Grow your Intelligence!

People are born with a set level of intelligence and cannot really do much to change it It doesn’t matter how much intelligence someone is born with, they can always increase it Which do you agree with and why?

A person who can’t lift 10kg when they start exercising can get strong enough to lift 50kg after working out for a long time.

The Cerebral Cortex The brain is made of billions of tiny nerve cells called neurones The neurones have branches connecting them to other cells in a network Communication between these neurones is what allows us to think and solve problem

A neurone When you learn new things, these tiny connections in the brain actually multiply and get stronger. The more that you challenge your mind to learn, the more your brain will grow. Things you once found hard will become easy!

What is the evidence this is correct? Scientists studied the brains of animals who were kept in cages on their own and compared them to the brains of animals who were given challenging toys to play with and other animals to play with.

The animals who had toys and other animals to play with had brains that were 10% heavier than the animals in bare cages! This was the case even with old animals who went from living in bare cages to cages with toys. Their brains had more connections between the nerve cells in their brains.

What about in humans? No one thinks babies are stupid just because they can’t walk or talk or write. They just can’t do it YET! They need to practise and allow their brains to make new connections between neurones and grow

The student in the class you think is smarter than you was probably born exactly the same as you, they have just been practising working out their brain muscles a little more than you. You could do just as well if you practised as much

What can you do to get smarter? Just like a weightlifter or football player, to be a brain athlete you need to exercise and practise. Many people miss out on the chance to grow a stronger brain because they think they can’t do it or that it’s too hard. It does take work just like becoming stronger physically or becoming a better netballer but the hard work is worth it! By taking risks and trying more difficult activities, you will grow more connections between your neurones. Failure at a task will help your brain learn and develop.