> common sense and observation tells us that some people are more intelligent than others.
Yes, true, but the present discussion concerns why that is so. It was traditionally held that IQ was inherited and immutable, but this was before studies that show creation of new brain cells in animals placed in stimulating environments. And the brain's ability to repair itself after injury is only beginning to be appreciated.
So it seems that IQ is not immutable, and "some people are smarter than others" can be placed alongside "some people run faster than others" as an example of something that is to some extent under our control.
Yes, true, but the present discussion concerns why that is so. It was traditionally held that IQ was inherited and immutable, but this was before studies that show creation of new brain cells in animals placed in stimulating environments. And the brain's ability to repair itself after injury is only beginning to be appreciated.
So it seems that IQ is not immutable, and "some people are smarter than others" can be placed alongside "some people run faster than others" as an example of something that is to some extent under our control.