EBOOK
About
We encounter the idea of intelligence everywhere in our modern lives. Parents are told that their children will grow up smart if they are made to listen to Mozart, play with the right toys, and eat the healthiest foods. Schools and universities plunge everyone into the ruthless world of testing and academic competition. We are told repeatedly that some of the richest and most successful people in society - the tech pioneers, CEOs or financial wizards - are rich and successful precisely because they're so smart. And we now have to worry about the impact of artificial intelligence on our jobs, our societies, and the very survival of our species.
Intelligence, then, is an idea that infuses our world, and one that we think matters. This hasn't always been the case. Like all ideas, intelligence has a history.
Smart draws on the history of science, politics, and popular culture to uncover the stories of the people and projects that built the idea of modern intelligence - the men and women who created Mensa, the priest who built a village for gifted children in the mountains of Sicily, and the plan to boost the intelligence of the Venezuelan people by teaching them lateral thinking skills. These stories also reveal the dark side of intelligence, an idea that drove the modern counter-revolution against equality. David Brydan is a historian of the 20th century based at King's College London. His previous work has explored the political and social history of the modern world, including the history of fascism, international cooperation, and humanitarianism. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. Intelligence is an idea that suffuses our world. We might not always notice it. Sometimes we might joke about it, or laugh at people who think they're cleverer than the rest of us. But it's an idea that's all around us, and one that we generally think matters.
Our current era is shaped by the idea of intelligence. Our job now is to find out where that idea came from. We encounter the idea of intelligence everywhere in our modern lives. Parents are told that their children will grow up smart if they are made to listen to Mozart, play with the right toys, and eat the healthiest foods. Schools plunge everyone into the ruthless world of testing and academic competition. Those who attend the right universities are likely to earn vastly more over their lifetimes than those who found education a struggle. We are told repeatedly that some of the richest and most successful people in society - tech pioneers, CEOs or financial wizards - are rich and successful precisely because they're so smart. And we now have to worry about the impact of artificial intelligence on our jobs, our societies, and the very survival of our species.
Intelligence, then, is an idea that infuses our world, and one that we think matters. This hasn't always been the case. Like all ideas, intelligence has a history.
Smart draws on science, politics, and popular culture to uncover the stories of the people and projects that built the idea of modern intelligence - the men and women who created Mensa, the priest who built a village for gifted children in the mountains of Sicily, and the plan to boost the intelligence of the Venezuelan people by teaching them lateral thinking skills. Intelligence is not just an idea, but a potentially dangerous one. Intelligence - from the apparent genius of tech visionaries to the threat of omnipotent AI - is one of the most powerful and pervasive ideas in modern society. This is the story of how we came to think about it in the way that we do. Strong potential for review and feature coverage across broadsheets, broadcast (R4, etc), history and smart thinking podcasts, etc. Aimed at intelligent engaged and informed readers and fans of smart thinking books such as Sapiens; Guns, Germs & Steel; Mindset; Emotional Intelligence, Quiet, etc.
Intelligence, then, is an idea that infuses our world, and one that we think matters. This hasn't always been the case. Like all ideas, intelligence has a history.
Smart draws on the history of science, politics, and popular culture to uncover the stories of the people and projects that built the idea of modern intelligence - the men and women who created Mensa, the priest who built a village for gifted children in the mountains of Sicily, and the plan to boost the intelligence of the Venezuelan people by teaching them lateral thinking skills. These stories also reveal the dark side of intelligence, an idea that drove the modern counter-revolution against equality. David Brydan is a historian of the 20th century based at King's College London. His previous work has explored the political and social history of the modern world, including the history of fascism, international cooperation, and humanitarianism. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. Intelligence is an idea that suffuses our world. We might not always notice it. Sometimes we might joke about it, or laugh at people who think they're cleverer than the rest of us. But it's an idea that's all around us, and one that we generally think matters.
Our current era is shaped by the idea of intelligence. Our job now is to find out where that idea came from. We encounter the idea of intelligence everywhere in our modern lives. Parents are told that their children will grow up smart if they are made to listen to Mozart, play with the right toys, and eat the healthiest foods. Schools plunge everyone into the ruthless world of testing and academic competition. Those who attend the right universities are likely to earn vastly more over their lifetimes than those who found education a struggle. We are told repeatedly that some of the richest and most successful people in society - tech pioneers, CEOs or financial wizards - are rich and successful precisely because they're so smart. And we now have to worry about the impact of artificial intelligence on our jobs, our societies, and the very survival of our species.
Intelligence, then, is an idea that infuses our world, and one that we think matters. This hasn't always been the case. Like all ideas, intelligence has a history.
Smart draws on science, politics, and popular culture to uncover the stories of the people and projects that built the idea of modern intelligence - the men and women who created Mensa, the priest who built a village for gifted children in the mountains of Sicily, and the plan to boost the intelligence of the Venezuelan people by teaching them lateral thinking skills. Intelligence is not just an idea, but a potentially dangerous one. Intelligence - from the apparent genius of tech visionaries to the threat of omnipotent AI - is one of the most powerful and pervasive ideas in modern society. This is the story of how we came to think about it in the way that we do. Strong potential for review and feature coverage across broadsheets, broadcast (R4, etc), history and smart thinking podcasts, etc. Aimed at intelligent engaged and informed readers and fans of smart thinking books such as Sapiens; Guns, Germs & Steel; Mindset; Emotional Intelligence, Quiet, etc.