6BEO - Will humans keep getting smarter?

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• Secundair onderwijs

6BEO - Will humans keep getting smarter?

19/11 start slide 12

Intelligence

intelligence /ɪnˈtelɪdʒəns/ (n): the ability to learn, understand and think in a logical way about things

• She’s a person of very high intelligence.

• They underestimated her intelligence.

• I’m afraid he’s a man of limited intelligence. 

What images spring to mind when you hear the word ‘intelligence’?

Get feedback from the whole class on what images spring to mind when they hear the word ‘intelligence’. 

Read the quotes and make notes

“Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings.” Salvador Dalí

“Intelligent people know that a better world doesn’t start in the head; it starts in the heart.” Jane Goodall

“The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.” Stephen Hawking

“Intelligence is not to make no mistakes, but quickly to see how to make them good.” Bertolt Brecht

“Intelligence is not only the ability to reason; it is also the ability to find relevant emotion at the right time and intensity.” Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

“It takes something more than intelligence to act intelligently.” Fyodor Dostoevsky

“The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.” F. Scott Fitzgerald

“An intelligent woman is a powerful woman.” Mary Beard

Notes?

1. What comes to mind when you read these quotes?
2. Compare your notes with your neighbour's.

Prepare for a discussion

Have a look at the questions and prepare individually.

1. Do you think intelligence has increased over time? Why/Why not?

2. What are the different types of intelligence that people can have?

3. How important is academic intelligence compared to other types?

4. What factors contribute to an increase in intelligence?

5. How can our environment impact our intelligence?

6. How do we measure intelligence?

7. Is intelligence more important than emotional or social skills?

8. Will artificial intelligence ever surpass human intelligence? Why/Why not?

How?

1. Prepare an answer to the questions;
2. Compare your notes with the others;
3. Discuss your answers.

Do you think humans will keep getting smarter? Why/Why not?

Get feedback from the whole class on whether they think humans will keep getting smarter.

Watching a video

Will humans keep getting smarter? 

In this video some of the world’s leading experts on intelligence talk about the future of intelligence.

What do you expect the experts may say about the future of intelligence?

Get feedback from the whole class on what they think the experts may say about the future of intelligence in the video.

Viewing questions (p.15-17)

1. What questions does the narrator pose about human intelligence in the future?

2. What happened to IQ scores during the 20th century, according to Robert Sternberg?

3. What does the difference between IQ scores of 100 and 130 represent, according to Robert Sternberg?

4. What factors does the narrator suggest may have contributed to increasing intelligence?

5. Why does Richard Nisbett believe intelligence will keep increasing?

6. What are the “old toolsets” and “new ones” Richard Nisbett refers to?

7. What notion would Tenelle Porter like people to embrace?

8. Why does Gavin Evans people believe that intelligence may not be increasing?

9. How do IQ tests measure intelligence, according to the narrator?

10. How would Robert Sternberg like intelligence to be viewed by society?

11. What does the neurodiversity movement argue, according to Bonnie Evans?

12. How does Elizabeth Krumrei compare Artificial Intelligence to human intelligence?

13. What does Gavin Evans think of the idea of using a computer as an analogy for the brain?

14. What does the narrator conclude about the potential limits of Artificial Intelligence?

First go over the gloss.

Watch until 5:50

Compare your answers

1. Compare with your neighbour.
2. Check your answers after watching a second time.

Watch until 5:50

Compare your answers

1. Compare with your neighbour.
2. Check your answers.
3. Watch the video one last time.

Watch until 5:50

Checking your anwers (1)

• What questions does the narrator pose about human intelligence in the future? 
• She asks if intelligence will keep growing and what intelligence will mean in the future. 
• What happened to IQ scores during the 20th century, according to Robert Sternberg?
• IQ scores increased by 30 points.
• What does the difference between IQ scores of 100 and 130 represent, according to Robert Sternberg?
• It represents the difference between an average person, and someone rated as gifted.
• What factors does the narrator suggest may have contributed to increasing intelligence? 
• Factors such as nutrition, education, and exposure to technology may contribute to increasing intelligence.
• Why does Richard Nisbett believe intelligence will keep increasing? 
• He believes intelligence will continue to grow as we encounter new challenges and find solutions to them.
• What are the “old toolsets” and “new ones” Richard Nisbett refers to? 
• Old toolsets refer to established knowledge, while new ones refer to new skills and ideas. 

Checking your answers (2)

• What notion would Tenelle Porter like people to embrace? 
• She’d like to see people embrace the notion that intelligence is truly malleable, that we can grow and get smarter.
• Why does Gavin Evans people believe that intelligence may not be increasing? 
• He believes intelligence hasn’t changed since the earliest modern humans.
• How do IQ tests measure intelligence, according to the narrator? 
• IQ tests focus on abstract logicrather than all aspects of intelligence.
• How would Robert Sternberg like intelligence to be viewed by society? 
• He would like to see society place less emphasis on intelligence as it’s conventionally defined because it’s very much viewed as individual, whereas in fact most of what we do in the world is in groups.
• What does the neurodiversity movement argue, according to Bonnie Evans? 
• It argues that all types of neurological capacities should be included in society.
• How does Elizabeth Krumrei compare Artificial Intelligence to human intelligence? 
• She argues that Artificial Intelligence is a separate phenomenon from human intelligence as it isn’t bound by the

limits of human intelligence.

Checking your answers (3)

• What does Gavin Evans think of the idea of using a computer as an analogy for the brain? 
• He thinks the idea of using a computer as an analogy to the brain is a fallacy. He doesn’t think computer intelligence and human intelligence are in any way comparable.
• What does the narrator conclude about the potential limits of Artificial Intelligence? 
• She suggests that Artificial Intelligence will change the world but won’t replace human intelligence and that how we use our intelligence to shape the world we live in is still clearly in our own hands (and minds). 

Writing assignment (p.17)

Write a reflective journal on what intelligence means to you and how you think technology will impact human intelligence in the next 50 years. (120-220 words)

Critical thinking

How do you think intelligence should be measured, beyond standard IQ
tests?

In what ways might AI challenge the traditional understanding of human
intelligence?

How could an over-reliance on technology affect human intelligence and cognitive abilities over time?

Roleplay

Student A:

Role: Human Intelligence Expert

You are an expert on human intelligence who believes that human intelligence

has unique aspects that AI cannot replicate. You argue that human intelligence

is complex, involving emotions, creativity, adaptability, and ethical reasoning.

While AI can process information quickly, you believe it lacks the depth and

adaptability of human thought.

Student B

Role: Concerned Individual about AI

You are a person concerned about the potential of artificial intelligence

surpassing human abilities and replacing human roles in the workforce and

beyond. You worry that AI’s rapid advancement could make humans obsolete in

certain areas and change society in unpredictable ways.

Check your file for more detailed information on your role!