96 results for author: rarden

Talking about cognitive ability in 2017

2017 has already seen more science-lead findings on cognitive ability, and public discussion about the origins, and social and moral implications of ability, than we have had in some time, which should be good news for those seeking to understand and grow cognitive ability. This post brings together some of these events linking talk about differences in reasoning that are so near to our sense of autonomy and identity. Middlebury Twenty years ago, when  Dr Charles Murray co-authored a book with Harvard Psychologist Richard Herrnstein he opened up a conversation about the role of ability in the fabric of society, and in the process made him ...

Nature editorial: A positive inflection for research into ability

As GWAS results confirm links between cognitive ability and outcomes diverse as increased lifespan, better SES and education outcomes, and protection from mental illness, information on the genetics of cognitive ability itself has taken a quantum leap, Nature have posted an editorial framing these results against wide-spread misconceptions about  human intelligence. The editorial argues that these large molecular-based studies of human ability are themselves the best antidote to what the editor identifies as cognitive ability research's three worst enemies: First, biological determinism – the idea that genes work in isolation from enviro...

Global collaboration on GWAS yields 336 genetic effects linked to Cognitive Ability!

In the search to increase important economic and health-related life benefits linked to cognitive abilities, and knowing that many of these benefits are linked to the combined action of thousands of very, very small genetic effects, researchers have recognized that they need to pull together massive samples to make progress. That recognition has begun to bear fruit, with multiple new genes influencing cognitive ability being reported, for instance, from UK Biobank. Now, combining DNA and cognitive data from almost 80,000 individuals has yielded over 300 individual SNPs in 18 distinct genomic regions, 15 of which were previously unknown. ...

National Geographic piece on Genius covers work of ISIR members, including Rex Jung and Robert Plomin

In a long and detailed illustrated essay, National Geographic cover a diverse range of work on a subject of interest to all followers to ISIR: Genius. (to accompany their new series on Einstein). Lots to surprise readers: Did you know there's a hunt to find Leonardo’s DNA? http://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2017/05/genius-genetics-intelligence-neuroscience-creativity-einstein

2016 ISIR Carroll Methodology award

Aiden Loe was awarded the Carroll prize for best methodology in a paper presented at ISIR 2016. Biosketch: Aiden grew up in Singapore. He received his Master of Philosophy in Social and Developmental Psychology at the University of Cambridge. He is currently a doctoral candidate at the Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge. He is a member of the Cambridge Psychometrics Centre, where he conducts most of his research work. Aiden's research interest is the design of cognitive and personality tests using artificial intelligence. He develops automatic item generators using algorithmic approaches such as rule-based or machine learning ...