The Search for Intelligence: Triarchic Theory of Intelligence
To uncover different facets of intelligence Robert Sternberg developed the triarchic theory exemplified by three of his students at Yale. The first, Alice, was good at taking tests, strong in memory and analytical skills..
The Search for Intelligence: What is Intelligence?
No one agrees on what intelligence is. An early 1900s symposium proposed two main characteristics: the ability to adapt to the environment and the ability to learn from experience. Charles Spearman in 1904 introduced the..
The Seasons of Life: Opposition to Gay Marriage
Author and journalist Randy Shilts talks about laws against gay marriage, arguing that it makes no sense to ban gay marriage yet, at the same time, condemn gays for choosing a lifestyle of promiscuity over monogamy.
The Semiconductor and Electronics Industry: History of the Microchip
The quest for a compact, solid state unit that could perform complicated operations quickly led to the development of integrated circuits (also known as semiconductors or microchips) in the early 1960's. The power of th..
The Semiconductor and Electronics Industry: Microchip Design and Production
The complex circuitry of a microchip appears flat and one dimensional but, in reality, it can have as many as twenty layers. The starting point for what ends up looking like a miniature electronic city is pure silicon, ..
The Semiconductor and Electronics Industry: Microchip Fabrication and the Environment
Semiconductor fabrication requires an ultra-pure environment. Delicate components are washed and rinsed at each stage, making this a water intensive process. Semiconductor manufacturing is also a chemical intensive ind..
The Semiconductor and Electronics Industry: Microchips, CFC's and the Ozone Layer
Because electronics manufacturing is set in sterile surroundings and requires the use of delicate components, it may be hard to imagine that is has global environmental consequences. But the industry's dependence on ch..
The Semiconductor and Electronics Industry: Obsolete Computers and the Environment
Throughout the 1960's and 70's, mainframe computers were expected to have long, useful lives. But with rapid advances in technology, and the phenomenal growth of the personal computer, yesterday's million-dollar compute..
The Social Role in the Self
Philosopher Daniel Dennett talks about the self, noting that there's more to it than just intelligence. There is also a social component which Professor Dennett believes is just as critical as the intelligence component ..
The Soul
Philosopher Daniel Dennett talks about the concept of the soul. He likens it to a classic example of a dues ex machina, calling it a preposterous non-explanation of why humans are superior to animals.