Considering the futuristic society in the movie Gattaca, where the process of birth is highly controlled and even calculated in order to produce the ideal children. Given this society, without manipulating the genes, would all individuals be able to reach the same level of intelligence? If genetics does not play a critical role in the development of intelligence, does that not mean every individual should be able to achieve the same level of intelligence when they grow up with the same living conditions?
-Sachin Vasikaran (sachinvasikaran@gmail.com)
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ReplyDeleteIn the fictional movie Gattaca, a society was created in which babies were created in vitro to maximize genetic potentials. The loving, mysterious process of birth was controlled and calculated to produce the ideal children. Those kids were placed into a society that fostered and encouraged the development of kids that were created from this unnatural method. Yet without manipulation of genes, all the individuals living in this society would simple not be able to reach the same level of intelligence, as intelligence is based upon many factors such as motivation, ambition, and obviously genetics.
ReplyDeleteGenetics, however much people disagree with or try and refute, do play a key role in intelligence levels of a child. Scientists at the University of Edinburgh led a study on intelligence, and discovered "that 40% of the variation in knowledge (called 'crystallized intelligence' by the researchers) and 51% of the variation in problem-solving skills ('fluid-type intelligence') between individuals could be accounted for by the differences in DNA" (http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/aug/09/genetic-differences-intelligence). These discoveries proved that even when other environmental factors play into a child's intelligence, their genetics still plays a critical role.
However even with a lack of great genetics, a great mechanism for advancement is motivation. Shenk argued in his novel how "the single greatest lesson from past ultra-achievers is not how easily things came to them, but how irrepressible and resilient they were. You have to want it, want it so bad you will never give up" (120). It was their motivation for greatness that allowed them to ultimately achieve it. Many great people weren't born with the perfect genetic material for a certain activity, in fact most aren't, yet they were motivated to make it great and it was their motivation, not their genetic makeup, that made their success come true.
Environmental factors also play a part in determining ultimate intelligence of a being. The conditions that a child grows up in greatly influences his/her intelligence levels. This occurs through a process which is "one of the most powerful ways that environmental conditions can influence behavior" and intelligence: learning (Campbell 1125). The ability of a child to learn new things each and every day at home and at school can itself greatly increase the IQ of kids.
So overall, each person is different. Their genetic makeup is different, while both environmental factors and self motivation is also different. So even when genetic makeup is the same, along with environmental conditions, motivation remains to separate those who want to learn from those who don't. But usually those two key factors aren't the same, and so each and every person can attain a different level of intelligence
-Arjun Ahuja (aahuja12@gmail.com)