I agree that the intelligence of these people in relation to other people is usually overrated.
I would take this a bit further...I would say that the intelligence of most people is grossly underrated. I think the mindset that is looking for insight in a few of us is missing the vast amount of insight available everywhere and all the time. I am reminded a bit of how some races were not considered to be good athletes when they weren't allowed to compete in the first place. Or that for white women exercise was bad for their health because they weren't strong enough. I guess for black and brown women working in the fields from dawn to dusk didn't have that problem. Today our blindspots are a bit different but there none the less. -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Günther Greindl Sent: Thursday, July 31, 2008 2:07 PM To: The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group Subject: Re: [FRIAM] The Brain and Creativity 2 Hi, > Orlando here, > What > is it that allows Newton or Einstein or Picasso to see something > essential that no one has seen or understood before? I guess the time is just ripe (viz.: enough knowledge has accumulated and is lying around for a new synthesis) at certain moments for intelligent guys to have insights. If it hadn't been Einstein or Newton, then it would have been another bright person 5 years later. The intelligence of these people in relation to other people is usually overrated. See this lovely post by Eli Yudkowsky on OB about Einstein, the village idiot, and _real_ superintelligences: http://www.overcomingbias.com/2008/05/my-childhood-ro.html Cheers, Günther -- Günther Greindl Department of Philosophy of Science University of Vienna [EMAIL PROTECTED] Blog: http://www.complexitystudies.org/ Thesis: http://www.complexitystudies.org/proposal/ ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
