Added by: Maria | Karma: 3098.81 | Periodicals | 22 June 2008
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Millions of years of evolution have endowed Homo sapiens with remarkable intellect. But not all human brains are created equal.
From the great powers of memory seen in savants to the skills of chess grandmasters, unusual talents can offer a unique window on how the mind works. This exclusive online issue examines genius in some of its most intriguing forms.
Meet Kim Peek, whose abilities provided the inspiration for the character Raymond Babbit in the movie Rain Man. Peek’s severe developmental disabilities prevent him from managing the chores of daily life, but he has learned 9,000 books by heart so far, among other astonishing feats of memory. Other savants have musical or artistic talents.
Less well known than savant syndrome is Williams syndrome, a disorder in which affected individuals generally score below average on standard IQ tests, but often possess startling language and music skills, as another article in this issue describes. Mood disorders, too, have been linked to genius: it seems that manic-depressive illness and major depression can enhance creativity in some people.
Other articles focus on gifted children. These youngsters fascinate with their precocious intellect, but they often suffer ridicule and neglect. They also tend to be keenly aware of the potential risk of failure, which can prove emotionally paralyzing for them. Studies of such children have provided key insights into brain development—and revealed how best to nurture their extraordinary minds.
Our final article in the issue considers whether some geniuses are made, not born. Dissections of the mental processes of chess grandmasters have shown that their skills arise from years of “effortful study”—continually tackling challenges that lie just beyond their competence. Could comparable training turn any one of us into such an expert? Food for thought.--The Editors
Added by: Maria | Karma: 3098.81 | Periodicals, Science literature | 21 June 2008
46
This Week:
* Could we strip a black hole naked?
* Bad guys really do get the most girls
* Time to go ahead with Nevada nuclear dump?
* Smoking gene protects against cocaine addiction
* Physicist's atom-sorting 'demon' created with lasers
* Pulling a face alters sensory perception
* 'Junk food' diet may threaten marine populations
* Gay brains are hard-wired at birth
* How biological 'alchemy' can change a cell's destiny
The Economist is a weekly news and international affairs publication
owned by “The Economist Newspaper Ltd” and edited in London, UK. It has
been in continuous publication since September 1843. Altough printed in
London, in the USA (where it is largely sold) this publication is
reputed to be the best in its field.
• COVER:How to Survive A Disaster - Disasters are becoming more frequent and costly. But there are steps we can take to improve our chances of survival
• WORLD: Tony Blair's Leap of Faith - Can religion help solve the world's many conflicts? Britain's former Prime Minister thinks so
• SOCIETY: Eating Bugs - They're packed with protein and environmentally friendlier than other meat. But can greenies kick the ick factor?
• ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT: Summer Preview - From the newest tunes to the latest art exhibits, the freshest TV shows to the hottest movies, a survey of the artistic offerings to come in the summer of '08
With the Iraqis working hard to resist a long-term U.S. occupation agreement, this week's Economist cover executes the latest version of "Mission Accomplished," reframing a potential American repudiation as the result of a country that -- through a new and profound capacity for self-healing -- might somehow not need our fixing anymore.
Forget that splits among Shiite factions are so severe as to continue threatening civil war, or that the delicate counterbalance between traditional Sunni factions and the Sunni Awakening groups created by the Americans is wearing thin in the face of upcoming elections, or that the country continues to move farther into the Iranian sphere.
With a small generator (drawing power for how many hours a day?) and a bit of varnish (also, the preferred palliative of the Administration), the initiative of the tradesman is meant to signify that Iraq is well on the way to making its own music once again. And then, I'm not sure how far The Economist meant to push the metaphor, but considering how America's "rescue" of Iraq mostly succeeded in setting off wide-scale looting, isn't it poetic that this craftsman is fashioning a lute?
