These forums seem a remarkable environment to nurture and extend the working life of an aging mind. Short of returning to the classroom as a student or faculty IT, participation in these online discussions and exposure to new and legacy publications and ideas has improved my knowledge far beyond usual self-study.
I took a series of intelligence and cognitive function tests in 2014 that lasted 8 hours covering a variety of subjects including mathematics from natural numbers to algebra, plane geometry, and even a few differential equations in the final module. They asked history and art questions. Q: "Who wrote 'Faust'? A: "Which play? Kit Marlowe, Goethe, uh Walt Disney (Fantasia?).". Q: "What is the "Mona Lisa? Who was the artist and subject? A: "A painting by Leonardo da Vinci of La Gioconda, wife of the patron." Q: "What is meant by the expression 'carpe diem'?".
The test chamber became uncomfortably hot. Noticed that the air conditioning outlet in the ceiling was blocked. When left alone, I removed the grille and paper wedged in the duct restoring air flow. Part of the test? The IQ/EQ sections reminded me of Stanford-Binet multiphasic updated to reduce cultural bias. Wrote a short essay comparing Kurosawa's "Ran" to Shakespeare's "Lear"; why 3 daughters had to become 3 sons, etc.
In all humility I was told I placed at a level above 99.8% of educated adult population. This may have been for Nevada but, even so, I am happy to find an international site like this with so many members and mentors more intelligent and knowledgeable than I was even in my prime. Old skills I thought atrophied are returning along with an appreciation of the amazing breadth of knowledge and depth of information available.
I should test again in a few years when over 70 to measure decline or, hopefully, improvement. Thanks.
[Edit: Test requested by Veterans Administration (VA). I was not told cohort makeup or size.]
