Trillgon
Brutor Force Federated
#11 - 2014-08-12 11:42:05 UTC
Not sure if this is a sign of lack of intelligence or not, but the drastic increase of people adding -er to the ends of words like dumb and stupid makes me cringe. Why can not people say something like less intelligent Ugh
Adunh Slavy
#12 - 2014-08-12 11:56:23 UTC
Slade Trillgon wrote:
Not sure if this is a sign of lack of intelligence or not, but the drastic increase of people adding -er to the ends of words like dumb and stupid makes me cringe. Why can not people say something like less intelligent Ugh



"Are we getting smarter or stupider?"

The grammar hasn't improved. Typically I am not a grammar nazi, but in this case, considering the subject ... it should read:

"Are we getting smarter or more stupid?"

Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves.  - William Pitt
Solecist Project
#13 - 2014-08-12 12:04:01 UTC  |  Edited by: Solecist Project
People become less and less aware of themselves.
People become more and more shallow and materialistic.
Attention spans shorten.
Concentration gets reduced.

Feelings and love simply get blocked out ...
... or the mind has no time for it ...
... because it's under constant stress.


People talking faster and faster ...
... less and less aware of what they are saying ...
... with lesser and lesser emotional content.



People aren't getting more smart or more stupid.
That's the wrong question.


People are getting less and less aware of themselves.
Of what's going on inside. They just more and more believe in a fake "I want" ...
... completely ignoring what it actually is that makes them "want" in the first place.



Glad I was of help.

That ringing in your ears you're experiencing right now is the last gasping breathe of a dying inner ear as it got thoroughly PULVERISED by the point roaring over your head at supersonic speeds. - Tippia
Hengle Teron
Red Sky Morning
The Amarr Militia.
#14 - 2014-08-12 20:28:13 UTC
stoicfaux wrote:
Mudkest wrote:
“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” Albert Einstein


Speaking of Einstein:
“Einstein was once asked how many feet are in a mile. Einstein's reply was "I don't know, why should I fill my brain with facts I can find in two minutes in any standard reference book?”

that's what the metrics system is for
stoicfaux
#15 - 2014-08-12 21:00:36 UTC
Hengle Teron wrote:
stoicfaux wrote:
Mudkest wrote:
“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” Albert Einstein


Speaking of Einstein:
“Einstein was once asked how many feet are in a mile. Einstein's reply was "I don't know, why should I fill my brain with facts I can find in two minutes in any standard reference book?”

that's what the metrics system is for

Good point. An inch is defined as 2.54 cm. A mile is 1.60934km. So 1.60934km/mile * 1000m/km * 100cm/m * 1"/2.54cm * 1'/12" = 5,280.0 feet per mile.

Metrics ftw!



Pon Farr Memorial: once every 7 years, all the carebears in high-sec must PvP or they will be temp-banned.
Grimpak
Aliastra
Gallente Federation
#16 - 2014-08-12 21:05:48 UTC
stoicfaux wrote:
Mudkest wrote:
“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” Albert Einstein


Speaking of Einstein:
“Einstein was once asked how many feet are in a mile. Einstein's reply was "I don't know, why should I fill my brain with facts I can find in two minutes in any standard reference book?”

and this is why I prefer metrics.


you don't even need to go for a reference book to see how many meters are in a kilometerP

[img]http://eve-files.com/sig/grimpak[/img]

[quote]The more I know about humans, the more I love animals.[/quote] ain't that right
Senstara Nightwhisper
Tsuifuku
#17 - 2014-08-12 21:19:34 UTC
I don't know about you guys but I am pretty sure I'm getting stupider.
Unsuccessful At Everything
The Troll Bridge
#18 - 2014-08-12 21:30:28 UTC
Kaarous Aldurald wrote:
I played a similar mental trick (the St Ives one) on a bunch of college students once, about half of which were struggling through the "Math for Education Majors" class (which is only a few levels above gradeschool by the way), and they all sat there staring at me like I had pulled a coin out of my ear.


This is because kids these days never watched Die Hard With A Vengeance. I will never forget the answer to this, because I will always hear the answer in Samuel L Jackson voice in my head.

Since the cessation of their usefulness is imminent, may I appropriate your belongings?
Oberine Noriepa
#19 - 2014-08-12 21:36:06 UTC
Some get smarter, some get dumber. Sink or swim? It's your choice.

∃
Eurydia Vespasian
Storm Hunters
#20 - 2014-08-12 22:31:07 UTC  |  Edited by: Eurydia Vespasian
What's that quote? Said by somebody at some point? Maybe I should just use my google brain. Anyway...something like "a culture with sufficiently advanced technology would be indistinguishable from god."

I think we have reached or are reaching the point where personal knowledge is less needed. Anything that needs to be known is literally at our fingertips. But what is not at the fingertips is experience. Knowledge used to be garnered from experience. Now this is a world where you can know the answer to anything in moments but not have the wisdom to apply it. This, I think, is the real issue. One that will need to be addressed in creative ways in the future probably.
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