Comments on: Is Rational Intelligence a Spandrel? (Warning, Long)

By: T. AKA Ricky Raw

T. AKA Ricky Raw — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 23:19:05 +0000

This kicked a lot of ass. Not only did the theory make a lot of sense, but I learned what a spandrel was.

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Tue, 11 Nov 2008 00:38:04 +0000

[...] Is Rational Intelligence a Spandrel? (Warning, Long) [...]

By: dchero

dchero — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 18:56:01 +0000

Wow, this is really well thought out and well concluded. Well done, sir. I agree with you on this one. Great blog in general btw.

By: Erika

Erika — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 01:58:06 +0000

Sweetheart, I love your blog but this one gave me a headache. Apparently my brain, though excellent at social networking, is not equipped for spandrels. On the other hand, I didn’t know the word “spandrel” before, and I do think they’re really pretty

Hugs, sexy guy.

- Erika (www.awakeningfromthedream.blogspot.com)

By: Tenmagnet

Tenmagnet — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 23:35:47 +0000

Thanks for the props guys…

Shaggy – I actually had never read the article you sent, but it’s really interesting.

I actually didn’t realize that many theorists had come to this conclusion… I was kind of hoping I’d thought it up all myself

Anyway, it’s good to know my ideas weren’t just uninformed scientific keyboard-jockery.

By: Brad

Brad — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 17:44:59 +0000

Ah… I glad you wrote this.

Recent studies have shown that the size of the brain is directly proportional to the size of the SOCIAL NETWORK the mammal can keep track of (ie, know and retain important things about people in the network)

(although it also might be the size of a certain PART of the brain… like the frontal lobe, but I think it’s the whole brain… I’ll need to look)

I forgot where I read this.

Good stuff.

By: ImTheShaggyOne

ImTheShaggyOne — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 03:30:48 +0000

Dude this is awesome that you came to this conclusion. I study Biological Anthropology, a big part of which is Evolutionary Psychology, and many theorists have come to this sort of conclusion. Your main point, that the human mind evolved as a social mind rather than a rational one, can be demonstrated in our own modern societies. Most jobs, on their basic level, solely have to do with interacting with other people. No math involved. Most people are terrible at high level calculations, math, physics, economics, chemistry, the list goes on.
Also your point about formal logic is spot on as well. I’m currently applying to law school and a major part of law and the LSAT is formal logic. I happen to be very good at this, but many people are not at all. Something so simple (to me) as “not x unless y = if x, then y = if no y, then no x” is really hard for people to understand. However, everyone seems to be an expert on people. I can talk about evolutionary psychology, sexual selection, and the main tenets of what I study with pretty much everyone, especially women.
Anyway, cool subject, I got excited at least. I don’t know if you got your spandrel lingo from this paper, but if not then it’s worth a read for anyone interested in Ev Psych : http://homepage.psy.utexas.edu/HomePage/Group/BussLAB/pdffiles/Adaptations_Exaptations_Spandrels_1998.pdf