Howard Gardner, a professor of education at Harvard, developed his influential theory of multiple intelligence in 1983. Gardner argued that the traditional notion of intelligence, based on I.Q. testing, was far too limited; he instead proposed seven types of intelligence to account for a broader range of human potential in children and adults.
Most recently he added an eighth intelligence: naturalist intelligence, “nature smart”. Charles Darwin, John Muir, and Rachel Carson are examples of this. The core of the naturalist intelligence is the human ability to recognize plants, animals, and other parts of the natural environment, like clouds or rocks. Maybe this explains why some photographers have a natural ability to see and photograph things in nature that others walk right passed.
Naturalist intelligence deals with sensing patterns in and making connections to elements in nature. Using this same intelligence, people possessing enhanced levels of this intelligence may also be very interested in other species, or in the environment and the earth. Children possessing this type of intelligence may have a strong affinity to the outside world or to animals, and this interest often begins at an early age. They may enjoy subjects, shows and stories that deal with animals or natural phenomena. Or they may show unusual interest in subjects like biology, zoology, botany, geology, meteorology, paleontology, or astronomy. People possessing nature smarts are keenly aware of their surroundings and changes in their environment, even if these changes are at minute or subtle levels. Often this is due to their highly-developed levels of sensory perception. Their heightened senses may help them notice similarities, differences and changes in their surroundings more rapidly than others. People with naturalistic intelligence may be able to categorize or catalogue things easily too. Frequently, they may notice things others might not be aware of. As children these people often like to collect, classify, or read about things from nature -- rocks, fossils, butterflies, feathers, shells, and the like.
My last job title was an 'observer'. Essentially I looked out the window and reported what was going on for the betterment of science and understanding of the world. But, while I could have just observered, I built upon those observations to synthesize relationships between things around me in the environment. Patterns developed, each closely linked to everything else in the natural world around me. It was fascinating...to me atleast. Most around me...well...
I now look forward to the progression of events that ushers in each new season. If I miss something, I feel like I've missed out on a wonderful experience that I'll have to wait a whole year for. A specific bloom, the arrival of a certain bird, the first ice on the lake...etc.
What I'm getting at is that I'm glad all this is now considered an intelligence...because I got that one checked off atleast!
The very first 'career' i think i was interested in (probably before i could talk) was zoology. When i was very young i memorized flash cards and could rattle off the scientific names of virtually every plant and animal alive. But in later years i lost this ability, too much standardized education and partying i guess. Probably nature photography has become one way my mind is trying to regain that passion and skill, although surprisingly my interest in wildlife photography is minimal compared to landscapes.
In other words (fewer), some people pay attention.
Posted by Grace Blair on March 10, 2009 at 9:59 AM
Interesting ideas. I have specific "zoology smart". I seem to be very observant of animal, including human, matters. As a cardiac surgeon I found that anything that I had ever heard about, observed, etc. was immediately available in my brain and the same seems to be true of all zoology. I am absolutely mentally retarded when it comes to botany, however. I can read how to prune a rose, go out to do the job and have completely forgotten what I just read by the time I get to the rose.
My brother has "artifact smarts". When we are galloping across the pastures I always see the coyotes, badgers, etc. and my brother regularly comes to a screeching halt and jumps off his horse to pick up an Indian arrowhead or hatchet and I have NEVER found one!
Posted by Mike Moats on March 10, 2009 at 11:36 AM
Hey Grace, I have a huge problem remembering things I read if I'm not really interested in what it is I'm reading, but when it comes to nature photography, I remember everything I read, so for me it seem that if I interested my brain locks it in and if not it hits the delete button. The problem is my brain hits the delete button to many time a day
You can't possibly take a professor from Harvard too seriously - can you?
Posted by Jim Caffrey on March 10, 2009 at 11:44 AM
Although most of us may have an inclination toward intelligence in a certain subject, I think we can all develop “smarts” for a subject we are not naturally gifted in. I know that since I have become more interested in the natural world because of my photography, I have made it a priority to learn more about our environment. I have become more pro-active in supporting and defending it, and through this process, I have become more aware of the way things work. I can now see things I would not have ten years ago
Very interesting topic - actually I thought about such a thing because over the years I have noticed a few things:
When reading online test on the screen, a news article for example, I assess the content in batches, by "seeing" and processing the whole content of a paragraph or of a few lines. Thus I read much faster then my girlfriend and she goes crazy because I always scroll down too soon. I think it's about recognizing patterns and getting a sense out of it.
I can remember or lets say recognize faces very well - less known actors in movies for example, side-roles etc. High-school students I have not seen in ages and actually never talked to but when I see them in town I recognize them.
When sitting in a moving car, I often see that rabbit in the field that others do not see - or later.
I always liked biology, wanted to study medicine, then studied chemistry.
I always had an affinity to visual aesthetics and harmonics.
And I like to build and create things - I invented mouse-traps and mechanisms to capture mice alive and I build a trebuchet (catapult) after seeing a docu on TV because I had the drive to create this machine. It worked and I besieged my parents neighbours...
I also dissected some small rodents and birds the cat had brought us..;-)
I noticed that most of my friends - not photographers - could not care less about all this...
Hey Jm, I think your right that you can learn to see interesting subjects in nature base on refrences from images you've seen before or you can be taught how to compose with rules, but I think the people with nature smarts can do this naturally with out any instructions. They can pick up a camera and produce interesting images perfectly composed without being taught how to.
Posted by Brad Mangas on March 10, 2009 at 9:53 PM
What an interesting observation Mike. I think Professor Gardner is right on the money. The "measurement" of ones intelligence can and does bring many more questions into play.
As far as specifically "nature smart", it is my opinion that it is not only an acute sense of surroundings and planet life, but a sense of wonderment, passion and true love of the world one lives in instilled at a very young age. The more time spent in nature as a youth the more I believe the intelligence is developed for life. Can it be obtained in later years of ones life, I'm sure it can, but not at the same level as obtained at youth.
Nature smart is truly as much a heartfelt experience as a mind gathering knowledge.
Thanks for bringing such a wonderful topic to the table Mike.
Posted by Mike Moats on March 10, 2009 at 10:15 PM
Discussion
12 repliesLinguistic intelligence, “word smart”
Logical-mathematical intelligence, “number/reasoning smart”
Spatial intelligence “picture smart”
Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, “body smart”
Musical intelligence, “music smart”
Interpersonal intelligence, “people smart”
Intrapersonal intelligence, “self smart”
Most recently he added an eighth intelligence: naturalist intelligence, “nature smart”. Charles Darwin, John Muir, and Rachel Carson are examples of this. The core of the naturalist intelligence is the human ability to recognize plants, animals, and other parts of the natural environment, like clouds or rocks. Maybe this explains why some photographers have a natural ability to see and photograph things in nature that others walk right passed.
Naturalist intelligence deals with sensing patterns in and making connections to elements in nature. Using this same intelligence, people possessing enhanced levels of this intelligence may also be very interested in other species, or in the environment and the earth. Children possessing this type of intelligence may have a strong affinity to the outside world or to animals, and this interest often begins at an early age. They may enjoy subjects, shows and stories that deal with animals or natural phenomena. Or they may show unusual interest in subjects like biology, zoology, botany, geology, meteorology, paleontology, or astronomy. People possessing nature smarts are keenly aware of their surroundings and changes in their environment, even if these changes are at minute or subtle levels. Often this is due to their highly-developed levels of sensory perception. Their heightened senses may help them notice similarities, differences and changes in their surroundings more rapidly than others. People with naturalistic intelligence may be able to categorize or catalogue things easily too. Frequently, they may notice things others might not be aware of. As children these people often like to collect, classify, or read about things from nature -- rocks, fossils, butterflies, feathers, shells, and the like.
Do you have the Nature Smarts?
I now look forward to the progression of events that ushers in each new season. If I miss something, I feel like I've missed out on a wonderful experience that I'll have to wait a whole year for. A specific bloom, the arrival of a certain bird, the first ice on the lake...etc.
What I'm getting at is that I'm glad all this is now considered an intelligence...because I got that one checked off atleast!
In other words (fewer), some people pay attention.
My brother has "artifact smarts". When we are galloping across the pastures I always see the coyotes, badgers, etc. and my brother regularly comes to a screeching halt and jumps off his horse to pick up an Indian arrowhead or hatchet and I have NEVER found one!
When reading online test on the screen, a news article for example, I assess the content in batches, by "seeing" and processing the whole content of a paragraph or of a few lines. Thus I read much faster then my girlfriend and she goes crazy because I always scroll down too soon. I think it's about recognizing patterns and getting a sense out of it.
I can remember or lets say recognize faces very well - less known actors in movies for example, side-roles etc. High-school students I have not seen in ages and actually never talked to but when I see them in town I recognize them.
When sitting in a moving car, I often see that rabbit in the field that others do not see - or later.
I always liked biology, wanted to study medicine, then studied chemistry.
I always had an affinity to visual aesthetics and harmonics.
And I like to build and create things - I invented mouse-traps and mechanisms to capture mice alive and I build a trebuchet (catapult) after seeing a docu on TV because I had the drive to create this machine. It worked and I besieged my parents neighbours...
I also dissected some small rodents and birds the cat had brought us..;-)
I noticed that most of my friends - not photographers - could not care less about all this...
As far as specifically "nature smart", it is my opinion that it is not only an acute sense of surroundings and planet life, but a sense of wonderment, passion and true love of the world one lives in instilled at a very young age. The more time spent in nature as a youth the more I believe the intelligence is developed for life. Can it be obtained in later years of ones life, I'm sure it can, but not at the same level as obtained at youth.
Nature smart is truly as much a heartfelt experience as a mind gathering knowledge.
Thanks for bringing such a wonderful topic to the table Mike.