It has been proven that 40-80 percent of genes determine the intelligence of being. This comes to a disappointing blow to many people termed environmentalist or people that believe that intelligence is determined by the environment in reach a being resides in. The genetics are reinforced by the study that displayed adopted children have the same intelligence level and inevitably end up in the same socioeconomic class as their biological parents reside in. This is another blow to the believers of Horatio’s “rags to riches” and a blow to our precious American Dream.
This nearly demolishes my idealistic views of hope and opportunity. Intelligence determines what college or university we will attend. It determines what jobs are opened to us. Intelligence determines if we will be able to succeed in this fully developed industrialized nation. Is there any hope that I could escape this social class? Statistically in this developed nation my intelligence will unlikely be lowered or increase. And statistically I will probably only move up or down a notch in the social stratification from my parents. So tell me exactly what does the American Dream mean? Is it just a phrase thrown out to the masses like a piece of raw meat to placate our hunger for success? In my opinion the American Dream is extinct; it has become a dusty plateau replete with dried up hopes.
I think the American Dream is not extinct. It's an ideal that American's strive for. It's the hope that one day, we can somehow work hard enough, or be good enough to succeed more within our country. It has been the driving force behind a lot of innovations and dreams of some of the most renound public figures in history. Martin Luther King Jr. held the American dream, which has become extremely famous. He hoped that one day blacks and whites would be treated as equals, and that his children could have equal opportunity. Even though this has not been accomplished to the greatest extent he had imagined, his dream drove him to pursue something for the greater good of society. I believe that the American dream, is extremely important, even if it is not accomplished by many Americans. It gives them the hope and the cause to go on, because they believe someday things will be better than they are today.
Although it may be an ideal that Americans strive for, it is not something that actually happens or actually comes true.Martin Luther King Jr. did believe in the American Dream, but equal opportunity was what he stressed.. I am explaining that even with equal opportunity it will not help the American populace reach the Ameican Dream becasue we are not all made equally i.e. superior genetics. Genetic inhibits are our ability to achieve the American Dream. Although the American Dream may create hope and eagerness to achieve, it is an illusion. ; a dose of fantasy candy.
Somehow, I'm a tad reluctant to believe that intelligence is determined by genetics. I'll readily accept that genes may play a part in how easily and quickly someone's intellect and reasoning ability grows and develops, but I am a firm believer in that everyone can be intelligent if they try. Science tends to not convince me that we aren't all capable of achieving "The American Dream."
And that's comin' at ya' from yer local redneck hippie.
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There are other factors that play into it though. Genetics is never 'it.' A child's capacity to learn is pretty much set by age 2 or 3, so if a parent does everything possible to ensure that the child is intelligent by reading books, watching educational programs, and constantly challenging their minds, the child can surpass their parents' level of intelligence. If an emphasis is placed on education, the child will do well. Intelligence can be attained, it just takes a lot longer than if it comes naturally to someone.
But you must consider what type of parents would do anything possible for their children's education and intelligence level. It is the type of parents that are successful and has achieve or acquired enough intelligence and education to have enough time for luxerious such as expensive educational tools, schools and the time to engage with their children about education. Typically these are upper middle class famlies.
Loving parents will do whatever they can to help their children learn. You don't need expensive educational tools. I learned from books borrowed from the library. So did my brothers. Neither of my parents graduated college, and my parents didn't have much time to spend teaching me things. Nonetheless, they made the time, and I could read and write by the time I was two. Nothing matters but parents' interaction with their children in the learning process.
And that's comin' at ya' from yer local redneck hippie.
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Ooh, ooh, pick me, pick me!!!
A child's brain does most of its developing in the first 3 years of life. However, the capacity to learn is never set. A person always has the ability to learn more than they are already aware of; that's why we continue to go to school after preschool.
Good nutrition, discipline, a sleep schedule, overall health, social interaction--these things are all just as important to a child's cognitive and social development as parents doing educational activities with them.
And, while reading to a baby and/or toddler is awesome, TV and DVDs (including educational media such as BabyFirstTV) are actually not really recommended for babies and toddlers.
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The ability to learn and intelligence are interelated ,and is a proven fact. Rarely does one cognitive ability changes throughout one's life( Murray and Herrenstien) For example one would never label a person with down syndrome a genius in sudjects such as math, science, and reading. this is because intelligence affects the brains ability to learn which includes its capacity and speed to grasp subjects.
and yes there is a set capacity on how much a person can learn i.e. extreme cases of child isolation proves that the brain has a set capacity.
i think you are mistaking the word capacity for plasticity
Capacity would be the ability to learn or retain knowledge. Plasticity would be the brain's ability to adapt to some kind of injury or deficiency... I would think a case of extreme isolation having an effect on cognitive development would be an example of plasticity.
It is all interrelated. I didn't say it wasn't. I said people have the ability to continue learning throughout their lifespan. Your brain doesn't just stop holding information at a certain age. If it takes you 20 years to learn the alphabet your brain doesn't say "Oh, I'm full now! Sorry you can't learn to write and stuff too now."
Everyone has the ability to learn; intelligence is how quick you learn it, being able to use what you learn, have complex and abstract thoughts, etc. I can learn new words to my heart's content, but I have the intelligence to know what those words mean, how to structure them into a coherent sentence (sometimes), how to manipulate them when I want to.
"What a crazy random happenstance!"
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"Plasticity is the capacity of the brain to change with learning."
http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2008/02/26/brain-plasticity-how-learning...
capacity is not the ability to learn information, but to retain it. and the brain doesn work like your alphabet example ( which you probably know) but more like the ability to retain knowledge that one doesn't use frequently i.e. not everyone can remember geomeric theories after it has been five years without using any geometric theories, but some people dont lose that ability because they have a larger capacity to retain information. This doesn't deny that we can not learn new things it just means that we might lose some information that we do not use often.
and i admitt the child isolation example was poor and not well thoughtout , and i agree that it probably has to do with plasticity.
"Genes set boundaries for human behavior, but within these boundaries there is immense room for variation determined by experience, personal choice, and even chance." -- John Ratey- professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.
I intepret this phrase as genes set the capacity but our brains plasticity allows for us to learn new skills and knowledge.
Genetics can't ultimately determine someone's intelligence. By learning new things you can develop more intelligence and I have learned this through myself as well as other people. Genetics may be a big factor in intelligence, but also a person's personality a person may seem ignorant because they don't have the drive to learn.
This would be like saying a person who has alcoholics and drug users (or past drug users in their family) are predisposed to becoming an alcoholic because of genetics. Although studies have sometimes found this to be true I have broken this cycle in my family. I drink, but on occassion like once a month.
Overall your theory was pretty good, but you also have to consider other factors besides genetics. Look into psychology seriously this has opened many new doors for me. I don't know if your in highschool or college, but I suggest you take a class in psychology.
http://www.progressiveu.org/043043-mom-i-can-finally-write-you-letter
Sorry to disappoint you, but I am voting for Lewis Black.
DrifterDani~