Tag: Intelligence
-
New exhibition reveals the secrets of spies
See yourself as a real-life James Bond or Eve Polastri? To celebrate 100 years of the UK’s spy headquarters, the Science Museum is unveiling secret files and gadgets from a century of spying.
-
Nine-year-old masters world’s hardest game
Meet Sumire Nakamura, the world’s youngest professional Go player. Many say her precocious talent makes her a genius. But what is a “genius” anyway? And are they born, or made?
-
Judi Dench, tree talk and the Wood Wide Web
Can trees converse? Scientists have written about their powers of communication. In a new documentary Dame Judi Dench looks at the ways they interact. How much do they share with humans?
-
Why dolphins are even cleverer than we thought
Are we as unique as we like to think? According to a major new study, dolphins and whales have a comparable intelligence to us. This flies against centuries-old beliefs about human nature.
-
Humans getting smarter, psychologists claim
Performance in IQ tests is rising drastically all over the world, leading some psychologists to talk of a ‘cognitive revolution’. Are we becoming more intelligent, or just better at tests?
-
Scientists plan ‘space ark’ to save humanity
A British team is working on plans for a giant living spaceship, which will roam space to find a new, habitable planet. Is this really a worthwhile endeavour or a pointless fantasy?
-
Survey and dictionary agree: geeks are chic
Comic book heroes smash box offices, memes rule the internet and a new survey suggests that many people now aspire to be geeks. Are we witnessing a revolution in popular culture?
-
Schools, health and spying shielded from UK cuts
George Osborne, the British Chancellor of the Exchequer, has announced a new round of cuts to public spending. But a few lucky departments will avoid the axe – are they the right priorities?
-
US rift with Russia deepened by ‘spy in wig’
The far-from-glamorous sight of an American diplomat in Moscow, in crude disguise and arrested as a spy, has set the world laughing. But is there serious intent behind this farce?
-
Teenage cannabis users risk stunting intelligence
A forty year study into cannabis and intelligence has finally ended, and the results are in: while adult brains are safe, the IQ of teenage users permanently drops by around eight points.
-
Ape’s war with humans displays advanced thinking
What do a chimp’s aggression and a whale’s compassion have in common? Both are evidence that animals are more intelligent than we ever thought. Is it time for a new approach on animal rights?
-
Dolphins are people too, scientists claim
Whales are incredibly intelligent: they can hold conversations, maintain friendships and solve complex problems. But are they really ‘people’ and should they, like humans, have rights?
-
New film casts spycraft in bleak light
A new film, out this September, paints a bleak picture of Cold War spies who never know what to trust or who to believe. Is information gathered by intelligence agents ever reliable?
-
Talent is a destructive myth, claims new book
A new book argues that the ‘myth’ of innate talent is holding students back, and crippling people’s life chances. It’s the latest salvo in a long and controversial debate.
-
No regrets: ‘Agent Curveball’ lied to topple dictator
An Iraqi defector claimed Saddam Hussein was making chemical weapons. He now admits he lied to help the case for war, but remains proud of what he did.