>>44874667>>44876213https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(11)01267-XThe posterior hippocampi of average-IQ adult subjects who passed the difficult Knowledge exam for London taxicab drivers showed significant enlargement as opposed to before they began studying for it. (The posterior hippocampus is associated with memory and spatial navigation, both of which are strongly correlated with g.)
Similar effects not observed in the control group or in those who failed. Pic related.
This was actually a repeat experiment with a larger sample size, i.e. the results are reproducible. And because all subjects are grown adults, normal brain development does not confound the study's results.
We therefore have physically-observable, reproducible evidence that the brain PHYSICALLY restructures itself in response to focused training.
Intelligence (which is a manifestation of the brain's organization) is malleable. You become smart by doing math and science, not the other way around. You can physically alter you ability to grok proofs, perform experiments, recognize patterns, and write papers.
g isn't a very good way to measure IQ as shown with this study. Nutrition and learning plays a massive role in shaping intelligence. There is also a correlation between brain size and intelligence via neuroplasticity which can be selected for in societies with better diets. Other factors like epigenetics and the Flynn effect are at play too. A good example are the Igbo who have IQs in the 90s but are not genetically much different from their neighbors or African Americans.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221478451630010Xhttps://meditation-research.org.uk/neuroscience/meditation-and-neuroplasticity-five-key-articles/In short, a society that has nutrition, is healthy and values education can achieve high IQs. Not surprisingly, Africa has shitty infrastructure and economy.
