讓你比別人更聰明的十件怪事(上)

Intelligence is one of those hard-to-define qualities, which fall into the category of 'things you know when you see.' Fortunately, many attempts have been made to quantify intelligence, and we've begun to discover patterns, suggesting links between intelligence and certain characteristics. Here I will explain some of the surprising characteristics which have been found to exist more commonly in intelligent people. Since co-occurrence does not imply causation, the exact relationship between these things can be hard to judge. So don't get too big-headed just because you are a hairy, left-handed homosexual.

智力是很難定義的一種能力概念，人們常誤解成自己所知道的其他事物。幸運的是，在多次嘗試量化智力和對智力模式的探索之後，人們發現了智力和某些特徵之間的聯繫。在這裏，我將要解釋一些人類存在的，尤其是在高智商人羣中更普遍存在的一些令人驚訝的智力表徵。不過，共生關係不等於因果關係，因此，我們很難判斷它們之間的確切關係。雖然說體毛茂密、左撇子、同性戀等一般情況下是智力高超的體現，但凡事並非必然，切不可妄妄作判斷、盲目自大。

-handedness

10.左撇子

The brain is split into two hemispheres. While each half of the brain does broadly the same thing as the other, there are some differences. In humans, and lots of other mammals, one side of the brain is slightly dominant – this is why you favor one hand over another. Some studies have shown that left-handedness is linked to intelligence; left-handed people tend to score higher on IQ tests, and can also often finish these tests faster than right-handed people. Other studies, however, have shown that left-handed people have a wider range of IQs – making them over-represented in both the highly intelligent and the rather dim-witted sections of the population.

大腦分爲兩個半球，兩個半球雖然大致相同，但仍然存在不同之處。在人類和其他哺乳動物中存在一種奇特現象，即有的習慣用左手，而有的卻習慣用右手，這正是因爲大腦的其中一側佔有優勢。有研究顯示，左撇子的行爲與智力相關；左撇子的人往往智商測試得分高，連完成測試的速度也比右撇子的人快。然而，也有研究表明，左撇子人羣擁有更廣泛的智力範圍，這使得他們不僅能代表高智商人羣同樣可以是智力低下的人羣。簡言之，就是身爲一個左撇子，要麼智力非凡，要麼就是連平常人都不如。

sexuality

9.同性戀

A study by the evolutionary psychologist Satoshi Kanazawa this year has found a small but significant link between homosexuality and intelligence. Rather than homosexuality itself being a characteristic of intelligence, Kanazawa's results suggested that those who had had multiple homosexual partners were more likely to be intelligent. Those who scored highest on intelligence tests, tended to have had the greatest number of homosexual partners. Kanazawa suggests that homosexuality may be a reflection of inquisitiveness – a sure precursor, or companion, to intelligence. It has been suggested that the positive effect of homosexuality towards intelligence may be caused by society's attitude towards gay people. Children bullied for perceived homosexuality may turn to intellectual pursuits, and may feel a greater urge to strive for achievement in areas where they will be accepted.

近些年，進化論學家金澤博士在一個研究中發現了同性戀現象和智力之間微妙但頗具意義的聯繫。金澤博士得到的結果不是同性戀者本身與智力的聯繫，而是那些擁有同性戀夥伴的人羣擁有更高的智商。經研究，那些智商測試得高分者，大部分擁有同性戀夥伴。金澤博士表示，同性戀對於智力來說可能是一個奇特的反映，像是智力的前身或者是陪伴智力而存在。同時，社會對待同性戀的態度可能會對同性戀之於智商的影響產生積極性作用。例如，兒童會把因爲被發現是同性戀而受到欺負轉爲對知識的追求，並且有更大的慾望去追求人生。

h order

8.出生次序

Many studies have found a link between IQ and the order in which you were born in your family. Firstborn children were found to be generally more intelligent than their siblings; the further down each child sat on the pecking order, the worse they generally scored in IQ tests. It was unknown whether this effect was due to some change in pre-birth conditions as a mother continued to bear children, or whether it was a post-birth social effect. Recent studies have revealed that the main determinant for IQ is how children are treated within their family – as opposed to birth order in itself. In families where the first child dies, the surviving second child, on Average, has the same boost in IQ as is usual for a first child.

許多研究發現了智力與你在你家中的出生次序的聯繫，頭個出生的孩子很大可能比後出生的孩子聰明。研究顯示，出生順序越靠後的孩子，在智力測試中得分普遍越低。我們不知道這種現象是否因爲在產後幾胎的時候母親的產前環境或社會環境發生了變化。最新的研究表明，最具決定性的因素是孩子在家中受到怎樣的對待，而不是出生順序本身。若家中的第一個孩子去世，第二個孩子，大致上，擁有與第一個孩子一樣的智商。

ism

7.無神論

The link between IQ and religiosity has been studied extensively, in both individuals and societies. Average IQ scores tend to vary between countries. Those countries with the highest rates of atheism were found to be in the highest range of IQ scores. Since societal links can be easily skewed by other factors, studies on individuals have also been carried out. A 2008 study examined the relationship between intelligence and religious belief. When ranked in terms of intelligence, atheists generally came out on top, followed in order by agnostics, liberal believers, and last – and in this case least – religious fundamentalists.

無神論作爲智力和宗教之間的聯繫，如今已經被衆多個人和社會研究者廣泛研究。各國的平均智商差距日趨擴大。無神論者比率較大的國家被發現智商也普遍較高。由於對整個社會的研究容易被其他因素干擾，所以，對個人的研究也同步展開。2008年的一個研究報告發現了宗教信仰和智力之間的關係。依據智商的排名來看，無神論者智商位居首位，緊接其後的是自由主義者，當然，他們首先要是宗教原教旨主義者。

hair

6.體毛

Studies on men by Dr Aikarakudy Alias have found a link between body hair and intelligence. Rather than looking at IQ, he looked the relationship between body hair and levels of education. Perhaps contrary to popular belief, he found that men who were students or graduates had more body hair than those who work menial jobs. He also found that students who excelled in their degree were often hairier than students who performed e his work focused particularly on chest hair, he also correlated the presence of back hair to intelligence in men. The hairiness of intelligent women has yet to be studied systematically.

Aikarakudy博士對男性的研究發現了智力與體毛之間的聯繫。不要認爲體毛多少可以決定智力的高低，這邊的聯繫是指體毛與教育水平之間的聯繫。博士發現的現象或許不被大家認同，他發現學生或者高校畢業生比那些工作卑微的羣體有更多的體毛。他還發現一個驚人的現象，那些在學習上表現出色的學生往往比其他學生體毛更多。雖然他的工作重心是研究胸毛，他還研究了男士們背後的毛跟智力的關係。智商偏高的女士的毛髮現象仍待系統的研究。

翻譯：王珂 來源：前十網