What’s the smartest age? - Shannon Odell

Prevodilac: Hana Vučković Lektor: Milenka Okuka

What is the smartest age?

Koji uzrast je najpametniji?

Perhaps a day of friendly competition will lead us to the answer.

Možda će nas do odgovora dovesti jedno prijateljsko takmičenje.

Tomorrow’s the annual Brain Clash—

Sutra je godišnji Sukob mozgova-

ten teams of two competing in a decathlon of mental challenges,

deset timova od po dvoje takmiče se u desetoboju mentalnih izazova,

trivia competitions, and puzzles.

kvizova opšte kulture i slagalica.

I’ve been training all year.

Vežbam cele godine.

I’ll need to pick the smartest, most capable teammate.

Moraću da odaberem najpametnijeg, najsposobnijeg saigrača.

I’ve narrowed down the roster.

Suzio sam spisak.

First we have Gabriela.

Prvo imamo Gabrijelu.

She may only be 8, but don’t underestimate her!

Iako ima samo osam godina, nemojte je potcenjivati!

She’s fluent in two languages and is the ultimate outside-the-box thinker.

Tečno govori dva jezika i ekspert je u razmišljanju na širi način.

Then there’s Ama.

Onda, tu je i Ama.

She can recite 100 digits of pi, designs satellites for a living,

Ume da recituje pi do stote cifre, profesionalno dizajnira satelite

and bakes a perfect soufflé.

i pravi savršeni sufle.

Or I could go with Mr. Taylor.

Ili bih mogao odabrati g. Tejlora.

He’s the best chess player in the neighborhood,

On je najbolji šahista u našem kraju,

not to mention he’s competed in over 20 Brain Clashes

a da ne pominjemo da je učestvovao u preko 20 Sukoba mozgova

and is a five-time champion!

i pet puta ih je osvojio!

I’m not sure who to pick! Who’s the smartest?

Nisam siguran koga da izaberem! Ko je najpametniji?

Which of these teammates should Amir choose for tomorrow's contest and why?

Kog člana tima bi Amir trebalo da odabere za sutrašnje takmičenje i zašto?

Of course, it depends.

Naravno, zavisi.

While intelligence is often associated with things like IQ tests,

Mada se inteligencija često dovodi u vezu sa stvarima kao što su IQ testovi,

these assessments fail to capture the scope and depth

ove procene ne uspevaju da izmere širinu i dubinu

of a person’s varied abilities.

različitih sposobnosti jedne osobe.

So instead, we’ll break down the idea of “smart” into categories

Umesto toga, razbićemo koncept “pameti” u kategorije

like creativity, memory, and learning

kao što su kreativnost, pamćenje, i učenje

and explore when the brain’s best at each of them.

i istražiti kada je mozak najbolji u svakoj od njih.

Let's start at the very beginning.

Hajde da krenemo od samog početka.

In the first few years of life,

Tokom prvih godina života,

your brain undergoes incredible rapid growth, called synaptogenesis,

vaš mozak će proći kroz neverovatan ubrzan rast, zvan sinaptogeneza,

where more than 1 million new neural connections are formed every second.

gde se više od milion novih nervnih veza stvara svakog sekunda.

As the brain develops, it goes through a pruning process.

Kako se mozak razvija, on prolazi kroz proces “orezivanja”.

Based on your experience and environment,

Na osnovu vašeg iskustva i okruženja,

used connections are strengthened and unused connections are removed.

korišćene veze se ojačavaju, a neiskorišćene se brišu.

Frequently used neuronal pathways are myelinated,

Često korišćeni nervni putevi se mijelinizuju,

wrapped in a layer of insulation, allowing information to travel faster.

uvijaju u sloj izolacije, dopuštajući informacijama da brže putuju.

This creates a more efficient, fine-tuned brain.

Ovo stvara efikasniji, preciznije podešen mozak.

But this brain remodeling happens within and between brain regions

Ali, ovo preuređenje mozga se dešava unutar i između delova mozga

at different times,

u različito vreme,

allowing different skills to flourish at different ages.

zbog čega veštine dostižu vrhunac u različitom uzrastu.

For example, in childhood, brain regions involved in language learning

Na primer, u detinjstvu, delovi mozga zaduženi za učenje jezika

develop quickly,

se razvijaju brzo.

which is why many children can learn and master multiple languages.

zbog čega mnoga deca mogu da veoma dobro nauče više jezika.

Yet the prefrontal cortex,

Međutim, prefrontalni korteks,

a brain region responsible for cognitive control and inhibition,

deo mozga zadužen za kognitivnu kontrolu i inhibiciju,

is slower to develop.

razvija se sporije.

As a result, some young children may struggle with strategic games,

Kao rezultat toga, neka deca mogu imati problema sa strateškim igrama,

such as chess or checkers,

kao što su šah ili igra dame,

which require constant concentration, planning, and abstract thought.

koje zahtevaju stalnu koncentraciju, planiranje i apstraktno razmišljanje.

At the same time, children tend to be more flexible, exploration-based learners.

Istovremeno, deca su fleksibilniji učenici koji teže istraživanju.

They often use more creative approaches when finding solutions to riddles

Često koriste kreativnije pristupe kada rešavaju zagonetke

and are, on average, less afraid to make mistakes.

i, u proseku, manje se plaše da pogreše.

But adults have their own unique set of abilities.

Međutim, odrasli imaju sopstveni jedinstveni skup sposobnosti.

Adults benefit from a well-developed prefrontal cortex,

Oni imaju prednost dobro razvijenog prefrontalnog režnja,

allowing them to better execute skills that require learning, focus, and memory,

koji im daje veću sposobnost u veštinama koje zahtevaju učenje, pažnju i pamćenje,

making them quick and efficient puzzle solvers or crossword masters.

što ih čini brzim i efikasnim u rešavanju slagalica ili ukrštenih reči.

Late in adulthood, these same skills may decline

Kako starimo, te iste veštine mogu se pogoršati

as the brain’s memory center, known as the hippocampus, shrinks.

zbog smanjenja hipokampusa, centra za pamćenje u mozgu.

But there’s a reason for the phrase “older and wiser.”

Ali postoji razlog zašto se kaže “stariji i mudriji”.

After a lifetime of learning,

Nakon učenja tokom celog života,

older adults have more knowledge to recall and utilize,

stariji ljudi imaju više znanja kojeg mogu da se sete i iskoriste,

making them excellent trivia partners.

što ih čini izvrsnim partnerima za kviz.

Other factors that Amir should consider are his own strengths.

Faktori o kojima Amir treba da razmisli su i njegove sopstvene prednosti.

As an adolescent, the prefrontal cortical regions of your brain are more developed

U pubertetu, prefrontalni korteksni delovi vašeg mozga su razvijeniji

than in childhood.

nego u detinjstvu.

This allows you to better navigate logic and math puzzles.

To omogućava da budete bolji u logičkim i matematičkim slagalicama.

Simultaneously, deep inside the brain,

Istovremeno, duboko u mozgu,

regions that are important in motivation and reward are developing even faster,

regije koje su važne za motivaciju i nagrađivanje se razvijaju još brže,

driving teenagers like Amir to be curious and adventurous learners.

što podstiče tinejdžere poput Amira da budu radoznali i hrabri učenici.

In many ways, you can think of the teenager as a jack-of-all-trades,

Tinejdžeri su veoma svestrani,

with brains wired to seek out new experiences and learn quickly.

to jest, njihovi mozgovi su podešeni da traže nova iskustva i brzo uče.

You’re at a dynamic stage,

U dinamičnoj ste fazi,

where the choices you make and the skills you focus on

u kojoj izbori koje napravite i veštine na koje se usredsredite

can actually guide the development of your brain.

zapravo mogu da upravljaju razvojem vašeg mozga.

So, what’s the smartest age?

Pa, koje godine su najpametnije?

There’s no single answer.

Nema jednog tačnog odgovora.

It’s 8, 16, 25, 65, and everything in between;

To je osma godina, 16, 25, 65. i sve između;

our brains have adapted to prioritize different skills at various ages

naši mozgovi su naučili da daju prioritet drugim veštinama u različitim uzrastima

to meet that stage of life’s challenges and demands.

da bi odgovorili na izazove i zahteve te etape života.

So no matter who Amir picks, having an age-diverse team is a good strategy.

Tako da, bez obzira na Amirov izbor, tim svih uzrasta je dobra strategija.