X-Message-Number: 11506 From: Thomas Donaldson <> Subject: a few short replies Date: Mon, 5 Apr 1999 00:32:51 +1000 (EST) Hi everyone again! To John Rivaz: Hey, wait a minute! I did respond to the ideas you quoted from me. My suggestion was that this "increase in intelligence" may actually cast some doubt on the notion of intelligence as a general trait valid at all times and places. This is not a criticism of what you say, but I did feel that I was a bit misrepresented. I will add that the more I think about just what intelligence may mean, the less clear the idea seems. If someone asks me whether or not X is a good mathematician, I can answer; the same if X is a good programmer, or even a good philosopher. But if they ask me whether or not he is intelligent, we get into problems --- the more distant this person is from me culturally (and in time) the more problems. To Bob Ettinger: I've actually read the book you name: THE NEXT MILLION YEARS. I think that to be fair, this Darwin wasn't being dumb. He just believed unquestioningly what many people of his time believed. In my own book this does not make him an imbecile, just someone who is average. Not someone with distinguished and original opinions, but then such people are very rare at any time and place. And as you probably know, even if we use a standard test of intelligence, then over time the progeny of geniuses regress toward the mean. Best and long long life, Thomas Donaldson Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=11506