Is Everyone in the Future Super-Smart?

[Megamanfan]

It seems like on an episode of TNG I remember hearing that little kids on the ship were learning pre-calculus at age 7. What the hell? Can't kids be kids in the future, or do they just study all day?

Just how smart are people in Trek? Can they do complex calculus equasions and stuff in their heads? This is something I've always wondered...is there anything out there to shed light on this subject?

[Rayaru]

They have a lot more to learn.... gotta get started early.

[RaconteurX]

Hell, everyone does complex calculus in their heads already... otherwise it would be impossible to throw, catch, jump, etc. We just do it subconsciously.

[strict31]

Originally posted by RaconteurX
Hell, everyone does complex calculus in their heads already... otherwise it would be impossible to throw, catch, jump, etc. We just do it subconsciously.

Subconsciously, huh? You mean there are actually little numbers and squiggly variables scrolling across the inside of my brain even as I type this? Damn! So, in order to be good at the New Math, alls I gots ta do is tap my inner mathematician?


Strictly Speaking

[Balok]

Each year, the age at which certain subjects are introduced decreases. I learned things in high school that my parents didn't see until college.

Add to that the fact that, in Roddenberry's utopian future, there will be better education. Right now, it's hard to imaging the cracked and decaying system in place in most of this country as able to teach a seven year old pre-calculus, but maybe in the future they've solved that problem. An axiom of the Trekverse is that man has applied his talents to social problems as well as technological ones. (That axiom is necessary for the Trekverse to function as it does, and at the same time is the reason why I believe any such utopia will require some sort of sea change in human thought, and is probably thousands of years off.)

[qerlin]

Originally posted by Megamanfan
Just how smart are people in Trek? Can they do complex calculus equasions and stuff in their heads? This is something I've always wondered...is there anything out there to shed light on this subject?

The writers don't realize that the human brain develops in stages, and that though there is standard deviation, there are definite pointsfor certain skills to develop. Language and physical skills up to about 5-6, math skills do not crystalize until about 8-9 -- especially skills like division. Symbolic logic doesn't really stabilise until about the 11-15 range. So it is HIGHLY unlikely that they would be doing pre-calc at 7; the brain would not have developped the more basic concepts of conservation, etc by that time.

As for the teens/adults: you would see increased skills and knowledge bases, although it seems Starfleet is the 'elite' of the Federation. Most people, with the society they've created, would be involved in arts and leisure-related activities. Without the need to work for survival, most would choose jobs they 'love'. The sociological impacts would be interesting -- I could see heightened boredom and ennui in the core worlds; might explain the colonial enterprises -- an attempt to 'get back' to the more basic lifestyles; to challenge themselves.

I could see 'extreme' activities being very common: taking undue risks to find some kind of meaning in life.

(Can you tell we've actually been doing a lot of stuff inside the Federation in our campaign lately..?)

[strict31]

Originally posted by qerlin
The writers don't realize that the human brain develops in stages, and that though there is standard deviation, there are definite pointsfor certain skills to develop. Language and physical skills up to about 5-6, math skills do not crystalize until about 8-9 -- especially skills like division. Symbolic logic doesn't really stabilise until about the 11-15 range. So it is HIGHLY unlikely that they would be doing pre-calc at 7; the brain would not have developped the more basic concepts of conservation, etc by that time.

Yeah, but in all of these cases there are advanced individuals who step beyond the boundaries of generalization for whatever reason and develop these skills early. The assumption with Trek, I would think, is that these individuals have started to become the norm instead of the exception. Additionally, this could be made more feasible by associating more complex skills with simpler ones; disguising a comparatively advanced skillset in the form of a game for example. Interest breeds learning in most cases. Combined with the advanced development I have suggested above, it makes sense in a sci-fi setting if not completely in a real one.

Originally posted by qerlin
As for the teens/adults: you would see increased skills and knowledge bases, although it seems Starfleet is the 'elite' of the Federation. Most people, with the society they've created, would be involved in arts and leisure-related activities. Without the need to work for survival, most would choose jobs they 'love'. The sociological impacts would be interesting -- I could see heightened boredom and ennui in the core worlds; might explain the colonial enterprises -- an attempt to 'get back' to the more basic lifestyles; to challenge themselves.

There have been numerous examples of non-Starfleet scientists leading the way in their fields, ever since TOS. I mean, look at Daystrom, just as an example. Starfleet took an active role in those fields, often enough, stepping in and overseeing everything from cybernetics to terraforming. But even Archeology was a civilian thing. As far as Starfleet being the elite, perhaps there is a large amount of truth to this, given the capabilities of the main characters. But it isn't necessarily seen as the elite by the rest of the scientific community. Look at Picard's archeology mentor, expressing his disappointment that Jean-Luc chose to go into the Fleet instead of academic study. And Noonian Soong expressing his hopes that Data might become a scientist. Even Carol and David marcus exhibited some degree of scorn about Starfleet. Admittedly, even in Picard's time, Starfleet and/or the Federation have their hands in a lot of scientific fields, but all that suggests is that they act in an overseeing role, and not necessarily and advancement role.

Civilian science is still just as elite as it is today; it's just that the average scientist in Starfleet is also very highly skilled.

I can see many people would be devoted to the arts and leisure, since it is a very comfortable society. But there is also the idea that learning can take an advance when people aren't spending all the hours of their days working hard to survive. There is a massive historical precedent for this. Also, there is the very integral concept in Trek that mankind has developed a desire to improve himself and to gain understanding for understanding's sake. This may not be entirely believable in the real world, but it's a basic concept of Star Trek's "evolved sensibilities", so you sort of have to either take it as canon, or leave it and do your own thing.

But I don't think this statement precludes your idea of people growing bored with the parent culture. We've seen examples of that with Dr. Severin in TOS, and even in the real world with so-called modern "pagans" (I think that term is a misnomer) who try to eschew the modern and technological conventions, and with modern, but rural or traditional sub-cultures that go it without modern conveniences (but who still go to big chain grocery stores...what's up with that?).

Originally posted by qerlin
I could see 'extreme' activities being very common: taking undue risks to find some kind of meaning in life.

I don't know if it would be "very common", but again, Dr. Severin's antics suggests a great deal of basis for this premise.


Strictly Speaking

[Uruz]

You don't have to understand the facts. Just memorize them.

[Tobian]

I think an important factor has been missed here. These are the kids of the best of the best of Starfleet.

The enterprise D is the flagship of the Federation, and as such has some of the brightest minds in Starfleet.

Starfleet it's self constistes of some of the brightest minds of humanity - remember - Wesley Crusher FAILED the entrance exam (which to this day I think is rediculous that ALL of the, based on their skills didn't make it!) - he was supposed to be a prodigy (despite how anoying his character was)

So in that sense it's probably not THAT unrealistic that they are learning advanced skills at a young age in a classroom on the Enterprise

To be honest - I think that often Starfleet ships would have schools a bit like wild west towns. All of th children would be lumped together at all ages, and levels and be given allot more attention and personalised education, based on their aptitudes. Some kids naturally take to one skill or another.

With regards to doing high level multidimensional calculations in your brain, yes, technically you are performing thousands of mathematial calculations - moving an arm constitutes dosens of dimensional movement and rotation changes, as well as directed feedback reactions. Picking up a cup of coffee requires thousands of presure calculations based on realtime feedback of neural impulses from your hand, and adding to that you have to calculate delicate counterballance calculations to work out how not to fall over when working upright. - However that's all done in your Limbic brain, and is based on learned responses and preprogrammed neural pathways - not real time emulaton within your brain - it takes you at up to 1 year to work out how to walk don't forget!

An ant can walk percectly fine accross almost any circumstance. The cleverest japaneese Robot can't. - However an ant can't do calculus