Creating Talent

By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Jason Kottke[Edit][Delete]: Creating Talent, Kottke.org [Edit][Delete] May 12, 2006
I saw the Brain Trainer mentioned somewhere a few weeks ago, but haven't seen a link until now. I find this phenomenon - the widespread popularity of a 'game' that is intended to help you become smarter - very interesting. The popularity itself belies the claims of those who assert that people will not make good choices when given the opportunity to improve, or not improve, their education. The other thing that interests me is the assertion that "people who are good at things got good at them primarily through practice and not because of innate talent." This again sounds right to me. What does it take to learn? Practice and reflection. More...