Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site luke.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!mtuxo!mtunh!mtung!mtunf!ariel!vax135!petsd!peora!pesnta!hplabs!oliveb!bene!luke!itkin From: itkin@luke.UUCP (Steven List) Newsgroups: net.kids Subject: Re: Re. Intelligence Message-ID: <263@luke.UUCP> Date: Mon, 1-Jul-85 16:04:32 EDT Article-I.D.: luke.263 Posted: Mon Jul 1 16:04:32 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 4-Jul-85 05:50:41 EDT References: <2778@decwrl.UUCP> <503@ttidcc.UUCP> Reply-To: itkin@luke.UUCP (Steven List) Organization: Benetics Corp, Mt.View, CA Lines: 29 Summary: In article <503@ttidcc.UUCP> hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath) writes: >In article <2778@decwrl.UUCP> arndt@lymph.DEC writes: >> >>Er, . . . it seems to me that intelligence, whatever it is, surely means the >>ability to survive in whatever environment one finds oneself. That includes >>the ability to come to terms with a hard world. > >By this definition cockroaches and rats are among the most intelligent >creatures on earth. >-- >The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe) How about if we expand the arndt definition to say that intelligence means the ability to survive by the manipulation of the environment. Thus, examining the cockroach and rat shows them to be exempt. The lower primates, however, begin to demonstrate intelligence. Even dogs and cats do manipulate their environment to a certain degree. Being both a kid-lover and sf-lover, I've seen and heard this issue discussed and defined in many ways. Clearly, studies have shown that intelligence is relative to the culture and society. Ghetto blacks, desert nomads, and city whites all demonstrate intelligence in different ways. The key word is "demonstrate". -- *** * Steven List @ Benetics Corporation, Mt. View, CA * Just part of the stock at "Uncle Bene's Farm" * {cdp,greipa,idi,oliveb,sun,tolerant}!bene!luke!steven ***