In this episode we cover every topic in psychology, neuroscience and genetics (not literally, but it certainly feels that way)! Christopher Chabris shares his expert opinions on science journalism, general intelligence, IQ testing, intuition, creativity, the default mode brain network and more. We really nerd out here – science types will get a kick out of this in depth discussion.
In this episode you will hear about:
- The inner workings of science journalism
- The heritability of IQ
- What IQ tends to predict
- Our culture’s widespread misconception that IQ is all important
- The problem of false positives when correlating genes with personality traits
- The Mozart effect
- The Flynn effect
- Debunking the 10,000 hour principle
- Chess champion Bobby Fisher’s schizophrenic tendencies
- Scott’s work as Scientific Director of the Imagination Institute at UPenn
- The relationship between imagination, general intelligence and creativity
- The functions of the default mode network/executive attention network
- Divorcing IQ from “smartness” and “stupid”
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Resources:
- Chris’ book: The Invisible Gorilla
- Chris’ website
- Nicholas Mackintosh’s book: IQ and Human Intelligence
- Jeff Hawkins’ book: On Intelligence
- The Cambridge Handbook of Intelligence
- Stuart Ritchie’s new book on intelligence
- CHC Cognitive Hierarchy
- Scott’s article on intelligent testing
- Scott’s new paper on the neuroscience of creative production
- Scott’s scientific papers on intelligence and creativity
“Christopher Chabris is Associate Professor of Psychology and co-director of the Neuroscience Program at Union College, where he studies intelligence, thinking, and decision-making. He received his Ph.D. in psychology and A.B. in computer science from Harvard University. Chris is the co-author of the New York Times bestseller The Invisible Gorilla, and Other Ways Our Intuitions Deceive Us, which has been published in 17 languages to date. He shared the 2004 Ig Nobel Prize in Psychology (awarded for “achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think”), given for the experiment that inspired the book. Chris has spoken to audiences at major conferences and businesses, including Google, PopTech, and Procter & Gamble, and his work has been published in leading journals including Science, Nature, Perception, and Cognitive Science. He is also a chess master, a poker amateur, and a contributor to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and other national publications.” -Blurb taken from Chabris.com