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Monday, October 18, 2004 · posted at 6:03 AM

All neurons that will ever be present are present from birth… The formation of synapses between neurons (synaptogenesis), is far from complete at birth… Early in development, there is an explosive proliferation of synapses, causing the number of synapses in a toddler's brain to far exceed the number in an adult's. Then over the course of childhood, the number of synapses decreases to adult levels… it gradually decreases, reaching adult levels by about age 7…

Some researchers have proposed that the early surplus of synapses is related to infants and toddlers acquiring certain kinds of capabilities more effectively than adults.

- Robert Siegler, Children's Thinking

I'm trying to learn to play chess. Emphasis on the word trying.

Chess seems like something smart people do. I want to be smart. Thus I will pretend to be smart by playing chess (if I thought this through logically, it'd actually be detrimental to any image of intelligence because really, I'd just expose how NOT smart I am within the first seven moves).

Plus it's the only game (that I've found) on my new PowerBook. Stripped of Solitaire, MineSweeper and Wi-Fi, I have nothing to keep me from using my laptop for its intended purpose (studying) except chess.

Chess is hard. I really feel that it's very unlikely or difficult for adults to learn new things. Or maybe I'm just slow.

Either way, it took me 15 minutes of randomly clicking around the board to realize I had no idea what I was doing. Then 2 minutes to find a Chess for Dummies website and then 10 minutes for me to make my handy-dandy "cheat sheet" of pieces and movements – diagrams included. Seven minutes to decide if I wanted marble pieces on a metal board, wood pieces on the grass board or one of the other 14 combinations and 4 games to visually distinguish the pawns from the rooks. They all look like castlelike-crowned pieces!

So now I know how the pieces move but I have no idea where to move them. Also a very shaky grasp of how one wins. I can only tell because 1) I'm no longer allowed to move any pieces anywhere and 2) there's a little gloating banner that says "black wins" at the top of the window. Ya' got me.

After a few more games I discovered that I'm taking to chess like a fish takes to water… a freshwater fish to the almighty ocean…

I can't help thinking this would have been much easier to learn as a child. Blame it on the lack of synapses or something. I have a huge problem protecting my pieces, coming up with a strategy and looking beyond the computer's next move. It's scary to think that my "big picture" actually got smaller with age.

Maybe as adults, we get too wrapped up in just surviving to plan ahead and strategize. Instead we look at the little picture and short term goals, concentrating on just getting by. Seeing "approved" pop up on the cash register, making it to the next weekend, and creating a "balanced" meal such as spaghetti and salad are seen as enormous triumphs, while side projects, books, hobbies and aspirations collect dust in the corner.

Or maybe that's just me, as I know people who have had IRA accounts set up since age 16 and spaces reserved at prestigious preschools for children not yet conceived.

I can't help but think on a blank slate, a moldable mind, these chess strategies would have coalesced much more easily. After all, as a child I was unbeatable at tic-tac-toe and Connect Four, both highly strategic games. I could have been the next Bobby Fischer, Waverly Jong, virtuoso, Doogie Howser, Mozart, the sky was the limit (unless you wanted to be Buzz Aldrin). Because, you know, as a kid could still become anything.



	Monday, October 18, 2004 · posted at 6:03 AM All neurons that will ever be present are present from birth… The formation of synapses between neurons (synaptogenesis), is far from complete at birth… Early in development, there is an explosive proliferation of synapses, causing the number of synapses in a toddler's brain to far exceed the number in an adult's. Then over the course of childhood, the number of synapses decreases to adult levels… it gradually decreases, reaching adult levels by about age 7… Some researchers have proposed that the early surplus of synapses is related to infants and toddlers acquiring certain kinds of capabilities more effectively than adults. - Robert Siegler, Children's Thinking I'm trying to learn to play chess. Emphasis on the word trying. Chess seems like something smart people do. I want to be smart. Thus I will pretend to be smart by playing chess (if I thought this through logically, it'd actually be detrimental to any image of intelligence because really, I'd just expose how NOT smart I am within the first seven moves). Plus it's the only game (that I've found) on my new PowerBook. Stripped of Solitaire, MineSweeper and Wi-Fi, I have nothing to keep me from using my laptop for its intended purpose (studying) except chess. Chess is hard. I really feel that it's very unlikely or difficult for adults to learn new things. Or maybe I'm just slow. Either way, it took me 15 minutes of randomly clicking around the board to realize I had no idea what I was doing. Then 2 minutes to find a Chess for Dummies website and then 10 minutes for me to make my handy-dandy "cheat sheet" of pieces and movements – diagrams included. Seven minutes to decide if I wanted marble pieces on a metal board, wood pieces on the grass board or one of the other 14 combinations and 4 games to visually distinguish the pawns from the rooks. They all look like castlelike-crowned pieces! So now I know how the pieces move but I have no idea where to move them. Also a very shaky grasp of how one wins. I can only tell because 1) I'm no longer allowed to move any pieces anywhere and 2) there's a little gloating banner that says "black wins" at the top of the window. Ya' got me. After a few more games I discovered that I'm taking to chess like a fish takes to water… a freshwater fish to the almighty ocean… I can't help thinking this would have been much easier to learn as a child. Blame it on the lack of synapses or something. I have a huge problem protecting my pieces, coming up with a strategy and looking beyond the computer's next move. It's scary to think that my "big picture" actually got smaller with age. Maybe as adults, we get too wrapped up in just surviving to plan ahead and strategize. Instead we look at the little picture and short term goals, concentrating on just getting by. Seeing "approved" pop up on the cash register, making it to the next weekend, and creating a "balanced" meal such as spaghetti and salad are seen as enormous triumphs, while side projects, books, hobbies and aspirations collect dust in the corner. Or maybe that's just me, as I know people who have had IRA accounts set up since age 16 and spaces reserved at prestigious preschools for children not yet conceived. I can't help but think on a blank slate, a moldable mind, these chess strategies would have coalesced much more easily. After all, as a child I was unbeatable at tic-tac-toe and Connect Four, both highly strategic games. I could have been the next Bobby Fischer, Waverly Jong, virtuoso, Doogie Howser, Mozart, the sky was the limit (unless you wanted to be Buzz Aldrin). Because, you know, as a kid could still become anything.	Recent Posts Old school My freshman year of high school I had ... Expiration date Today I told my boss wished to te... I'm convinced the ETS is out to get me. I never t... You probably think this song is about you. This w... True North You know that point in your life when ... Flummoxed I just can't get enough of the little b... In the future the appropriate answer is "Yes, sir,... Mechanical failure. I don't know anything about t... I never really accomplished anything - not countin... Your sympathy will get you left behind. Two sum... Morning news babie goose ryan bluemouse daves son dawntaught desiree diorama emily escadawg galveric high entropy invisible cube jepgato kyellow lilly mhuang mogbert nudream starfish + coffee verbivore Archives March 2004 April 2004 May 2004 June 2004 July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 January 2007 March 2007 April 2007 November 2008

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