Scientific American Mind
By: Richard J. Haier
A new neuroscience of intelligence is revealing that not all brains work in the same way
- Brain structure and metabolic efficiency may underlie individual differences in intelligence, and imaging research is pinpointing which regions are key players.
- Smart brains work in many different ways. Women and men who have the same IQ show different underlying brain architectures.
- The latest research suggests that an individual’s pattern of gray and white matter might underlie his or her specific cognitive strengths and weaknesses
We all know someone who is not as smart as we are—and someone who is smarter. At the same time, we all know people who are better or worse than we are in a particular area or task, say, remembering facts or performing rapid mental math calculations. These variations in abilities and talents presumably arise from differences among our brains, and many studies have linked certain very specific tasks with cerebral activity in localized areas. Answers about how the brain as a whole integrates activity among areas, however, have proved elusive. Just what does a “smart” brain look like?
Now, for the first time, intelligence researchers are beginning to put together a bigger picture. Imaging studies are uncovering clues to how neural structure and function give rise to individual differences in intelligence. The results so far are confirming a view many experts have had for decades: not all brains work in the same way. People with the same IQ may solve a problem with equal speed and accuracy, using a different combination of brain areas. [For more on IQ and intelligence, see “Rational and Irrational Thought: The Thinking That IQ Tests Miss,” by Keith E. Stanovich]
Men and women show group average differences on neuroimaging measures, as do older and younger groups, even at the same level of intelligence. But newer studies are demonstrating that individual differences in brain structure and function, as they relate to intelligence, are key—and the latest studies have exposed only the tip of the iceberg. These studies hint at a new definition of intelligence, based on the size of certain brain areas and the efficiency of information flow among them. Even more tantalizing, brain scans soon may be able to reveal an individual’s aptitude for certain academic subjects or jobs, enabling accurate and useful education and career counseling. As we learn more about intelligence, we will better understand how to help individuals fulfill or perhaps enhance their intellectual potential and success.
For 100 years intelligence research relied on pencil-and-paper testing for metrics such as IQ. Psychologists used statistical methods to characterize the different components of intelligence and how they change over people’s lifetimes. They determined that virtually all tests of mental ability, irrespective of content, are positively related to one another—that is, those who score high on one test tend to score high on the others. This fact implies that all tests share a common factor, which was dubbed g, a general factor of intelligence. The g factor is a powerful predictor of success and is the focus of many studies. [For more on g, see “Solving the IQ Puzzle,” by James R. Flynn; Scientific American Mind, October/November 2007.]
In addition to the g factor, psychologists also have established other primary components of intelligence, including spatial, numerical and verbal factors, reasoning abilities known as fluid intelligence, and knowledge of factual information, called crystallized intelligence. But the brain mechanisms and structures underlying g and the other factors could not be inferred from test scores or even individuals with brain damage and thus remained hidden.
The advent of neuroscience techniques about 20 years ago finally offered a way forward. New methods, particularly neuroimaging, now allow a different approach to defining intelligence based on physical properties of the brain. In 1988 my colleagues and I at the University of California, Irvine, conducted one of the first studies to use such techniques. Using positron-emission tomography (PET), which produces images of metabolism in the brain by detecting the amount of low-level radioactive glucose used by neurons as they fire, we traced the brain’s energy use while a small sample of volunteers solved nonverbal abstract reasoning problems on a test called the Raven’s Advanced Progressive Matrices.
This test is known to be a good indicator of g, so we were hoping to answer the question of where general intelligence arises in the brain by determining which areas showed increased activation while solving the test problems. To our surprise, greater energy use (that is, increased glucose metabolism) was associated with poorer test performance. Smarter people were using less energy to solve the problems—their brains were more efficient.
The next obvious question was whether energy efficiency can arise through practice. In 1992 we used PET before and after subjects learned the computer game Tetris (a fast paced visuospatial puzzle), and we found less energy use in several brain areas after 50 days of practice and increased skill. The data suggest that over time the brain learns what areas are not necessary for better performance, and activity in those areas diminishes—leading to greater overall efficiency. Moreover, the individuals in the study with high g showed more brain efficiency after practice than the people with lower g.
29 comments:
From this blog, I learned that the brain conducts to its best or poorest depending on several factors. The structure, different ways the brain may work, and the pattern conducted from the gray and white matter are some implications on why the brain does not work the same way. It is very interesting to know, how our body functions and why. what makes our body move, react or simply think smarter. What i found most interesting was the irony found in which individuals with high g showed more brain efficiency after practice than those with lower g. Greater energy use equaled a lower test performance and vise versa.
L.Z. 1st
Knowing that our brain can do way more than we think is very surprising. It's astonoshing that our brain can do so many functions to simplify anything we need and make things easier on us. I didn't know that the g force is a powerful predictor of success and is the focus of many studies. Many of the tests we take to test our brain knowledge uses this. I also learned that PET produces images of metabolism in the brain by detecting the amount of low-level radioactive glucose used by neurons as they fire. Neurons are even more helpful than I thought. I think that this article will be very helpful in the future when scientist try to find out even more things about our brain. I know that there is still many functions to our brain undiscovered and this article may be the key to learning more about them.
After reading this article I learned that not all brains work the same way. I also learned a pretty good fact, that men and women have the same IQ. I think this article is very interesting and informative. I really like the way the author put so much information of how scientists used tests to verify how a brain functions. I think this article will help people understand why they may be different in intelligence than others and how their brain may be functioning. This article will open new ideas in how to study more in depth the brain and it may lead to new discoveries. Juan Centeno 3rd
Knowing that the brain is one of the most important organ due to the fact that it controls the body function.With this blog i now know more, the patter gray and white matter might underlie the specific strengths and weaknesses of a person, and its also interesting how the neural structure and function gives rise to individual differences in intelligence. It is interesting to now know that scientist are using different technics such as PET to test the brains metabolism. I think that this will help the future by providing important information about brain structure and will help scientist want to study the brain more in depth and lead to discoveries like it says in the comment above.
that is so awesome how they might be able to come up with this new technology that can test our brains. To see what areas we are great at, to determine the best job for each individual. I think that is real awsome, I never knew that they can create such a thing like that.
I wouldn't have known all about how our brains work if I had not read this blog. One would have thought that if one were smart then he/she would need to use more energy, but in reality they use less. Which would explain why those people that seem to laze around get higher test scores than some who put in work. It's great that the brain gets smarter with the more time one spends practicing on something. Also the fact that over time our brain gets better at doing things efficiently is awesome.
In my opinion I think now at days with technology you can almost creat everything you want except a time machine. Its amazing how now scientist just with a result of a test of your brain can determine what are u the best in. Its like almost predicting your future like what are you going to major in. Its impressing how modern technology can doo. Look at everything new that tech. has created , well just wait till see what it creates in a few more years
It is amazing how new studies about how each brain works in different ways. After reading this article I also learned that newer studies are demonstrating that individual differences in brain structure and function and how people with the same IQ may solve a problem with equal speed and accuracy, using a different brain areas. It is very interesting to know how our brains function.This article will provide the people with information about the brain which they didn't know about and would interest them to learn more about the brainand it may help to discover more about it.
The Blog here is very informative to say the least. i never knew that the brain is covered with grey spots to show the strengths or weaknesses of the owner of that brain. i also didnt know that the brain can be differed by gender and by age, well age yes but meaning that the age makes the brain stronger, in some ways. I felt the studies in this blog show that the brain is stronger in many more ways than one. I feel that reading this blog makes one realize (even though they have an idea) that the brain is a complex organ, that is the center point of the body, without it we wouldnt survive. Anyone who reads this blog has to be alert and awake, they would probably be bored because even though it is important, most readers don't give the brain the proper respect it deserves. But those who do appreciate the workings of the human brain, would be incredibly fascinated by the new information that they will learn by reading this blog.
Chris Sanchez 3rd Period
Hey everybody!!! The thing you read is not called a blog, it is an ARTICLE. You are the ones that blog; you're comments are the blog, not what you read. Just saying.
Can the brain be anymore more amazing. I knew that everyone had someone that was smarter or dumber than them, but I didn't think that age differences or gender would really affect the measurement of intelligence. I also expected that most people that used more energy would get a greater score, but its the opposite. Also that the people with the high g show a better improvement in the brain after practice that the lower g. This can show people that their easiness or difficulty in learning may not just be that we have a learning disabiltiy, but also the different regions of the brain that affect it. Hopefully these findings will help in the advancement in the understanding of the amazing organ we call our brain.
People use different amounts of energy from different parts of their brain. Studies have come to the conclusion that everyone has a certain general intelligence. I find it so interesting to learn that even two people with equal intelligence use their brain differently to gain the same answer. Research should continue in order to find a way enhance the learning process for everyone. This type of study can help those who struggle with certain subjects and strengthen them in subjects they are already excel in.
So it is true after all.. practice is really all you need to get good at something. BE EFFICIENT!! BE BE EFFICIENT!! -something our cheerleaders would say could be simply achieved by repitition. It is simply amazing how brains work in different ways. For instance, i may be as smart as you are but i would recieve my answer through a different process. And it is exactly that, what scientists are trying to figure out. To even be able to find out what you are good at and what career you should aspire through a simple brain scan is so unimaginable. It is things like these that make our lives much easier. "We're not lazy, we're just technologically advanced." (:
I learned that people that have the same iq and preform things at the same speed don't have the same brain structure. I also didn't know all brains don't work the same as others. This is a really interesting article. Its cool to learn more about the things in your body. I think eventually people are going to find a way to enhance people's intelligence in the future. I believe that each generation of people are smarter than the generation before them.
I've learned how that the brain works according to several cases of factors. I didn't realize how gender doesn't play a role on determining the function or the outcome of brain function. It's amazing how scientist have developed test like the PET to determine the brains metabolism and much more. I knew the brain is a completely vital organ but I didn't realize how much it could help in finding what job that you are properly suited for and ect. It's cool how they could test just certain areas in your brain to find out what job you should be doing or what you're good at. The brain is an amazing organ.
After reading this blog I learned some really neat things, one of which is that the way the brain preforms is in part due to its very complex stucture. Wow and to think that such an organ is in primarly in charge of pretty much every reaction,action,and emotion pertaining to our body. I find this article to be very fascinating simply because it gives the readers improtant details as to how the brain is able to determine each individuals intellecutal capacity. It also provides details as to how it is able to act on its own without our actually be aware of what is going on in our bodies every second. In the future this information can surely help scientists in their quest of understanding the vast working network of our bodies. Also it may assist in creating a way to inhance metal capacity in those who need it. (maggie castillo 3rd pd.)
It is intresting to know why people who are smarter are actually smarter. Before people would just come to the conclusion that a person was just smarter because he simplhy was born like that or studied harder than his piers but its amazing to see that all those factors fall under the control of what areas of the brain we use for what. Understanding that now there is a study that underlines what parts of the brain are best at what(PET)we can know find another tool to go in hand with the G test to understand where our potintial fully lies and where to invest that potential inside of us.
That explains alot about my performances in my classes! Somethings, like math, are just automatically set into your brain by Fluid Intellegence and stuff like Biology ;) would be Crystallized Intellegence, which appararently, i'm not very good at. Don't worry, cause according to this information, you can practice and get good at it :D
I think its interesting to learn that even two people with equal intelligence use their brain differently to gain the same answer. It cool in the way that im working in this blog and some one else is doing the same thing but yet we all use diffrent parts of the brain to come to the same results. I have learned that the g force is a powerful predictor of success and is the focus of many studies.In the future people can actually get better in the weakest area of their education. may be everyone will turn out to be at the same level of education and better this world. And yes edgar is is correct in his statemnet.
I did not know every one used their brain in a different ways. I thought once you made an action the brain would response the same way with everyone. The more you practice or get adapted to something the less energy you require for your brain. I have learned that the g force is a predictor of success and is the focus of many studies. This may help in the future to help people understand what they are having trouble in and better prepare themselves.
Wow! Finally something that explains why I'm not so bright! haha. From what I understood everyone's brain works different, learning things in several ways, and more to what it's better at. In other countries where kids are all tought the same, I think that has to do with like how they're all exposed to the same thing and the mind gets use to it. Anyway, this is super cool the human body is so weird, but I kind of always thought this about our brain.
From reading this article I was captivated by all of its information. I attained more information about my brain that I never in my right mind was possible. What I assumed about my brains potential is nothing that I expected. I learnd that a dumb person uses up a higher amount of energy than that of a smaty pants. I learned that not all brains function the same, I learnd that some people may have a tougher time learning new things than other. This article can open doors to deeper scientific studies.
I think its incredible how two people can have the same exact IQ but when solving a problem, each individual will arrive at the answer in a different way. All this makes me wonder even more... it fascinates me how two individuals can be looking at the same exact thing but solve the problem using different parts of their brain, and yet get the same answer. Another thing that caught my attention was how studies showed that the usage of more energy was correlated with poor test performance, and that LOW energy use was seen in individuals with a HIGH test performance, I would have thought it was the other way around. Then again, it does makes sense that if a person was really smart, they wouldn't need to use as much "brain power" to do something, than someone who wasn't as smart. In my opinion, this information is the stepping stone to discovering just how this complex organ we call our brain really works.
Learning about the brain can prove to be quite difficult, but this article did help bridge the gap to actually understanding the "nerd language". I found it quite interesting on how the brain actually functions in the human body and the processes that go on inside it. I learned that, like a computer, the brain has many parts to it that work together to make a better "machine".
It's really neat how the brain of a person not only functions differently than that of another person, but the energy that is used differs as well. Your brain and my brain are neurally connected totally different because of the things and people that we grew up with. Even though several people may have the same IQ it does't mean that everyones way of working out or solving the problem at hand will be the same. It's amazing that our brain has a metabolism that pretty much must retain a constant rate or the way in which it works will be affected. If the scientists manage to answer their question as to weither or not a brain can be trained to function at a higher level of efficiency then this will change the way people view themselves. It will really change everything around and about us.
i learned that people use their brains in different ways and that even people with the same iq's can have different ways of the information where it needs to be.
It is evident to me even before reading this blog that not only our brain but similar to many parts in our body it does not work the same then that of your best friend. All of our brains work in their own specific way obviously to accomidate the special needs we all contain. If student A can do a math problem in one minute student B may be able to do the same problem in the same amount of time the only difference is the way the brain goes about doing it.
This article i learned that the studies they made about intelligence and effiency of the brain were, that smarter people used less energy to solve problems compared to people with less smart brains. They also found out that you could increase your energy effiency of your brain by playing the game tetris. They found out that people who played it after 50 days used less energy to solve problems. So wow what technology haas become to be. We could even find how a smart brain looks like.
This article is pretty crazy. I've never of the brain working that way. I have an IQ of about 118 and i think its interesting to think that someone else with the same IQ thinks in a completly different way. And, it does make sense that the harder you think the glucose a person would use so, it's not that far of a leap to say that a smarter person uses less glucose when they are thinking. Also its pretty interesting knowing that a person can become "smarter" with practice so it really makes me wonder if it works the other way around to.
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