Human Ascension

[Souper]

What's the most powerful method to make myself smarter, and what lifestyle should i take to maximize my increase in intelligence?

[PakledHostage]

10 minutes ago, Souper said:

What's the most powerful method to make myself smarter, and what lifestyle should i take to maximize my increase in intelligence?

Read more books?

[HebaruSan]

Practice a skill full-time for 5 years.

[Souper]

Just now, PakledHostage said:

Read more books?

Oh no, i mean intelligence as in raw brainpower - thinking speed, memory, creativity, range of comprehension, math, things like that.

[NSEP]

33 minutes ago, Souper said:

Oh no, i mean intelligence as in raw brainpower - thinking speed, memory, creativity, range of comprehension, math, things like that.

Maybe train your brain for fun? Like playing puzzle games? Some FPS game also challenge your thinking speed. Speedrunning games like minesweeper for example.

For math i recommend designing a rocket fuel tank/small rocket engine, not really easy, but its sorta fun.

[James Kerman]

I agree with everything above and I am a stupid man.  I left school in year (grade) 9.

Do everything you can to expand your understanding of everything you are interested in.

Experience has weight as does education.

Try to understand others point of view, even if it differs from your own.

Nothing good comes easy.

I would not be drawn in by any electrical or chemical systems being touted at the moment as the science on these methods is not in yet.

My experience has been; even a stupid man like me can try to learn something new every day and become less stupid.

[Shpaget]

By studying a certain topic you get better at that particular topic, but it will not make you more intelligent, only more educated.

That being said, there's a quote: "Try to learn something about everything and everything about something." There is a certain amount of synergy when it comes to knowledge. Broaden you interests, read newspapers, especially the articles you're not interested in. Pick one and then go and fact check it. Newspapers are full of errors, especially when dealing with specific and narrow subjects. Find those errors and in the process you'll learn something about a random topic.

Take up a hobby. Build something. It can be anything. RC toys, paper craft, model railroading, machining, electronics, software development... Do it for a year and then add on to it. Don't settle for whatever level you achieve. Make your next project better. Find a way to include another unrelated area into your next project. It will force you to learn a new skill.

 

But in the end, intelligence is not something you can increase. For the most part it's how you were born.

 

EDIT:

Forgot to mention a quote of my own I keep on telling people:

"Do stuff. Just because you've never done something, it's not reason enough to not do it now. If nobody ever did stuff they had never done before, nobody would be doing anything."

Edited December 15, 2017 by Shpaget

[Green Baron]

3 hours ago, Souper said:

What's the most powerful method to make myself smarter, and what lifestyle should i take to maximize my increase in intelligence?

Let go of pc gaming and study something, i suggest from the field of natural sciences ;-)

Start with forgetting about "Human Ascension".

Edited December 15, 2017 by Green Baron

[KSK]

2 hours ago, Souper said:

Oh no, i mean intelligence as in raw brainpower - thinking speed, memory, creativity, range of comprehension, math, things like that.

All of those can be learned, even creativity, but it does take practice and commitment. There's a somewhat worn saying about how to become a writer (as in a writer who wants to make their living from writing) which boils down to: read a lot and write every day, even when you're not particularly inspired. I can imagine that a version of that applies to pretty much any art or craft.

Memory can be trained with practice. Maths can be learned. Comprehension, I would argue, is basically @Shpaget's comment about learning something about everything. The broader your pool of experience, the more you have to draw on when it comes to spotting connections, drawing inferences and making comparisons.

As for thinking speed, I would argue that a lot of that is depth of knowledge and familiarity about a topic and analytical ability - which can be learned. Depth of knowledge means you can take shortcuts - you don't have to work everything out from first principles every time. Analytical ability lets you quickly pick out the essential parts of whatever you're studying and focus on that, rather than spend time being sidetracked by filler or stuff that you already know.

Of course there's always the old saying about more haste, less speed. Sometimes it never hurts to check your assumptions and make sure that you're not discarding important stuff too.

If you're looking for a quick technological or dietary fix though, I can't think of a reliable one.

[DDE]

IQ in post-teens is 75% inherited. I know, that’s a happy start, and I also know where the nearest Hugo Boss store is.

I’ve seen mentions of electric brain stimulation, and the “wirehead” enthusiasts like the OP jump onto the hype train... even though none of the actual researchers have expressed a desire to use those things on themselves due to unexplored and potentially irreversible effects.

[sevenperforce]

7 hours ago, Souper said:

Oh no, i mean intelligence as in raw brainpower - thinking speed, memory, creativity, range of comprehension, math, things like that.

You were born with a certain set of predispositions and aptitudes, which will not change. However, you can take steps to train yourself to think analytically, to solve problems, to recognize patterns and non-patterns, and so forth. This is not an easy thing to do, though.

The brain's neuroplasticity can really only be altered by one thing -- practice. By repeating the same actions over and over (optionally with the help of a reward-pathway stimulant like caffeine), your brain learns to prioritize and expand certain connections. You should try getting up and doing the same things at the same time every morning. Set an alarm, practice getting up immediately, do the same routine every morning. Solve a sudoku or crossword puzzle if you have a morning public transit commute.

Human capacity for memorization is pretty amazing, but again, it MUST be trained. Memorize stuff. Start with the periodic table of elements -- there's Tom Lehrer's famous version, which makes for a nice party trick, if nothing else. Practice mental math; learn how to determine what day of the week any date in history is, and amaze people when you tell them what day they were born on. 

If you have the opportunity, take a college algebra class or an introductory calculus class. Find a study group, ask for help, and ace the class. If you really want to double down, take a college physics class. Skip the "physics for nonmajors" and go straight to technical physics I.

Read voraciously. Gradatim ferociter.

Try to exercise regularly. We evolved in a world much more active than the one we inhabit today, and your brain is connected to your body, so it will reap the benefits of exercise.

Avoid hacks and hype trains. If it's easy, it won't alter your brain. If it's tough, and takes a lot of practice, it will.

The only legit "hack" is caffeine. Caffeine hijacks the reward pathways in the brain and helps form new neural connections associated with concurrent activities. However, the effectiveness of this does not scale with the amount of caffeine you ingest, so don't live off espresso. Instead, try to drink a limited amount of caffeine (tea is fine if you don't like coffee) at the same time every day to reinforce the routines you want to practice. 

[YNM]

Have you tried going to the middle of Atlantic ?

[PB666]

11 hours ago, Souper said:

Oh no, i mean intelligence as in raw brainpower - thinking speed, memory, creativity, range of comprehension, math, things like that.

Lets see . . . . .  don't eat anything from packages with lots of flashy writing on it (go kill salmon for food, fighting off grizzley bears in the wild but that might interfere with other lifestyle changes), definitely avoid processed sugars, lower the amount of urea (affects memory) forming substances in the diet, increase the amount of oil, keep the blood sugar below 90 mg/dl. The caveot of this is the food-ingredients  you eat should have one ingredient, or occasionally two. Eat lots of omega-3 and C₁₀-C₁₄ strait-chain fatty acid foods from as low in the food chain as possible, preferably whole grains. Avoid fats from lot fed animals (as these fats are metabolism slowers and cause inflammation which can shut down the brain). Avoid drugs, if you eat right and exercise you don't need most of them (again medicines that treat inherited diseases are a necessary evil). Try to get at least 10 minutes of sunlight twice a day, once close to dawn and once close to dusk. Don't tweet or face. Exercise at least 20 minutes a day with aerobic exercise. Solve all math problems using calculus, matrix theory, etc. Build at least one 3-D model a day, then paint them. Learn at least 3 different programming languages and at least 1 non-native language, have a carpentry or metal working shop. Have a garden. Try to learn somthing about a completely unknown topic every year as a resolution. Throw your cell phone in the garbage. Find a woman that feeds you good but that kicks you in the b____ twice a day (just to remind you how damaging testosterone is to great thinking). Be skeptical of everything, the more authoritative the more skeptical. Don't listen to people who use absolutes or superlatives, either in what they say or in their thinking. You can have kids but someone else has to raise them (anyway you would be unfit if you do all of the above). If you are a woman, have a husband that is a slight health freak, can cook,  . . .then  . . . . . .  and tell him to let you use his shop. 

 

 

[TheSaint]

[Diche Bach]

What PB666 said is pretty good . . . pretty thorough  . . . all seems accurate. The only things I would add are: make sure to get enough sleep; add an appropriate resistance training regimen to that cardio routine (Paleolithic heros and heroines were more like decathletes, or icosathletes not bicyclists or runners); stay hydrated; avoid prolonged sun exposure without covering (or at minimum sun screen); and eat high fiber foods and especially those with los of choline (e.g., cauliflower); spend a year living in the wilderness with as minimal "artificial" support as possible.

Edited December 19, 2017 by Diche Bach
icosathlonizaton

[Green Baron]

My ears are itching, i sense profit.

20m² wilderness for rent ! 20funds/day. Cactus, lizards, centipedes and siamese fighting cat included. Spiders for a little more.

Guaranteed >10min longer life time than ... before !

:-)

[PB666]

39 minutes ago, Green Baron said:

My ears are itching, i sense profit.

20m² wilderness for rent ! 20funds/day. Cactus, lizards, centipedes and siamese fighting cat included. Spiders for a little more.

Guaranteed >10min longer life time than ... before !

:-)

I sense I am in the presence of an acute case of loniless.

[kerbiloid]

Enough time. Enough supplies. Communication discomfort. Strange dreams, dreamings and memories. Spiritual suffering.

[raxo2222]

Space exploration and colonization. Build space stations orbiting Earth. Build Moon bases. Expand to Mars and Venus. Colonize entire solar system.

Go interstellar then intergalactic. Colonize entire universe.  Using advanced warp drive, FTL communications and zeptotechnology break trough event horizon.

Then you should reach Transcedent era in Caveman2Cosmos mod for Civilization 4 AYYY LMAOOOOO

This is more of "science ftw" joke post.

it may take very long time ;^)

Edited December 23, 2017 by raxo2222

[ARS]

Well, start to stop too reliant on gadgets. What I did:

1. Learn foreign language by printing interesting articles in foreign language before translating it. That way, I feel motivated to read and understand the content, not just doing exercise

2. Use bicycle if you can. I will use bicycle everywhere I go as long as it's still within city area. Use public transport whenever possible

3. Recycle scraps into handcrafted stuff. This can give you idea to think creatively

4. Do speedrun or high speed gaming to train your brain into quick thinking

5. Draw something. Do it with passion, and draw what you like. Practice makes perfect

6. Design something. Any designing software is fine, whether it's 2D or 3D. I usually use AutoCAD

7. Get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation can lead to deteriorating memory

Well, that's what I did

[Kerbal7]

IQ is largely genetic.

To make the most of what you got, read books. Stay physically fit.

[pandaman]

@Souper Sending me lots of money is guaranteed to make you smarter - well just smarter enough not to fall for that trick again anyway 

Seriously though.  It's not about how intelligent you are, its about what you do with the intellegence you have.  Education and intellegence are not the same, even really 'thick' people can achieve great things by learning and through experience.  Ok, a very intelligent guy may find it easier to learn stuff than other people, but we can all learn stuff it nay just take longer, even a dimwit with a lot of practical experience in a certain job can still easily outshine a genius straight out of university.

It has been said that the only reason bumblebees can fly is because they are too stupid to realise they can't.

What is it about any particular individual that makes you think they are smart?  A genius who never had the opportunity to learn to read is still illiterate, so appears stupid, and it's very likely nobody will realise just how clever he is.  Just because someone is successful doesn't mean they are more intelligent than you or I, they just did a better job of using what they had, and took better advantage of those lucky breaks.

As others said, you are as intelligent as you are and can't change that, but you can improve your knowledge as much as you want.  Which will make you feel smarter yourself, and seem smarter to everyone else.

Oh and I'm sure playing KSP helps with developing problem solving abilities too.