Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Flowers for Algernon (1965) [pdf]

sdfo.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 272 posts

Re: Flowers for Algernon (1965) [pdf]

#41

Post by yurishimo »

gmadsen wrote: post #39
jjice wrote: post #34

This story is part of the reason I'd never want to know about where I land intelligence wise compared to other people. No matter the outcome, I don't think it could be good. I it's below average, I'll feel limited. If it's above average, I'll have added pressure of self expectations and maybe arrogance. That's not the case for everyone, but I'm happy where I am currently. Back to the story - the use of grammar and sp…

How is that possible to not know? Have you never worked on a team?

I mean, there is a difference between an informed estimate and knowing for sure. Maybe that person you always work with is not the brightest programmer, but maybe they don't care about it as much as you. People can demonstrate intelligence is many different ways.

Plus, if they doesn't want to know, why does it matter? It's their life to live in ignorance. For this specific topic, I don't see any harm in leaving your actual IQ number a mystery for the cosmos.

Re: Flowers for Algernon (1965) [pdf]

#43

Post by dsign »

Tons of people scared of mental and other forms of decline here. Hey, I got news! It's 2024. We understand a fair deal more of how our biochemistry works. We have more computing power than ever, and it's going to be increasing thanks to the crazy amounts of computing power our latest AIs need. That means that we can understand even more of how our biochemistry works by doing exactly what each drug company is doing: running computer simulations. If your eventual decline scares you, it's unlikely that you can change your outcomes. But not impossible. It's still perfectly rational to find your peace in resignation, but it's not the only option anymore.

Re: Flowers for Algernon (1965) [pdf]

#44

Post by CuriousCosmic »

gmadsen wrote: post #39
jjice wrote: post #34

This story is part of the reason I'd never want to know about where I land intelligence wise compared to other people. No matter the outcome, I don't think it could be good. I it's below average, I'll feel limited. If it's above average, I'll have added pressure of self expectations and maybe arrogance. That's not the case for everyone, but I'm happy where I am currently. Back to the story - the use of grammar and sp…

How is that possible to not know? Have you never worked on a team?

Just because you think you're the smartest person in the room doesn't make it true.

While not the literal morale of the story of Flowers for Algernon, it's one of the big themes, i.e. your beliefs and understanding of your intelligence and the world around you change drastically with your "actual" intelligence.

Re: Flowers for Algernon (1965) [pdf]

#45

Post by midn1ghtexpress »

jjice wrote: post #34

This story is part of the reason I'd never want to know about where I land intelligence wise compared to other people. No matter the outcome, I don't think it could be good. I it's below average, I'll feel limited. If it's above average, I'll have added pressure of self expectations and maybe arrogance. That's not the case for everyone, but I'm happy where I am currently. Back to the story - the use of grammar and sp…

Frankly, everyone's familiar with the Dunning-Kruger effect, but the lack of intelligence in this story reminds me of Roog by Philip K. Dick. It's about a dog's paranoia regarding the local garbage men. He tries to warn his "guardian," but all he can say is: Roog.

Re: Flowers for Algernon (1965) [pdf]

#46

Post by ghaff »

yurishimo wrote: post #41
gmadsen wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How is that possible to not know? Have you never worked on a team?

I mean, there is a difference between an informed estimate and knowing for sure. Maybe that person you always work with is not the brightest programmer, but maybe they don't care about it as much as you. People can demonstrate intelligence is many different ways. Plus, if they doesn't want to know, why does it matter? It's their life to live in ignorance. For this specific topic, I don't see any harm in leaving your…

I don't know how they would know for sure. The result of a test? I'm sure it differs among domains in any case.

Re: Flowers for Algernon (1965) [pdf]

#47

Post by keiferski »

It's interesting to compare this story to the movie Limitless, which has a fairly similar premise, but ends on a positive note. Algernon seems to have more influence, probably because of it is fundamentally a kind of morality tale, but I actually kind of prefer Limitless, [0] as limited as its plot is.

There is something motivational about it, which is probably why there are so many YouTube productivity videos with the soundtrack. [1] I get the same feeling from The Last Samurai a book (unrelated to the Tom Cruise movie) by Helen DeWitt, which is about raising a genius child.

I don't know what the psychological effect is called, but there does seem to be something significant to the idea that it's inspiring to read about/watch extremely intelligent people flexing their intelligence.

0. The film is based on a book, The Dark Fields, which doesn't seem quite so positive, although I haven't read it.

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7BRQ9neSrw

Post reply on HN