Raise Your IQ - Brain Exercises & Tests

[JasonRox]

Does anybody know how?

I plan on doing a series of brain exercises next term during school.

Does anybody know how to specifically target the IQ as well?

I'm also interested in taking an IQ test before the term begins, and as well as after to see how things compare.

Although I should know or feel that I am getting smarter, but it would be nice to get some sort of comfirmation that I'm getting more intelligent, and not just better at the brain exercises.

Note: Getting the same score on the IQ tests, before and after, will not discourage me from continuing by brain exercises.

 

[selfAdjoint]

You can't raise your basic IQ, at least not much and not permanaently. What cognitive excercises may do is enable you to use the IQ you have more efficiently. In addition to the basic workout excercises do look into critical thinking; the abitility to disentangle spin and follow a logical implication where it leads is as handy in everyday life as in higher math.

 

[DM]

Although I should know or feel that I am getting smarter, but it would be nice to get some sort of comfirmation that I'm getting more intelligent, and not just better at the brain exercises.

That's exacly where the problem lies.

You're probably thinking of authenticating your knowledge in some sort of internet website, in which may I say, is perfectly fine. However do remember that THEY choose the information in which they impose on you. Raising your IQ level means raising different areas, hence subjects, of information. My best advise on this would be for you to grab an encyclopedia and start from page 1. Another information book would be perhaps a dictionary. Yet another would be multiple maths books. Indeed, it sounds pretty infinite... perhaps defining what "IQ level" is, would in my opinion convince you to submit to the fact that just because people have a specified knowledge in puzzles or higher maths, it does not mean you have a low IQ level.

 

[JasonRox]

That's exacly where the problem lies.

You're probably thinking of authenticating your knowledge in some sort of internet website, in which may I say, is perfectly fine. However do remember that THEY choose the information in which they impose on you. Raising your IQ level means raising different areas, hence subjects, of information. My best advise on this would be for you to grab an encyclopedia and start from page 1. Another information book would be perhaps a dictionary. Yet another would be multiple maths books. Indeed, it sounds pretty infinite... perhaps defining what "IQ level" is, would in my opinion convince you to submit to the fact that just because people have a specified knowledge in puzzles or higher maths, it does not mean you have a low IQ level.

What makes you think I was planning online IQ tests?

 

[DM]

What makes you think I was planning online IQ tests?

Like I said, it's perfectly fine. You stated:

but it would be nice to get some sort of comfirmation that I'm getting more intelligent

So I assumed you would use confirmation sources such websites. But since you question it, I'm curious, what source of confirmation sources, if any, do you intend to use?

 

[JasonRox]

Like I said, it's perfectly fine. You stated:
So I assumed you would use confirmation sources such websites. But since you question it, I'm curious, what source of confirmation sources, if any, do you intend to use?

I intended to take a legitimate IQ test.

 

[DM]

And what are the topics that you'll be examined on?

 

[neurocomp2003]

mmm are you talking about knowledge or attentiveness?

If its the latter.
ritalin, tea, studying in the night and early morning(much quieter)...either waking up at like 4am...or not going to sleep till like 8am.
Candy(nerds,candy worms, jubejubes,candy cherries/strawberrirs (candy of that texture)
...no chocolate or ice cream), Sunflower seeds,chinese herbs(nasty stuff but keeps you attentive)

if its knowledge you seek read...or pick up a book on problem solving in math.

 

[Lisa!]

Spending time with people who're very intelligent and have a sharp wit.(you always need to think more to get what they really mean ).Playing chess and other games like that.

 

[sr6622]

Go ahead and take that Mensa test or the other hundred IQ tests...

i really don't see the point, but if you want some recognition then go ahead.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Although I should know or feel that I am getting smarter, but it would be nice to get some sort of comfirmation that I'm getting more intelligent, and not just better at the brain exercises.

What are the definitions of "smart" and "intelligent" you are working with?

 

[DM]

What are the definitions of "smart" and "intelligent" you are working with?

I did try and ask him how he would define "IQ Level". Maybe in some countries there is some sort of recognition for this so called IQ level. That's what I have come to infer.

 

[JasonRox]

Alright, here is what I am getting at.

I have read that some Mathematicians and Scientists do all of work just in their mind. Sure, we do a lot, but some do things that are exceptional. A popular example is Stephen Hawkings.

Also, these Scientists admit to having practiced this sort of thing. Most of them were not born with this ability, and I believe Hawking's was someone who practiced himself, after seeing where his future was heading (no writing, etc...).

What I was thinking is to maybe go through Calculus independently. I have already done the course, but this time with no paper or pencil. Since it starts from simple things, and then goes on to more complicated things, I believe this would be great practice.

I'm just wondering if there is other good exercises that I can do.

Note: I do not expect to become like Hawking's.

Note: This is why I said the improvement should be obvious. If I find myself doing things I couldn't do before, there is an improvement, which is obvious.

 

[selfAdjoint]

Alright, here is what I am getting at.
I have read that some Mathematicians and Scientists do all of work just in their mind. Sure, we do a lot, but some do things that are exceptional. A popular example is Stephen Hawkings.
Also, these Scientists admit to having practiced this sort of thing. Most of them were not born with this ability, and I believe Hawking's was someone who practiced himself, after seeing where his future was heading (no writing, etc...).
What I was thinking is to maybe go through Calculus independently. I have already done the course, but this time with no paper or pencil. Since it starts from simple things, and then goes on to more complicated things, I believe this would be great practice.
I'm just wondering if there is other good exercises that I can do.
Note: I do not expect to become like Hawking's.
Note: This is why I said the improvement should be obvious. If I find myself doing things I couldn't do before, there is an improvement, which is obvious.

Ah, this makes good sense. Then what you want to do is get a book that develops a subject in theorem and proof form, say Serge Lang's Polynomials but maybe something in group theory too. Try to memorize the hypotheses and conclusions and proof techniques of each theorem, or at least the major ones. Use flash cards if necessary to remind you of theorems and ask yourself questions like "what theorems use hypothesis A, and for each of them what other hypotheses do they assume, and how do their conclusions vary based on that?" And likewise, what proof techniques come in when you assume hypothesis A? Try to get this stuff into your long term memory and test yourself at intervals of weeks to confirm/reinforce it. Plan to do this with all your math texts from now on.

Ramanujan famously worked with a single book which developed analytical function theory step by step from (a+b)(a-b) = a²-b² up to wherever it stood in about 1880, starting in his early teens. After a few years he had so much in his head he started to see things on his own, and of course he went on to become one of the most creative mathematicians in history. See his biography The Man Who Knew Infinity.

 

[JasonRox]

Ah, this makes good sense. Then what you want to do is get a book that develops a subject in theorem and proof form, say Serge Lang's Polynomials but maybe something in group theory too. Try to memorize the hypotheses and conclusions and proof techniques of each theorem, or at least the major ones. Use flash cards if necessary to remind you of theorems and ask yourself questions like "what theorems use hypothesis A, and for each of them what other hypotheses do they assume, and how do their conclusions vary based on that?" And likewise, what proof techniques come in when you assume hypothesis A? Try to get this stuff into your long term memory and test yourself at intervals of weeks to confirm/reinforce it. Plan to do this with all your math texts from now on.
Ramanujan famously worked with a single book which developed analytical function theory step by step from (a+b)(a-b) = a²-b² up to wherever it stood in about 1880, starting in his early teens. After a few years he had so much in his head he started to see things on his own, and of course he went on to become one of the most creative mathematicians in history. See his biography The Man Who Knew Infinity.

What about Hernstein's Abstract Algebra? Would that be good?

 

[selfAdjoint]

What about Hernstein's Abstract Algebra? Would that be good?

Give it a shot. Start with an early chapter and see how you do. If you have any problems understanding the content, don't worry, this is normal, ask on the math or homework help forums and they will help you. Try to do that one chapter really well before you go on to another. Remember you are not only trying to learn the subject, you are trying to get your mind to serve your purposes.

 

[MysteryMikh]

I'm sorry, for this may sound a bit rude so far into this discussion, but I disagree with whoever said that you can't get a higher IQ. two years ago mine was 142, and now it is 145. A few years before that it was 139.

The trick is not in what you know, but how well you can use your mind to view objects and shapes in your head, and to analyze patterns. Although studying mathematics will give you a conscious awareness of numerical and abstract principles and theory, it will not help you get a high IQ.

Maybe it would be helpful to one attempting a higher IQ to practice various exercises within the minds eye. Envision naturally occurring patterns, and try to consciously account for every sequence and order.

Algebraic equations without pen and paper is usually a good start. Then try solving various functions of varied complexities, and graph them all in your head. The more you can use your mind to visualise and predict the outcome of something, the better your chances are of getting a high/er IQ score.

After a while of that nonesense, try the opposite. Start with basic curves of things you find around you and work your way up to 3 dimensional shapes, invisioning the graph, and its perameters, eventually ending up with an equation. Then double check yourself, so you know you're on the right track.

 

[jms5631]

Your scores all fall within six points of one another...that's not an unusual variation among different IQ tests(or even the same one) over an interval of time. That difference can be explained by differences in the test format, your focus or state of mind due to biological or environmental factors, familiarity with the testing style and expectations of material from experience, or simply increased test taking ability from practice. Now, if you had a 15 to 20 point increase, there would be a score worth pondering. As far as I know from most of the material available, IQ seems to be pretty innate with a lot of genetic aspects. Alot of studies may show an ability to increase IQ with practice, but only by a fairly negligible amount, and attempts to link change in IQ with neural plasticity have come up short.

 

[Evo]

I'm sorry, for this may sound a bit rude so far into this discussion, but I disagree with whoever said that you can't get a higher IQ. two years ago mine was 142, and now it is 145. A few years before that it was 139.

I am curious, where are you going to have these tests administered and why?

Were the tests administered by the same psychologist? Were they the same tests? Stanford-Binet or Weschler?

 

[Astronuc]

I'm sorry, for this may sound a bit rude so far into this discussion, but I disagree with whoever said that you can't get a higher IQ. two years ago mine was 142, and now it is 145. A few years before that it was 139.

That would seem statistically insignificant, e.g. 142 +/- 3. How is that one is tested to often?

The trick is not in what you know, but how well you can use your mind to view objects and shapes in your head, and to analyze patterns. Although studying mathematics will give you a conscious awareness of numerical and abstract principles and theory, it will not help you get a high IQ.

Maybe it would be helpful to one attempting a higher IQ to practice various exercises within the minds eye. Envision naturally occurring patterns, and try to consciously account for every sequence and order.

Umm - did one notice that the previous post was dated - Dec21-05, 09:32 PM? This is an old discussion and a lot has happened since.

 

[Howers]

There is considerable debate whether or not one can increase their iq or not. Some critics claim that mental exercises just prepare you for the test, so while you may score higher on the test (because you've seen the questions before) your iq hasn't changed. Others say that practice makes perfect... just like learning an instrument.

So what to do? Debates and arguments are good. Argue with intelligent peers, learn a lot of new vocabulary (new words = new thoughts), read novels, study logic and philosophy, play around with number sequences. I can't say it will boost iq, but its worth a shot.

 

[CaptainQuasar]

If you're taking one of the tests where it's actually a quotient of the "mental age" test score and the "chronological age", you could increase your IQ by reducing or concealing your physical age.

Heh heh, they ought to give you your score calibrated against other populations. Like, "In a population of 4-year-olds you would be Marilyn vos Savant! If you lived among the Amahuaca Indians of the Deep Amazon you'd score as if you were Einstein, but you'd probably die from accidentally eating a poisoned snail."

⚛​

 

[schrod's dog]

You could do what Deren Brown sais and flick thru a couple of books and it will come to u when you r faced with a question and a picture of the answer will come at the back of your mind.

 

[Cincinnatus]

A recent paper in published in PNAS claims to have measured an increase in fluid intelligence (Raven's score) by training on a demanding working memory task. Here's the link to the reference.

http://www.pnas.org/content/105/19/6829.abstract

 

[Proton Soup]

A recent paper in published in PNAS claims to have measured an increase in fluid intelligence (Raven's score) by training on a demanding working memory task. Here's the link to the reference.

http://www.pnas.org/content/105/19/6829.abstract

that's interesting. and the number of things you can juggle in your head at once certainly affects your problem-solving ability. i wonder what the actual task is.

 

[Raizy]

that's interesting. and the number of things you can juggle in your head at once certainly affects your problem-solving ability. i wonder what the actual task is.

I just had to bump this thread.

Enjoy!

http://brainworkshop.sourceforge.net/

 

[Dadface]

Try to expand your mind by doing stuff outside of your current level of expertise.I once attended art evening classes with my wife ,a thoroughly enjoyable experience I went in as a total crap painter and came out as a slightly less total crap painter but I also came out with something more magical,a far better appreciation of art.I can now walk around an art gallery and enjoy myself.

 

[Proton Soup]

I just had to bump this thread.

Enjoy!

http://brainworkshop.sourceforge.net/

i installed it on ubuntu, but when i run the script, the window blinks so much that it's unusable for me.

 

[Raizy]

There are a bunch of other online flash versions that can be found on the web, just google up Dual N Back, you should be able to find something. I know I've stumbled on one before. It's a shame Brainworkshop doesn't work for you, as there is an option that enables the emulation from the original study;