Argument -- Competition

Shenk emphasized that the environment strongly influences the abilities of a person. On page 105, Shenk mentions that Navy SEALs train in a very competitive environment. This strong competition and pressure helps them to become the best trained fighters. And when thinking about Jamaican runners they also raised the best runners because of the environment.
Compare this idea of the strong influence of the environment to the theme of interdependence in nature. Do you think everyone will have the ability to become a strong fighter or runner even trained properly? What kind of impact does this training have on the genes? How healthy do you think the children of the fighters will be? 

Argument - Location location location

On page 129 Schenk describes how mice of the same genes acted differently depending on there location. "In Edmonton, the genetically altered mice tended to be just as active as the wild mice, whereas they were more active than wild mice in Portland and less active than wild mice in Albany" He also talked about the different locations bringing out totally different characteristics in the mice. And all of these mice were "perfect genetic copies being raised in painstakingly identical environment."

Does this, then, also apply to us? Does being raised in Illinois versus the UK change how our development could have occurred? What could possibly be the cause of these differences based solely on location? And would it then, in turn, be beneficial for our children to move to certain areas in order to raise them to be the best they can be?

Argument

Shenk dispels the idea of cultural superiority in chapter 6. I thought this was of great relevance to our school because there’s not a day where I don’t hear some stereotype about some ethnicity being tied to some level of intelligence. I’m not going to go into specifics, but we as a school like to attribute one’s intelligence to their race. One nationality specifically report having their own grading scale. An “A” for one person may be surprising or expected just based on race alone. I think Shenk’s point that there is “roughly 10 times more genetic variation within large populations than there is between populations” (Shenk 106). We need to stop justifying our own faults with external ideas like “oh, they’re just smarter than me because they’re (fill in the blank).” Like Shenk repeats numerous times, we often make excuses so we don’t have to face our shortcomings. We make it seem like our deficiency in intelligence is out of our control. Really, we’re just making excuses.” All human beings are descended from the same African ancestors” (Shenk 106) and we are more similar than we think. Therefore, cultural superiority or inferiority is, besides invalid, insulting.

Why would society use cultural standards on intelligence? Why would different ethnicities score differently on IQ tests? Can an IQ test be universal? How would isolation change a culture’s intelligence? Relate this to the biological theme of interdependence in nature.

Gabriella Veytsel (geminizire@hotmail.com)

Argument

Shenk’s of genetics multiplied by environment seems like the idea that we as a community grew up with. When we were asked, specifically in my AP Psych class, which determined a person’s identity, nature or nurture, most of us said both. Shenk’s formula, however, is much more interesting than genetics plus environment. Shenk described the experiments from the” temperature surrounding turtle and crocodile eggs determined their gender” (Shenk 30) to lizards changing color based on a blackened environment to locusts developing vastly more musculature than locusts in less crowded conditions. We thought that nature and nurture combined to form a person’s identity. Shenk explains that “nature/nature” must be replaced with a whole new term entirely, “dynamic development” (Shenk 33).

How would Shenk’s formula explain the process of natural selection? How would this influence Galton’s view on genetics? What makes gXe a more dynamic process than simply nature vs. nurture? How does this discovery influence the idea of intelligence or a lack thereof? Why are genetics and environment inseparable according to Shenk? Think of an example of dynamic development.

Gabriella Veytsel (geminizire@hotmail.com)

Argument – Conditioned Behavior

On page 47, David Shenk describes several factors that trigger changes in development such as amount of encouragement or expectations. He talks about how different parents act out these factors differently and how this type of “nurture” has a great deal of influence on a child. Talk about how parents affect their children’s learning patterns and how they are taught to develop this behavior. Discuss behavior and forms of learning (Chapter 51.2) in the context of development, and thematically relate this discussion to either the development of “genius” via evolution or interdependence in nature of how a human child is dependent on their parents to learn and will not survive without them. Talk about imprinting and how even though humans do not have this instinct, we are even more attached to our parents than animals, or that we have the choice, unlike animals to not be like our parents. (Liz Gorelick lizgorelick@yahoo.com)

Evidence - Competition vs. Determinism

In footnote 38 on page 208, Shenk quotes Mitchell Leslie in an article he wrote about IQ testing. In this foot note, Leslie mentions that “proponents (of IQ testing) considered intelligence the most valuable human quality and wanted every child and adult to get tested in order to determine their place in society”. They argued that our country would be more efficient if student with high IQ’s were sent into more challenging classes to prepare for college, and students with lower scores got less demanding course work with dimmer job prospects”. Discuss if students being “classified” into knowledge categories may actually stifle their educational growth. Contrast this method with the biological concept of competition in nature promoting natural selection. Discuss how natural selection based on intelligence would affect humans as a species. (Liz Gorelick - lizgorelick@yahoo.com)

Argument – Practice Makes Perfect

On page 67, Shenk describes a study by a scientist named Ericsson who writes that “frequent intense engagement in certain types of practice activities is shown to induce physiological strain which causes biochemical changes that stimulate growth and transformation of cells, which in turn leads to associated improved adaptations of physiological systems and the brain”. Keeping in mind the biological themes of regulation using feedback systems, structure and function, and homeostasis, describe some “biochemical changes” that can “stimulate growth and transformation of cells,” as well as the “improved adaptations” that would make body function more efficient.  These changes can relate to an activity such as running or fighting disease. Mention concepts that were learned in the Circulation/Respiration unit or the Immunology unit.