In this Issue:
We need to talk. A general indication of ‘quality’ for any magazine is the quality of its readership. But in case of MInd, given the already available eminent audience, the challenge is to fulfill the potential of being a magazine of, for and by the ‘Gifted’. The idea behind MInd is two-fold: to serve as a medium that fosters communication and collaboration amongst our members; and to become a mouthpiece for the Mensa India community in reaching out to organizations, connecting with people and accessing resources to serve society better. The onus to achieve this is not just on the MInd editorial team but each and every one of us who holds that certificate saying “…higher than 98 percentile of the population”. We shall pursue these lofty goals that we have set for ourselves in Pandit Nehru’s wisdom of ‘not wholly or in full measure but substantially’. With each published issue of MInd, we’ll slowly but surely inch towards it. But then again, the magazine is only the ‘medium’. The ‘message’ has to emanate from the community –each local chapter; every SIG; each individual Mensan. This means that A) if your local chapter’s not active, revive it; B) When your chapter or SIG does something cool, tell us; C) If you feel passionately about an idea, event or subject, share it; and D) If you have time and skills, volunteer with Mensa. Inundate our inbox with your articles, ideas, feedbacks and suggestions. Do exciting stuff with your SIGs and write them in to us (we’ll publish them and rub it in the faces of everyone else). Let’s raise the Mensa India community beyond mere subsistence to one of creative vigour. In Uncle Sam’s unbeatable words, ‘We need You!’ With that, and no further ado, welcome to this issue of MInd, your Mensa India magazine. May the force be with you.
Decide! …2 Letter boxes …2 Numb3rs …2 Horizon …3 Fermat’s Last Theorem …3 The old man and his books…4 The Mensan Robber! …4 Giftedness …5 Consultants …5 If Mensans made films… …6 Solutions …7,8
Submissions: Send in your articles and contributions in plain text format and pictures in high resolution .jpg format to: editor.mensaindia@gmail.com
Disclaimer: All contents in this magazine are opinions of the individual authors and contributors. Neither Mensa India, the society, its office bearers nor the editors are responsible for any content or views expresses.
Feedback: Like it, love it or hate it? Tell us how to make the MInd magazine better. Write in to the editor at
~N V Krishnamoorthy, Editor, MInd MInd
editor.mensaindia@gmail.com
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Decide!
There is a stirring in our country –a stirring which may be a mere momentary, passing restlessness in the air or one that could transform into a storm. Which of the two it results in depends upon me and you. And you and you. Together we can turn it into a whirlwind that will blow away the old order with its incestuous, corrupt partnerships across political parties; a storm that will restore the power to those who elect, by throwing out those who have usurped this power just because they were elected. Together we can create a storm that will cleanse us of this evil that had infested our body politic and return to us ou our dignity as the real sovereigns of this potentially great nation. No more moving away from the road when these self self-styled high and mighty representatives come, flashing their red lights on cars. No more shouting in vain for a single policeman while these egoists remain surrounded by their numerous gun gun-toting guards. No more sitting with our loved ones in ill-equipped equipped government hospitals while these 'rulers' go abroad at our cost for their treatment. No more touching the feet of those who should be touching ng ours for having elected them. This is our time. If we sit idly by and not lend our support to those who are trying to upset this cozy order, the breeze will die away. Then that inbred fraternity which has ruled us these past years will become more firmlyy rooted and that much more difficult to dislodge. We will become more inured to remaining slaves in our own land – playthings in the hands of the corrupt and the self self-serving –to be handed out toys at election time and exploited with impunity thereafter. Wee will continue to see the food of our school children, the water of our farmers, the land of our nation and even the fodder of our cattle being appropriated by these people without fear of retribution. We will see brazen governance without accountability and cynical, motivated 'investigations' against chicanery without justice. Decide now, which future you wish for yourself. That of the serf, which you currently are, or that of the Master, which, your constitution entitles you to? Decide now, whether you w wish to act or just watch inertly as others who are fighting your war await your support. Decide. For on this decision will depend your fate and a nation's future. Just think of what will you tell your children when they grow up and ask you, "Mother, why did d you make that choice?”; “Father why did you do nothing?” And remember: depending upon your answer, they will respect your courage or condemn your cowardice. Decide! ~Kishore Asthana, Mensa India (Delhi/NCR)
Do we wait till it gets to this?
Image courtesy: Nocturnales flickr.com/photos/spaceflattener/
Letter boxes
Can you find the logical pattern for the fourth square?
Solutions on page 6.
Numb3rs 42 1
42 1
42 1
42 1
What replaces the x? a)
c)
42 1 42 1
b)
d)
42 1 42 1
The number reveals itself on page 6.
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Horizon
Fermat’s Last Theorem Fermat's last theorem states that the following condition always holds for all integers, (x, y, z) & (n > 2), xⁿ + yⁿ ≠ zⁿ It was one of the most alluring of mathematical statements whose proof eluded mathematicians for many years before it was proved by Andrew Wiles in the 1990s. A computer scientist claims that he has somehow proved that the Fermat theorem is incorrect for the following 3 numbers:
“The ‘known’ is a drop; the ‘unknown' is an ocean”. More often than not, one’s life is shaped and determined by an ocean which takes various forms: the Invisible, the Unknown, the Future, etc. This happens every day –in macro as well as micro levels; something that a person cannot take precautions against and he has no control over – an external factor that changes the path of a person’s life. For example, a stock market crash at one end of the world could make someone at the other end go bankrupt. This is why man is always in pursuit of bridging the gap between the ‘known’ and the ‘unknown’. He seeks predictions to peep into the future. This attitude results from the fear, suspicion and skepticism that accompany the ‘unknown’. One always tends to trust the ‘unknown’ less (A known devil is better, right?). When life takes an unexpected turn, much against one’s expectations, one tends to call it the result of the role played by destiny. The blame-game starts there. One refuses to believe that an unrelated external factor can play such a significant role to overturn one’s life.
x=2233445566, y=7788990011, z=9988776655. He announces these 3 numbers and calls for a press conference where he is going to present the value of N and to show that xⁿ + yⁿ = zⁿ As the press conference starts, a 10-year old boy raises his hand and says that the respectable scientist has made a mistake and the Fermat theorem cannot hold wrong for those 3 numbers. The scientist checks his computer calculations and finds a bug. How did the boy figure out that the scientist was wrong?
When our decisions are along the same path as that laid by external factors, life takes shape to our advantage, as we expect it to be. Yet, we do not realize this because of our short-sightedness and narrow thinking. The point of concurrence of the visible and the invisible is what we dream of. That is why the blend of orange and blue hues forming the ‘horizon’ mesmerizes me. Where the ‘visible’ and the ‘invisible’ blend, there I find the harmony of my dreams and reality.
“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.” summer.”
~Darshana Venugopal, Mensa India (Chennai)
~Albert Camus, French existentialist author & philosopher
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Turn to page 6 for the answer.
The old man and his books
He sat back in his rocking chair, tipped it gently to set it swaying and then flipped the pages casually. The old man loved his books. He had traveled far and wide in his youth. He had seen life. And when his body could no longer travel, he bought his books –his beloved books. He bought a variety of books: fantasy, fiction, science, philosophy, arts and politics. The breadth of his life expanded –where once he sought only adventure, now he craved knowledge. His body was confined to his house and garden, but his mind was free to travel. And the pages of print grew him wings to fly where even his youth could not have afforded. As his physical world contracted, his own universe exploded. Sometimes he would argue politics with the dragons in Greek. At times he would joust in mental riddles with Neanderthals in a spaceship. And yet other times he would discuss music with the Vikings in a Blue Whale’s belly. His worlds had infinite possibilities. His only fear was death; not that he minded dying but that he objected to parting with his books. He did not particularly reflect on God’s existence. But he sincerely hoped that if there was a God, He’d let him keep company with his books always. For the books spoke to him in joy and anger; wisdom and frivolity; kindness and practicality. They conversed with him and in many tongues too. He melted into his books and they recast him back differently each time. The real estate agent pointed out the library room to her prospective clients. The husband nodded vaguely. The wife was excited at the thought of having a library. The agent said that the old man had loved his books. As they left the room, the wife thought it was odd that the chair was rocking. Especially since the windows were closed and there was no perceptible wind blowing.
The Mensan Robber! A colony with 26 houses had been struck by a spate of robberies. The ex-Mensan (he had been excommunicated) responsible for this was Prof. Nam Sen, who had turned his brilliant mind to thieving ways. Mr. A was the first victim, soon followed by Mr. D and Mrs. I. The latest house was that of Mr. R. The night man, Al Favet, was tasked with stopping the ingenious devil. Al knew there was a pattern to the robberies –if only he could figure it out! At whose house can Al nab Prof. Sen, the next time he strikes?
Mystery solved on page 6.
Know your Mensa Did you know that all Mensa chapters have Special Interest Groups or SIGs? There are SIGs for Photography, Astronomy, Literature, Trekking, Board Games and many more! We’ll be covering activities happening in SIGs across India in the forth coming issues of MInd. If your SIG did something interesting, we’d love to know.
~N V Krishnamoorthy, Mensa India (Mumbai)
“Success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; pursued; it must ensue, ensue, and it only does so as the unintended sideside-effect of one's personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself.”
~Viktor E. Frankl, Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist; Holocaust survivor.”
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Find out from your local chapter what SIGs already exist. And if you can’t find one, then start it! Get a couple of Mensans who share your interest and well, as they say, ‘Two’s company, three’s a SIG.’
Giftedness: A Broader Perspective
A human being comes in this world and starts using all her potential to respond to the world and interact with the surrounding, with the basic purpose of surviving. The next step is to get adapted to the environment and to economize her energy to interact with it. Being aware, getting a feel of her surroundings, employing her resources and ultimately progressing towards mastery over them become her purpose in life. This iis a feature, which differentiates human from other living beings.
Consultants by Rejoy Kurup
Some individuals are prominently trying to get mastery over surroundings. Some may remain comfortable in only surviving. They may accept dominance of others and stay comfortable. Some may go further to adapt and cope with the environment. They are satisfied with limited resources and may not use their potentials fully for further advancement. A few may go beyond to explore the world and even get control over nature. Those who fully advance wi with all their potentials and gain mastery over themselves and their surroundings become known for their talents. This indicates that all the individuals have some gifts of their own but the ones, who desire to use them for a purpose with flexibility and sui suitability, get recognition as being ‘gifted’, and express these ‘gifts’ through their actions. What then is ‘giftedness’? Giftedness is the constellation or integration of characteristics within an individual, which directs her to use her full potential wit with purpose. A child continuously showing curiosity about the environment by asking questions such as what, how, why, etc. indicates awareness, and sensitivity about the world. She tries to find out ‘everything’ about it. She processes the information, tries to connect it with the earlier information and then converts it into knowledge. This leads to a critical evaluation and interpretation of the knowledge she acquires. Memorizing and utilizing it at appropriate time and situation becomes the next step. Whatever ever is gathered is again screened for correctness, and useless information is discarded. With all this she tries to produce or construct a new artifact. All this done until the conclusion and with effort, requires energy, perseverance, involvement, devoti devotion, and creativity along with the basic potentials. Thus, all these characteristics may be together called as ‘giftedness’. Those who lag behind in showing their talents through such final products may have the ‘gift’, but not ‘giftedness’. ‘Gifts’ are considered to be easily measurable entities expressed in terms of some outcome: like highest marks, excellent performance in sports, effective accomplishments in performing arts, competent functioning in social fields, or any proficient implementation of potentials.. It was assumed that these individuals need no training or practice to show such talent. It is from birth and may be acquired through heredity.
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Wordsworth: Wordsworth Mesonoxian (adj): ‘pertaining pertaining to midnight’ midnight As in: “Hey Hey dude, is your birthday party going to be a mesonoxian affair?” affair?
Giftedness (Contd…)
History of ‘gifted’: Initially, the terms ‘gifted’, ‘talented’, and ‘genius’ were used interchangeably. Later, researchers differentiated between these words. Galton used the word initially where he considered ‘genius’ as endowed by heredity. ‘Geniuses’ were considered as persons showing extraordinary performance. ‘Gifted’ persons were considered to be intellectually superior persons, assessed on tests of general intelligence. The ‘talented’ were considered to be the persons showing exceptional performance in any specific area of human endeavor. People like Witty and Havighurst defined the ‘gifted’ as an individual who shows consistently remarkable performance. Here there is a comparison with similar others. As cited in a book by Freeman (1991), Terman, Hollingworth and Birch, the individuals who stood in the top 1% on the standardized intelligence tests were considered as the ‘intellectually gifted’. Butler treated top 1.5%, while Marlad and Martinson regarded the top 3.5% as the gifted. DeHaan and Havighurst, Sumption, Luccking, and Neweland considered the top 5% to 10% as the gifted. Freeman referred the top 1% as ‘highly gifted’ and 5% to 1% as ‘gifted’. Many psychologists defined the term operationally, as per the purpose of the study or work undertaken. The Marland Report (1971) defined gifted children as ‘those, identified by professionally qualified persons, who by virtue of outstanding abilities are capable of high performance’. The potentials are likely to get converted into talents; but sometimes there are hurdles in the way which set limit to the conversion. Here the individuals need support and help to remove the blocks. As per Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act, (1998), “The term gifted and talented student means children and youths who give evidence of higher performance capability in such areas as intellectual, creative, artistic, or leadership capacity, or in specific academic fields, and who require services or activities not ordinarily provided by the schools in order to develop such capabilities fully." National Institute of Public Co-operation and Child Development (NIPCCD), India (1984), after a national workshop of experts, arrived at a conclusive definition of giftedness as ‘a potential, ability or a group of abilities to excel in any field of human endeavor’. According to Renzulli & Reis (1989) gifted children show three basic clusters of characteristics –above-average general and/or specific abilities; high levels of task commitment; and high levels of creativity. Piirto (1999) described “gifted are those individuals who by way of learning characteristics such as superior memory, observational
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If Mensans made films… When their mother miraculously recovered her eyesight after a visit to a temple, she called Amar, Akbar and Anthony, and asked them what their average salary was. While it was indeed a queer request right after such an unbelievable incident, the immediate predicament before the three brothers was that they were embarrassed to reveal their salaries to each other. Can there be an agreeable solution to determine the average without each revealing his individual salary?
The plot unravels on page 7.
What is Mensa? Mensa is derived from the Latin word for ‘table’. Although the logo resembles a square one, the significance of ‘table’ is to denote a round table assembly where everyone is accepted as an equal. The initial name proposed for the organization was ‘Mens’ which, in Latin, expresses the idea of ‘mind’ (MInd, coincidence?). It was then chosen as ‘Mensa’ which also signifies ‘mind’ and ‘month’. So the name suggests a ‘monthly’ meeting of ‘minds’ around a round ‘table’.
Giftedness (Contd…)
powers, curiosity, creativity and the ability to learn school-related subject matters rapidly and accurately with a minimum of drill and repetition, have a right to an education that is differentiated according to these characteristics”. Khire (2000) says that gifted are those individuals who have potential for advanced development and try to develop throughout the life journey. It follows the essential characteristics of being ‘alive’. Remaining firm on the evolutionary path within the life span she describes Sensitivity, Response to surrounding, Assimilation & Adaptation, Growth & Expansion, Creativity & Regeneration and Elimination & Excretion as the characteristics of the ‘Gifted’. Those, who understand interdependence between individual and society, and thus admit that survival and progress of the society is of utmost importance for their own survival’ are ‘gifted’. Hence those who use their high potentials for self-progress as well as for betterment of society may be considered as gifted. Psychologists like Piirto, categorized the gifted individuals as ‘Intellectually gifted’, ‘Academically gifted’, ‘Socially gifted’ and ‘Creatively gifted’. These gifted individuals show uneven rates of development within oneself. They have high cognitive abilities plus heightened intensity to create intense inner experiences in either field. Those who prove to be high on standardized intelligence tests and show high potentials in problems solving, decision making, creative thinking, logical thinking and reasoning are titled as intellectually gifted. Those who excel in academic performance and show their talents through achieving scholarships, fellowships and prizes for academic subjects are known as academically gifted. Individuals who show extraordinary functioning for social betterment and have vision for better future of the society are named as socially gifted. Those showing talents or potentials for performance in the area of visual or performing art are known as creatively gifted. All these categories are based on performance revealed. The common denominator, to all these giftedness, is the basic brain potential and motivation to use them. Neuroscience suggests advanced and accelerated growth of the major functions of their brains. The cognitive functions include linear analytic, problem-solving, sequential, evaluative, spatial orientation, reasoning, etc. The affective function consists of emotions, feelings, motivation, which is mostly governed by limbic system. The physical function sensing and movement part of the body; hence the entire sensory organs of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. The intuitive part deals with rational, predictive and transformational behavior ultimately leading to creative thinking. The gifts could be found in a balanced form showing overall high potential to perform in many areas. But there could be lopsided
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Solutions: with inputs from Sumit Goyal
Letter Boxes: The pattern is:
G
T
S
H
How you ask? Figure it out. You did qualify for Mensa, right?
The Mensan Robber! Prof. Nam Sen will next attack poor Mrs. I again. How? Here’s a clue: Before he turned bad, he was a researcher at ‘IndaiSys’. (Also, his name is an anagram of Mensan. Did you catch that?!!)
Numb3rs: The answer’s (b)
42 1
Clue: If you hadn’t studied beyond standard 2, you might have had a better chance at this one!
Fermat’s Last Theorem x^n = 6^n will always have 6 as the last digit y^n = 1^n will always have 1 as the last digit 6^n + 1^n will always have 7 as the last digit Hence, z^n = 5^n will always have 5 as the last digit
Giftedness (Contd…)
gifts which are difficult to point out. These are the ‘high risk’ gifted individuals, who are likely to get not only neglected but rejected by the society. Nurture, by identifying them at right point of age and time could prove beneficial to the individual as well as society. All the gifted have their own needs, which are very special and need to be supported by mentors.
If Mensans made films… Let Amar, Akbar and Anthony’s salaries be A, B and C respectively Amar adds a random number X to his salary and whispers the number (A + X) to Akbar.
~Dr. Sujala Watve, National Supervisory Psychologist, Mensa India Editor’s Note: Approaches such as these and more were discussed at the National Conference, Beyond Horizons: Giftedness in 21st Century, Century organized at Pune, between 7th and 9th February, 2013. For those who could not make it, we’ll try and cover the event in our next edition.
xkcd: Angular Momentum
Akbar in turn adds his salary to the sum and whispers the sum, (A + X + B) to Anthony. Anthony finally adds his salary and whispers the total (A + X + B + C) back to Amar. Now, Amar subtracts the random number he added, and divides the sum by 3: (A + B + C) / 3. And voila –one happy family! The End.
Bonus answer: By the way, if you answered 42 to any of the questions, those count as correct answers too. After all, that is the answer to life, the universe and everything!
Pale
Blue
Dot
As the Voyager 1 spacecraft was leaving the Solar System, NASA, at the request of Carl Sagan, had the spacecraft’s camera turned around to take a photograph of Earth across a great expanse of space.
Source: http://xkcd.com/162/ Also, from its image tag:
With reasonable assumptions about latitude and body shape, how much time might she gain them? Note: whatever the answer, sunrise always comes too soon. (Also, is it worth it if she throws up?)
Watch the spectacular image along with the inspiring piece of commentary by Sagan himself at
http://youtu.be/p86BPM1GV8M
The following pages are from the Mensa International Journal:
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m e ns a i n te r n a ti on a l j o u r n a l
editor: kate nacard
december 2012 issue number 564
from the executive committee... A Different Spin At This Mensa Gathering In Bali, Indonesia, last September, Mensans from 20 different countries gathered for a weekend of serious contemplation, stimulating education, and a large measure of fun. The second Asian Mensas Annual Gathering (AMAG) featured the 2012 LEAP sessions on Friday along with various games throughout the day, Balinese dance lessons, Kecak dance, and Japanese cast puzzles. Eszter Chrobacsinszky, Mensa Hungary; Aleksandra Borovic, Mensa Serbia; Roeland van Zeijst, Mensa The Netherlands, Vicki Herd, Mensa Canada; and Louise Steenekamp, Mensa South Africa, all presented shortened versions of their presentations to appreciative audiences of between 30 and 50 attendees. It was difficult to adhere to a time schedule when all the comments and questions kept the presenters occupied beyond their allotted times. But we were on Bali time, what turned out to be quite an elastic dimension in that part of the world. On Saturday the major topic was to design a roadmap to help Indonesia’s poorest people realize their brain potential and maximize that to improve their economic circumstances. For me, this was a different spin on a Mensa gathering - it was the first time I could remember where those in attendance were challenged with a specific national problem delegated by authorities/experts in the fields of biology, education, the medical commensa international journal december 2012
munity, government, and food/ nutrition. Dr. Bayu Prawira Hie, organizer of this gathering, introduced the Republic of Indonesia’s Special Envoy for Poverty Alleviation, Mr. H.S Dillon, who opened the morning session. Dr. Widjaja Lukito then spoke about ways to improve brain capacity/
of the roadmap: healthy food/nutrition, education, and brain drain. Animated conversations and a lot of creative ideas later, the notes and suggestions were collected so that Dr. Bayu could summarize the day’s results. These findings may help Indonesia solve its poverty problem and thereby serve as an example for other nations. After a press conference attended by several local television news commentators, half a dozen doves were released signifying unity and hope for the future. AMAG wrapped up on Sunday with a tour of several of Bali’s tourist spots: the rocky temple at Tanah Lot, Uluwatu, l-r Paul and Jenny Caston, Australian Mensa; where the monkeys rule, Ubud, Dr. Bayu Prawira Hie, Mensa Indonesia; Charles Kuta, and the Krishna shopping Freeman, Mensa Korea; Elissa Rudolph, Ameri- area. We ended the day at Kelapa can Mensa; Vicki Herd, Mensa Canada; and Jeff Dreamland watching the sun sink below the horizon. Adriano, Mensa Indonesia. Goodbyes were emotional, but we all capability through healthy nutrition. hope to see each other in Singapore He was followed by Dr. Yohanes for next year’s AMAG! Surya’s ideas on educating and stimulating young people from remote Elissa Rudolph villages to reach for the sky. Chair, American Mensa Dr. Eduardo Araral from Singapore discussed how a country could Deadline for submissions effectively capitalize on its brain for the January 2013 issue is power and thus prevent brain drain. November 1. After lunch, the audience was split into three groups of about 25, each ijeditor@mensa.org group to focus on a specific area
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m e ns a i n te r n a ti on a l j o u r n a l
editor: kate nacard
Ottawa, Canada - via SIGHT International SIGHT Coordinator, Rich Kingston, visits Ottawa for the first time and gives us a first-hand glimpse of SIGHT hospitality in action... Having been invited by my Canadian aunt to make notes on my family history, I decided to make the trip to Ottawa, capital city of Canada and to take the opportunity to meet up with Canadian SIGHT Coordinator, Jonathan Bramwell. Although I have visited other Canadian cities, I really didn’t know what to expect from Ottawa but, through the SIGHT programme, Jonathan, his wife Heather and Mensa Canada’s President, Millie Norry, kindly offered to show me around the city and also each invited me to stay over for a couple of days. Jonathan, Heather and Millie were so helpful in arranging my visit for me that I was not only able to meet other Canadian Mensa members but to gain an insider’s view of the city. Jonathan kindly picked me up from my cousin’s home and took me for a very interesting drive past all of Rich with Mensa Canad’s President, Ottawa’s Millie Norry key locations and I was impressed by the striking architecture and apparent quiet dignity of the city in which, unlike other North American cities, I saw little evidence of any economic decline. He and Heather took me to a restaurant on a mensa international journal december 2012
Canada and Ottawa with Millie and another local Mensa Member while enjoying some excellent red wine. Breakfast was followed by a visit to the lively centre of this rather attractive city and another opportunity to see more of the city’s facets. Unlike many modern cities, the air seemed to be fresh and clean and even the “down-and-outs” looked to be re-
jetty where sailors tied up their boats for lunch on the banks of the Ottawa River. Here we had an excellent meal with views of the river and the province of Quebec at the other side. An extended journey through some of the many green areas of the city took us back to my hosts’ home among the diplomatic residences of the capital. During the evening, we joined a group of friendly and interesting Mensa members for a lively meeting Enjoying an impromptu dinner with Canadian Mensans at a city centre pub and I was impressed with their ability to convene such a meeting at short no- markably well-fed and well-dressed. tice. We then returned to their home After a circuit of the city centre’s and retired for the night after a busy markets we took lunch at one of the many restaurants in the tourist area but very pleasant day. Next morning, after a huge break- and then went to visit an experimental farm within the city limits. Again, fast of sausages, scrambled eggs and unlike most modern cities, the road kippers we took a walk around the leafy Rockcliffe Park area along- traffic appeared to run very easily and side a lake, after which we enjoyed a the closest Ottawa could come to a “rush hour” traffic jam was splendid lunch five cars in a row at a traffic of Canalight! dian salmon All this was followed and salad. by dinner at a popular loJonathan then cal hotel featuring a local delivered me favourite of “meat ball to my aunt’s sandwich platter” - during home. Followwhich I was given a deing a meeting tailed overview of the finer with my aunt, points of baseball by our Millie kindly waiter - then back to Milpicked me up lie’s to catch up on commuand took me nications and prepare for to her home, my departure the next day where we disafter my first visit to this cussed Mensa,
If you would like to be a SIGHT host (you can choose to offer accommodation and/ or day hosting), please register with your national SIGHT Coordinator.
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m e ns a i n te r n a ti on a l j o u r n a l extraordinary city. So it was that, thanks to Mensa’s SIGHT programme, what may have otherwise been a routine visit became an interesting and entertaining opportunity to learn about this
impressive city while enjoying the company of fellow Mensa members. The SIGHT programme, which operates in almost 70 countries worldwide, provides information, guidance and hospitality to Mensa travellers and provides an opportunity for interaction between Mensa members internationally. The programme is open to all Mensa members. If you would like to be a SIGHT host (you can choose to offer accommodation and/or day hosting), please register with your national SIGHT Coordinator. If you would like to take advantage of the SIGHT programme as a traveller, register with the SIGHT Coordinator of your destination country using one of the application forms available on the SIGHT pages of the Mensa International website www.mensa.org. Note; You are also welcome to use SIGHT in your own country of residence.
SIGHT – Connecting Mensans! Rich Kingston SIGHT@mensa.org
What would you like to see in the IJ? More articles? Puzzles? Member communication channels? Send your ideas to me at ijeditor@mensa.org mensa international journal december 2012
editor: kate nacard
New research into Autism Diverse symptoms associated with autism could be explained by unreliable activity of neurons in the brain in response to basic, nonsocial sensory information, according to a study published by Cell Press on September 19th in the journal Neuron. The new findings suggest that autism is a disorder of general neural processing and could potentially provide an explanation for the origins of a range of psychiatric and neurological disorders. “Within the autism research community, most researchers are looking for either a dysfunctional brain region or inadequate connections between brain regions,” says lead study author Ilan Dinstein of Carnegie Mellon University. “We’re taking a different approach and thinking about how a general characteristic of the brain could be different in autism—and how that might lead to behavioral changes.” Autism is a developmental disorder marked by social deficits, communication problems, and repetitive behaviors. Two previous studies suggested that the neural responses of individuals with autism are more variable than those of control subjects during visual and motor tasks. Building on this past evidence, Dinstein and his collaborators have now shown that multiple sensory systems within these individuals show noisy responses, suggesting that widespread behavioral abnormalities could arise from a basic dysfunction in neural processing that emerges during development.In the
study, adults with autism participated in functional magnetic resonance imaging experiments in which their brain activity was measured under three different conditions: while they watched moving dots on a screen, listened to tone beeps, and felt air puffs on their hands. The neural responses to all three types of sensory information were less reliable across trials in individuals with autism than in control subjects. The findings suggest that autism could result from fundamental defects in general neural processing rather than a collection of independent problems that affect different brain regions. “Unreliable neural activity is a general property that could have a profound impact on the function of many brain systems and could underlie a range of cognitive and social abnormalities,” says study author Marlene Behrmann of Carnegie Mellon University. “So we think that this problem could play a role not only in autism, but also potentially in other disorders such as epilepsy and schizophrenia.” (http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-09/cp-asc091412.php)
See p 05 of the IJ Extra for infromation on Asperger Syndrome in the workplace in a new book by Mensan, Stephen Plowright. Asperger Syndrome is an Autism Spectrum Disorder. - Ed.
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m e ns a i n te r n a ti on a l j o u r n a l
editor: kate nacard
International Award for Benefit to Society The Mensa Foundation has established, in cooperation with Mensa International Ltd, an award for a specific accomplishment to the benefit of society. The Award is open to members worldwide. The accomplishment should be innovative in some respect. It may be singular such as an invention, or may be the cumulative effect of several innovative accomplishments, but must be shown to have a tangible benefit to a substantial number of people. The judges will give consideration to the number of persons impacted. Political activities are excluded. Innovative activities might include, for example: new education programs for employees; client or business associate education programs; programs designed to educate the public; intellectual research and development; etc. Because the kinds of accomplishments cannot be anticipated, the judges shall have the sole authority to define the terms used above. An applicant must be a paid-up member of an officially recognized national Mensa or be a Direct International Member of Mensa International Ltd. The applicant may apply personally, or may be nominated by another Mensa member or group with the written consent of the applicant. More information at http://www.mensafoundation.org/foundation/?LinkServID=0EE915F9-E081-4C23C4B5EA4A20A89DAC
Closing date: March 1, 2013
officer directory Chair: Mr Willem Bouwens Trompenburgstraat 6-G, 1079 TX Amsterdam The Netherlands chairman-mil@mensa.org Tel: +31 (0)20 661 2718 Director Admin: Ms Sylvia Herbert 16 Farley St, St John’s, Worcester, Worcestershire WR2 6JD England admin-mil@mensa.org Tel: +44(0)1905 422231 Director Development: Ms Bibiana Balanyi Mensa HungarIQa, H-1426 Budapest 72, Postafiok 99 Hungary development-mil@mensa.org Tel: +36 209 135175 Treasurer: Cyndi Kuyper 2606 Henderson St, West Lafayette, IN 47906-1537 Tel: +1 765 463 1393 Cell Phone: +1 765 714 2272 treasurer-mil@mensa.org Dir. Smaller National Mensas: Mr Björn Liljeqvist Knektvägen 1, 196 30 Kungsängen, Sweden +46 (0) 730 394199
skype: bjorn.liljeqvist dsnm-mil@mensa.org
Hon. President: Dr Abbie Salny 407 Breckenridge, Wayne NJ 07470 USA Tel: +1 973 305 0055 SIGHTCoordinator: Mr Richard Kingston SIGHT@mensa.org Int. SIG Coordinator: Mr Markus Schauler sigs@mensa.org Ombudsman:Mr Martyn Davies ombudsman@mensa.org Executive Director: Mr Michael Feenan, Slate Barn, Church Lane, Caythorpe, Lincolnshire NG32 3EL, UK Tel/Fax+44(0)1400272 675 mensainternational@mensa.org Editorial Staff Editor: Ms Kate Nacard 407/23 Corunna Rd, Stanmore NSW 2048 Australia ijeditor@mensa.org Tel: +61 2 9516 1024 Science: Mr John Blinke, Johnb44221@cs.com Books: Mr Tom Elliott, tme01@verizon.net Feature Articles: Mr Thomas Hally, tjh@thomas-hally.com The Mensa International Journal (MIJ) is produced under the auspices of the Mensa International Board of Directors. Pages 1-4 of each issue of the MIJ must be published in every national Mensa magazine. Publication of pages 5-8 is recommended but optional. Opinions expressed in the MIJ are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of any other individual or any official Mensa body. Submission Guidelines: Language: English only. Text: MS Word (Windows), .rtf (Word/Mac), plain text, PageMaker (Windows) Length: 500 word limit. Send by e-mail, fax, snail mail to the Editor. The Editor reserves the right to include or edit submissions for space and content considerations. All unoriginal submissions must be accompanied by written permission for publication from the original author.Permission is granted for MIJ articles to be reprinted in any Mensa publication provided that the author, MIJ and MIJ’s editor are acknowledged. Permission must be sought from the MIJ editor for reprinting of any part of the MIJ in non-Mensa publications. mensa international journal december 2012
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Asperger Syndrome and the technical workplace Last year, Australian Mensan, Stephen Plowright published a manual, Asperger Awareness: A Key to Success for IT and Technical Managers. Based on his 30 years of experience in IT, Stephen looks at the common combination of high IQ and Asperger characteristics in technical staff, and how managers can benefit from a knowledge of them. Below, he outlines for us the history of Asperger awareness, its characteristics and the value of Asperger personalities to society. gent, but socially awkward. They tended to have an area of intense interest, like fossils or trains, and could lecture him on the details in a precocious manner that would lead him to call them “Little Professors”. He correctly predicted that many of them would go on to academic distinction. The list of Asperger traits includes: a logical approach, an ability to focus narrowly for long periods, honesty to the point of tactlessness, difficulty making small-talk, discomfort in new social situations, little interest in Asperger Awareness: A Key to Success for fashion or dressing to imIT and Technical Managers press, reduced eye contact, ISBN 978-1446738856 preference for routines, problem solving ability, unconventional or innovaAvailable ontive solutions, difficulties line in paper or multi-tasking, annoyance if electronic version interrupted while thinking. from Amazon/ Their intelligence is deKindle, Barnes & scribed as “dynamic” rather Noble, or Lulu. than “crystallised”, tending com. to work out solutions from first principles, rather than from a known formula. Such a list of recog-
In the Vienna of the 1940s, famous for its doctors of the mind yet under the real threat of losing its patients to the Nazi policy of exterminating those it saw as different or “defective”, at least one doctor saw the value in diversity. A paediatrician, Dr Hans Asperger (pronounced with a hard g, as in “burger”, not soft as in “merger”), noticed that some of his patients had a number of characteristics in common. They were often highly intelli-
mensa international journal december 2012
nisable characteristics that appear together is called a “syndrome”. It is not necessarily a deficit, but a difference from the “typical”. It can make some things more difficult for the individual, but may compensate with other gifts. In 2001, Wired magazine published an article, The Geek Syndrome, noting the similarity between Asperger’s Syndrome and the stereotype of the high-tech worker. They further reported an unusually high incidence of children identified with Asperger and related social issues living in Silicon Valley. This effect was also reported in 2011, in a more formal study in Holland’s high-tech city, Eindhoven, where technical workers are more likely to meet each other and go on to have children with more intense traits. Asperger himself saw the characteristics not as a condition that one either has or has not got, but more as a personality type that manifests on a continuous scale from subtle to extreme. This is also the view of “Neurodiversity”, the philosophy
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m e ns a i n te r n a ti on a l j o u r n a l that rather than thinking in the old terms of “nomal” versus “abnormal”, we need to see every type of mind as unique, and filling a useful niche in society. The value of Asperger personalities to science, technology, and civilisation has been immeasurable. It has been speculated that it may explain the eccentricities of some of the great minds such as Newton and Einstein, and is much more clearly identifiable in many others, such as Dirac and Turing. Many of the founders of today’s high tech giants also show clear Asperger traits. They are an important source of innovation. The high IQ/high AQ (Asperger Quotient) personality is often attracted to technical work, tends to stay with it, and be good at it. I lead a team of engineers at IBM, and have worked in technical roles for 30 years. I have known a few individuals in IT with official Asperger diagnoses, and many more who accept that they fit the profile, but are not interested in labelling themselves. Around half of the people I have worked with have the traits strongly enough to make it well worth understanding how to keep them motivated. This is the purpose of my handbook, Asperger Awareness. For those who are wondering about their own traits, a quick AQ test is available online. Some of Stephen’s colleagues agreed to do the test and most scored above 30, with lowest 22, and highest 46. “Neurotypical” average is about 17, maximum possible is 50. www.piepalace.ca/blog/asperger-test-aq-test/ mensa international journal december 2012
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AWARENESS AND INSIGHT = CREATIVITY? Although the popular belief about creativity and the right hemisphere of the brain dates back to the 1970s, there is a new understanding more specific to the topography of the brain. When it comes to left versus right, we must distinguish further. It’s not just left-right; it’s also up-down and front-back - it’s the whole brain. In order to further understand this, Thomas Hally looks at some structural differences between the left and right hemispheres and the functioning of certain areas of the brain near or at the creative moment. The right brain, or hemisphere, traditionally known as the “artistic brain,” has more neural connections within itself and throughout the brain. Its strongest connections are between the amygdale and the subcortical regions throughout the brain. The brain’s left hemisphere has few connections both within itself and throughout the rest of the brain. The right hemisphere is a structural mix, while the left hemisphere is made up of stacked vertical columns, allowing clear differentiation of separate mental functions and integration of these functions. In our creative endeavors, we employ the whole brain, not just the right brain. The creative (“whole”) brain accesses this large web of connections. Brain studies tell us how writers, scientists, artists and other creative people “get to” that sudden new awareness and understanding that leads to a breakthrough discovery, creation or solution to a difficult problem. This sudden understanding or Aha! Moment is like a stroke of genius or “divine inspiration” (afflatus). Scientists who have measured EEG brainwaves during a creative
moment reveal that there is gamma activity in the brain before the answer; solution, or perhaps, “vision” manifests itself. This gamma activity indicates the binding of neurons, connecting cells from throughout the brain as a new association emerges. We have our answer when the new idea enters fully into our consciousness. This gamma and neural activity focuses on the temporal area on the right side of the neocortex. At the moment of the new understanding, the cells in the right hemisphere are using their extensive connections to reach other parts of the brain. The new information is simultaneously collected and creates a new organization. Insight is a little bit like Shakespeare and a little bit like Mother. The Elizabethan Bard advises “To thine own self be true,” whereas Mother tells each of us to “Be yourself.” So, how does insight fit into this picture? Insight is about knowing exactly who we are and acting accordingly following our own inclinations and abilities. Insight helps us choose the right partner, friend, career, hobby and goal and, perhaps,
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m e ns a i n te r n a ti on a l j o u r n a l even the right therapist. If our skills and talents are not in sync with our inflated or - deflated - self image, we may be in for a fall or a rude awakening. It is best to develop our natural talents in order to secure our futures rather than rely on any false beliefs. “The truth will set you free.” We will be happier with our True Selves than with False Selves. We may even be in for a pleasant surprise! Knowing who we are will open the door to opportunity. “Chance favors only the prepared mind,” said Louis Pasteur. The Aha! Moment “hit” Archidemedes when he was in the bathtub, causing him to shout “Eureka!”(“I have found it”!). He had finally (and “suddenly”) realized that an object immersed in water (in this instance, a gold crown) always displaced a volume of water equal to its own volume. This formed the basis of his experiment because he understood that, if he divided the weight of an object by the volume of water displaced, he would know its density. And, the Aha! Moment came to Isaac Newton as he wandered (aimlessly?) through an apple orchard. In a series of experiments, researchers from Drexel University and Northwestern University used fMRI, brain-image scanning and EEG sensors to document the neural activity of a group of volunteers. They were solving word problems and were presented with three words, say, crab, pine, and sauce. They were instructed to think of another word that formed a compund word and use it to join each of the three original words, forming three compound words. For example, the word apple joins with crab to form crabapple; pine to form
pineapple; and sauce to form applesauce. When each participant thought of the appropriate word, he pressed one of two buttons, indicating an insightful understanding or an analytic (hypothetical) understanding. Those expressing “insight” experienced a high degree of gamma activity in the brain that “kicked in” 300 milliseconds before they consciously knew the answer. These gamma wave flashes stemmed from the brain’s right hemisphere, and area traditionally involved in making associations and assembling parts of problems.
“Knowing who we are will open the door to opportunity. ‘Chance favours only the prepared mind’”
mensa international journal december 2012
Louis Pasteur
The constellation of neurons excited by gamma activity binds itself in the brain and creates new neural pathways and, voilà - new ideas and new creations! Immediately following the “assault of the gamma waves,” the new idea “pops into” our consciousness; and that is known as the Aha! Moment. High alpha rhythm is an indicator of mental relaxation; and in this openness of reverie and mental drifting, we are highly receptive to new ideas. In order to get to that breakthrough or novel idea or solution and follow through, we must relax and “let go” as if we were meditating or praying. Creative expression often times follows.
Thomas Hally tjh@thomas-hally.com
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supplementally... Other Places Martian minerals are similar to the ones we find on Earth. It was easy for the Spirit and Opportunity rovers to identify olivine and carbonate rocks, among other things. Apparently, the thin atmosphere and weak gravity on Mars do not change the way those minerals form. But what about more extreme places? Will minerals on asteroids also look familiar? What about exotic environments like Venus, with its dense, hot, carbon dioxide atmosphere and sulfuric acid rain? What about Titan, where it is so cold that common gases flow like Rocky Mountains springs on Earth? We’re told the landscape is dripping with unspecified hydrocarbons. But what do we know about the properties of cryogenic hydrocarbons? On the Star Trek TV show, nearly every planet had breathable air and Earth’s gravity. Our comfortable planet was originally a random result out of uncountable possibilities. Today, it isn’t just a place where our kind of life can thrive. It is a place where life has existed for at least a billion years - long enough to modify the environment radically. We may never see a place where we can walk around unprotected. There are many small variations that could make planets uninhabitable. What if, for example, the air was full of allergens that destroyed your lungs? What if every ocean was like the Dead Sea, devoid of any macroscopic animal life? What if there were loads of poisonous heavy metals everywhere on the surface? What if the oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide in the air had some other ratio than what we can
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m e ns a i n te r n a ti on a l j o u r n a l breathe? All these things would keep human colonists hiding in tunnels or in sealed buildings. Air filters could be a major import expense. Maybe the only way to settle people in places other than Earth is to get good at terraforming. Martian Tectonics UCLA Newsroom, 31 August 2012. “UCLA Scientist Discovers Plate Tectonics on Mars.” (Lithosphere) Contributed by Stephen Darnell. Mars has plate tectonics, as Earth does. But the red planet might have only two instead of the Earth’s seven major plates. The boundary between them is, unsurprisingly, Valles Marineris - Mars’s super sized version of the Grand Canyon. But Earth’s Grand Canyon is purely an erosional feature. The Martian version is more like Earth’s Dead Sea fault system, where there is horizontal movement of one plate relative to another. Scientists at UCLA confirmed the plates by going through dozens of photos taken by the Mars Odyssey and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiters. They picked out V-shaped stress features created by plate movement. Alpine Moons ScienceDaily 29 July 2012. “Giant Ice Avalanches On Saturn’s Moon Iapetus Provide Clue to Extreme Slippage Elsewhere in the Solar System.” (Nature Geoscience) A typical avalanche on Earth might travel horizontally twice the height of the cliff it fell from. On rare occasions, there are long-runout rock landslides, or sturzstrom, in which the horizontal flow extends 20 or 30 times the height of the fall. One favored explanation for this is that trapped air floats the rock or snow, providing a kind-of air bearing to aid mensa international journal december 2012
its movement. But Saturn’s walnut shaped moon, Iapetus, has at least thirty giant sturzstrom avalanches that have been photographed by Cassini. The moon has no air and much less gravity than Earth. So, scientists are leaning toward another explanation: that speedy flows can generate enough heat through friction to melt some of the moving material, providing a temporary liquid sliding surface. This explains why the moon Rhea, with less rugged terrain than Iapetus, does not have so many monster slides: avalanches there are just too slow. Common Geometry ScienceDaily 27 July 2012. “Martian Polygons and Deep-Sea Polygons On Earth: More Evidence for Ancient Martian Oceans?” (GSA Today) When mud dries out or settles, its surface takes on the look of an abused fisherman’s net - a tortured checkerboard of distorted squares. Ocean bottoms can look like this, with features ranging from hundreds to thousands of meters in size. So can many areas on Mars. This implies that Mars has a lot of dried lake beds and former ocean floors. Thermal cycling can make polygonal patterns, too. But those are usually much smaller. Moon Shots Science News, 24 March 2012, p. 8. “Lunar Lights Made by Molten Blobs.” (Icarus) When meteor showers are predicted
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to arrive on clear nights, many of us rush outside to watch. If we were on Earth’s moon, we would be wise to run inside and maybe get into a bunker. The reason is that there is no air on the moon to burn meteors up in flight. They hit the ground hard and sometimes make flashes bright enough to be seen from Earth. The mechanism behind these flashes is a point of contention, but a pretty good study from Paris University suggests a solution: The light comes from glowing gas and molten rock that are sprayed out when rocks about ten centimeters in size hit the surface at more than 72 kilometers per second. A competing alternative had been that something like electric sparks caused the flashes. BeetleCam New Scientist, 17 March 2012, p. 25. “Robots on Safari.” Wildlife photography is taking on a new and dramatic look, thanks to BeetleCam and its successor, BeetleCam 2. These are robotic (well, remotely-operated) photo assistants created by wildlife photographer, Will Burrard-Lucas to get close to hungry lions, rowdy elephants and other interesting critters that might not treat a flesh-and-blood human with the desired level of respect. You can web search for BeetleCam to see several charming videos of puzzled animals interacting with the dog sized robot.
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