Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

>Sorry, I fail to see how asking to choose a specific geometric figure out of four can be culturally biased.

No, but whether that is a meaningful measure of intelligence is where the bias creeps in. In our times having high mathematical aptitude is considered to be a sign of intelligence and intelligence is associated with success, so the very same people who like mathy things design IQ tests and hand out credentials and make the most money, so the entire process is largely circular.

What constitutes intelligence is dependent on what environment you're in. If in 100 years all the technical things have been automated it's conceivable that people with high degrees of social intelligence or creativity who can leverage technology rather than implement it will get to define what intelligence means.



social intelligence or creativity

IQ predicts those as well, not just mathematical ability. The theory of "multiple intelligences" has serious weaknesses which have not been addressed by its proponents, chief among those is that the "different intelligences" are highly correlated.


Sometimes it almost sounds like people are flat out in denial. "I'm not short, you have to understand that there are multiple dimensions of tall"


yes, all those pesky mathematics involved in constructing things like, well, buildings, or the wheel. Very much socially constructed.


That's not the point. Nobody denies that mathematics is involved in bridge-building. What is malleable is the perception whether bridge-building is a feat of intellect, and the position in the social hierarchy people with that ability occupy.


so you’re saying the value of bridges is a “social construct”.




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: