The old adage ”use it or lose it” seems to apply to the human brain according to findings in neuroscience.  Studies of lifelong learners (most famously, a group of nuns in Mankato, Minnesota) show that engaging in a variety of stimulating activities throughout adult life can result in lower incidence of Alzheimer’s disease and better...Read More

The brain is an incredibly complex organ.  Someone once suggested that if the brain was so simple we could understand it, we’d be so simple that we couldn’t.  However, Dr. Howard Gardner gives us one window into better understanding the brain in his theory of multiple intelligences, which posits the existence of eight (or possibly...Read More

One of the most remarkable aspects of being human is our ability to symbolize.  Simply through a mark on a page, a sound from our voice, or a gesture from our hands, we can convey ideas that are not immediately present to our senses (we essentially ”re-present” them).  Dr. Howard Gardner, the creator of the...Read More

Most people are familiar with the 1988 movie Rainman starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise.  This movie, based on a true story, dealt with a male adult who had remarkable mathematical/computational abilities, yet had major deficiencies in other areas of his life such as socialization and language.  Experts describe this phenomena as ”savant syndrome” –...Read More

Asked to define what an ”intelligence” is, Dr. Howard Gardner replied that it is the ability to solve problems and to fashion culturally valued products.  This introduction of culture into his theory offers us the opportunity to explore the application of the theory of multiple intelligences to cultural diversity.  Some people have made the mistake...Read More