E-Learning-Inclusivo (Mashup)

"Who here remembers taking computer programming in school? Whether you learned programming by punching holes in a never ending series of cards, or by ..."

Via Leona Ungerer

In the latest in our series about The Future of Work, Katie McCrory explores the changing nature of leadership. Some say being a CEO is the loneliest job in the world. Perched right at the top of that org chart, responsible for every tough business decision, knowing you can never forge true friendsh...

Via Karine SACEPE, Geemik Maria Açucena Da Silva, Bruno De Lièvre

As early as 1836, the German physiologist and anatomist Friedrich Tiedemann, in an article in the Philosophical Transactions, expressed his opinion that “there is undoubtedly a connection between the absolute size of the brain and the intellectual powers and functions of the mind”. With the advent of brain imaging methods (e.g., MRI, PET), reliable assessments of in-vivo brain volume and investigations of its association with IQ are now possible.

Now, an international team of researchers, led by University of Vienna researchers Jakob Pietschnig, Michael Zeiler, and Martin Voracek from the Faculty of Psychology, together with Lars Penke (University of Göttingen) and Jelte Wicherts (Tilburg University), published a meta-analysis examining correlations between in-vivo brain volume and IQ in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews. Based on the data from 148 samples comprising over 8000 participants, they report a robust but weak association between brain size and IQ. This association appeared to be independent of participant sex and age.

“The presently observed association means that brain volume plays only a minor role in explaining IQ test performance in humans. Although a certain association is observable, brain volume appears to be of only little practical relevance. Rather, brain structure and integrity appear to be more important as a biological foundation of IQ, whilst brain size works as one of many compensatory mechanisms of cognitive functions”, explains Jakob Pietschnig from the Institute of Applied Psychology of the University of Vienna.

Brain structure vs. brain size

The importance of brain structure compared to brain volume becomes already evident when comparing different species. When considering absolute brain size, the sperm whale weighs in with the largest central nervous system. When controlling for body mass, the shrew is on the top of the list. Similar results emerge when considering other aspects of species anatomy: Homo sapiens never appears at the top at the list, as would be expected. Rather, differences in brain structure appear to be mainly responsible for between-species differences in cognitive performance.

Via Miloš Bajčetić, Mark E. Deschaine, PhD

Many of the things people do to project intelligence to others can backfire, research shows.

Via Sharrock

Big Data has become an essential part of the world of business, providing billions of data points from targeted audiences globally.

Data points are comprised of the market intelligence that have been gathered into consumer behavior, purchasing patterns and brand affinity across numerous verticals from auto, tech, gaming, health and beauty, entertainment, and travel, among others.

The customer intelligence derived from actionable data helps identify markets and customers, measure brand loyalty and pinpoint new trends; ultimately, helping companies understand what people think.

 

Big data doesn’t come from one source, but from a multitude of sources – surveys, focus groups, mobile feedback, purchase history and customer service to name a few...

Via Lauren Moss, Alessandro Rea