INVENIRE

Intelligence is one of the most misunderstood concepts imaginable. Contrary to popular belief, intelligence is not too complex to be summarised; researchers found a method of doing so over a century ago. It is not easily changeable after childhood and is largely inherited. Lastly, intelligence has important ramifications, ranging from life expectancy to criminality. Although there are myriad types of intelligence tests, researchers in this field have observed that the level of correlation between intelligence tests that purport to measure different aspects of cognitive ability is high. This correlation was labelled g and is now what scientists are referring to when discussing intelligence. G was first proposed by English psychologist Charles Spearman, in his paper "General Intelligence" Objectively Determined and Measured. Spearman examined the results of various tests of both crystallised and fluid intelligences and noted a significant correlation between seemingly unrelate...

Prolonged wars, although often criticised, can act as the origin of a nation's empire. As a result of failed Western intervention operations in Asia and the Middle East, the idea of long wars has become even more unpopular. Sun Tzu, the famous Chinese military general, made the claim, in his renowned The Art of War, that there "is no instance of a nation benefiting from prolonged warfare." While it is true that long wars often hurt countries, I disagree with Sun Tzu’s summary. His assertion  was the culmination of a long description of the various costs associated with war. Among other things, Sun Tzu cites the cost of weaponry, the strength expended while laying siege to a town and the cost of providing for soldiers; “if the campaign is protracted [prolonged], the resources of the State will not be equal to the strain.” While I accept that prolonged warfare discourage political stability in a nation, typically dampens national morale and has long-reaching human costs...