Can You Get Smarter? • Hacker News Board

Re: Can You Get Smarter?

#31

Post by TeMPOraL » Sat, Oct 24, 2015, 2:01 PM UTC

Devid2014 wrote: post #9

DiabloD3 wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That is terrifying. I'm 32. That means in slightly over 20 years I am going to slowly become brain dead. By the time they cure death in my 70s, I will be too old to enjoy it unless they also can reverse this.

The cure to death even partially is probably more that 100 years away from us.

Let's aim for the so-called life extension escape velocity then. The cure may be even a 1000 years from now, but as long as you can keep extending your life to still be around then, it's fine.

Re: Can You Get Smarter?

#32

Post by mbritton72 » Sat, Oct 24, 2015, 2:02 PM UTC

marincounty wrote: post #23

kator wrote: post #13

My dad went from being an auto mechanic to learning to code when he was 63 and he's 77 now and argues with me about Drupal vs Joomla over dinner. It's only one sample but I'm convinced him switching careers extended his neural plasticity considerably.

I'm not saying you do, but I have found the general public vastly underestimates the intelligence of many auto mechanics--especially today's mechanics. I guess they have always been an easy target in movies, etc.? I have a feeling your dad could learn anything if given the right structure. Mechanics are underpaid, expected to continually learn on their time, provide $20,000-30,000 grand worth of tools; and the owner…

The auto mechanics I've encountered are brilliant people. The next Nietzsche or Michelangelo will be an auto mechanic.

Re: Can You Get Smarter?

#33

Post by JoeAltmaier » Sat, Oct 24, 2015, 2:03 PM UTC

mbritton72 wrote: post #32

marincounty wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not saying you do, but I have found the general public vastly underestimates the intelligence of many auto mechanics--especially today's mechanics. I guess they have always been an easy target in movies, etc.? I have a feeling your dad could learn anything if given the right structure. Mechanics are underpaid, expected to continually learn on their time, provide $20,000-30,000 grand worth of tools; and the owner…

The auto mechanics I've encountered are brilliant people. The next Nietzsche or Michelangelo will be an auto mechanic.

And Einstein worked in a patent office.

Re: Can You Get Smarter?

#34

Post by JoeAltmaier » Sat, Oct 24, 2015, 2:04 PM UTC

TeMPOraL wrote: post #30

DarkTree wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This isn't even enough time to significantly increase your strength at a gym, which we know is possible and observable. Why anyone would think this is enough training to produce noticeable effects baffles me.

More imporantly, unless there's a hidden software in brain that responds precisely to that particular training, you'd expect that anything that can yield significant results by doing it 3x a week for 10 minutes would be already discovered purely by random chance.

Sure, but would they have recognized it? Would they put 2 and 2 together - "I ate a hamburger every Tuesday night for a year, and now I'm smarter...Eureka!"

Heck, maybe they would - they're a genius now.

Re: Can You Get Smarter?

#35

Post by kenbellows » Sat, Oct 24, 2015, 2:05 PM UTC

marincounty wrote: post #25

iagooar wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's interesting. From what I experienced, in some of the European countries mechanics earn pretty darn good money, have pretty acceptable working conditions and are respected in general.

My perspective is from the U.S. I would like to see them unionize. I sometimes think they could pull it off in the Bay Area, especially San Francisco.

Unionizing doesn't seem like it would work very well in an industry of which a significant portion is entrepreneurs with small 3-man shops and the like. Or were you thinking of just the big chain shops or those attached to large dealerships? In that case I think it might have a detrimental effect on the many small business shops.

Re: Can You Get Smarter?

#36

Post by kenbellows » Sat, Oct 24, 2015, 2:05 PM UTC

marincounty wrote: post #25

iagooar wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's interesting. From what I experienced, in some of the European countries mechanics earn pretty darn good money, have pretty acceptable working conditions and are respected in general.

My perspective is from the U.S. I would like to see them unionize. I sometimes think they could pull it off in the Bay Area, especially San Francisco.

Unionizing doesn't seem like it would work very well in an industry of which a significant portion is entrepreneurs with small 3-man shops and the like. Or were you thinking of just the big chain shops or those attached to large dealerships? In that case I think it might have a detrimental effect on the many small business shops.

Re: Can You Get Smarter?

#37

Post by neogodless » Sat, Oct 24, 2015, 2:05 PM UTC

Does anyone else have a little bit of a problem with the assumption that the "benchmark test" is enough of a gauge of general intelligence to be determinative in studies like this?

Additionally, the discussion is mostly revolving around the physical size of the hippocampus, but instead of measuring that (arguably a difficult task), they instead rely on a "benchmark test" and base their results on that alone.

What are the indicators that the benchmark test and hippocampus size are closely correlated?

Re: Can You Get Smarter?

#38

Post by Nimitz14 » Sat, Oct 24, 2015, 2:06 PM UTC

jsprogrammer wrote: post #29

Nimitz14 wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

.

It is still inductive. There is zero reason to believe "there's a better chance it is so than otherwise". You may wish to brush up on your logic.

You know what, you're right. I take back what I said.

Re: Can You Get Smarter?

#39

Post by [deleted] » Sat, Oct 24, 2015, 2:10 PM UTC

marincounty wrote: post #23

kator wrote: post #13

My dad went from being an auto mechanic to learning to code when he was 63 and he's 77 now and argues with me about Drupal vs Joomla over dinner. It's only one sample but I'm convinced him switching careers extended his neural plasticity considerably.

I'm not saying you do, but I have found the general public vastly underestimates the intelligence of many auto mechanics--especially today's mechanics. I guess they have always been an easy target in movies, etc.? I have a feeling your dad could learn anything if given the right structure. Mechanics are underpaid, expected to continually learn on their time, provide $20,000-30,000 grand worth of tools; and the owner…

[deleted]

Re: Can You Get Smarter?

#40

Post by mbritton72 » Sat, Oct 24, 2015, 2:13 PM UTC

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #33

mbritton72 wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The auto mechanics I've encountered are brilliant people. The next Nietzsche or Michelangelo will be an auto mechanic.

And Einstein worked in a patent office.

Kafka was an insurance something-or-other...