Dyscalculia is a learning disability that affects only mathematical ability. While otherwise intelligent, those affected by dyscalculia have trouble, among other things, establishing a connection between a set of object and the numeric symbol by which the set would be represented.
New Scientist magazine explorers the mathematical learning disability in detail in a recent article.
It seems that the generally accepted belief, and that to which I subscribe, is that intelligence is immutable. There exists, at this point, no exercise or training program that improve your IQ.
A paper, however, by Susanne M. Jaeggi, Martin Buschkuehl, John Jonides, and Walter J. Perrig, titled “Improving fluid intelligence with training on working memory” suggests that this might not be the case.
In their research, they were able to demonstrate that those who trained with a simple dual n-back game succeeded in substantially improving their gF score on intelligence tests.
If you’d like to try, the game can be found here.
If you’d rather downoad a copy of the game, an offline version is available here.
This will be a quick post as I still consider myself to be (as made evident by my recent lack of posts) on vacation.
Rick Rosner is recorded as having one of the world’s highest IQ’s. He scored 44 out of 48 on Ron Hoeflin’s Mega Test (47 on a subsequent attempt) and holds the only perfect score on Hoeflin’s Titan Test.
Below are links to a documentary, in which he was featured, that tells the story of his experience with the game show “Who Wants to be a Millionaire”.
Enjoy!
Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7
As a healthy adult, would you take prescription medication, originally intended for other purposes, in order to enhance your cognitive ability? If so, you wouldn’t be alone: 7 percent of university students on US campuses have admitted to doing so, along with 20 percent of scientists.
In choosing to join the ranks of the enhanced student and scientist, you would be breaking the law. In the US, the use of these drugs without a prescription is a crime and is punishable by prison.
But is this right? People will be quick to draw a comparison to the use of performance enhancing drugs in athletics, the media coverage of which has rendered “enhancement” an ugly word. The difference lies in the fact that, as a competitive athlete, achieving an enhancement in your performance through the use of banned substances is a violation of the rules. These rules are enforced in order to level the playing.
Rules from an ethical or moral perspective have never been established in the academic or professional arenas. And why should they have been? In these fields, is a level playing field really something towards which we should strive? With scientists working towards outcomes that will, among many other things, enrich lives and cure disease, would we not want them to have every possible advantage? To ban the use of these drugs is to potentially deny ourselves innovations and accomplishments that, without cognitive enhancement, might have never been achieved or, at the very least, not realized until much later.
Human intelligence has severe limitations. Our cognitive capabilities are far exceeded by our circumstances, a fact made painfully evident by our limited understanding of the world in which we live and the widespread obstinate acceptance of irrational and childish beliefs. We need to adapt a way of thinking that will not result in restrictions being imposed on those who are willing to dedicate themselves to finding solutions.
The brain-boost shopping list
Intended as treatments for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), both Ritalin (methylphenidate) and Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts) affect the catecholamine system thus increasing executive functions. This can result in an improved ability to focus and to manipulate information in the working memory. Some memory enhancement can also be achieved.
Provigil (modafinil) is prescribed to treat fatigue caused by various sleep disorders. It can help you to stay awake for days without being burdened by the need for sleep. Some tests also show that, when taken by rested adults, certain aspects of executive function are enhanced.
Aricept (donepezil), developed to treat Alzheimer’s disease, raises acetylcholine levels in the brain, resulting in improved memory.
Further reading
Towards responsible use of cognitive-enhancing drugs by the healthy
It should be noted that both Barbara Sahakian and Ronald C. Kessler, two of the authors behind the article to which I’ve linked, work as consultants for several pharmaceutical companies. Barbara Sahakian holds shares in CeNes and Ronald C. Kessler has received grants from several pharmaceutical companies. Bias is everywhere; take from it what you will and form your own opinion.
