[Farm93]

Could someone please explain this inverse relationship between intelligence/studiousness and speed? This has been spouted in football discussions, as well, and I just don\'t get it. (and I was not a sprinter)

Yvonne - I could only run a track timed 4.5 40.  So I am not as fast as some, but I was close enough to see the path.

If you can fly, you can fly.  You likely could always fly.  In every single sport kids play, those that can flat out run usually excel.  So from a very early age you would likely understand that your speed makes you great in sports.  And what American raised kid doesn\'t want to excel in sports?  While others are struggling to find their areas of strength, the speedsters already have at least a few athletic ones in hand.  Some will continue to study in school, obviously, but many more in our sport-oriented society will learn that their speed is the gift they should cherish and exploit.  That the speed will enable them to excel in multiple sports earning them easy praise that is often much harder to obtain through academic studies.

Sadly, in the USA that gift of speed will give some so much in grade school and high school that it will almost seem foolish to even try to build themselves academically.

However, my attempt only explains any possible inverse correlation between studiousness and speed as a function of American culture.  I would be far more reluctant to tie intelligence and speed because that would imply that the two somehow compete against each other genetically.

FWIW - One could make a similar attempt to explain beauty and studiousness.  The cute people get breaks, make friends easily, etc.  And therefore they might see less need, or have less free time, to study relentlessly to find a place in school.  However, there too I would be reluctant to tie beauty and intelligence together as some kind of genetic impossibility.

All of this is on the margin.  Yet since the Stanford AD is trying to recruit kids a few standard deviations above the mean academically and physically, these societal forces that bias the talent pool a touch could make a big difference.

And the evidence of the correlation (or the recruiting challenge) does seem to exist on the field.  Stanford football, baseball, women\'s basketball, men\'s basketball, even track & field all have chronic problems recruiting athletes with quicks that can qualify academically.

[Farm93]

Could someone please explain this inverse relationship between intelligence/studiousness and speed? This has been spouted in football discussions, as well, and I just don\'t get it. (and I was not a sprinter)

Yvonne - I could only run a track timed 4.5 40.  So I am not as fast as some, but I was close enough to see the path.

If you can fly, you can fly.  You likely could always fly.  In every single sport kids play, those that can flat out run usually excel.  So from a very early age you would likely understand that your speed makes you great in sports.  And what American raised kid doesn\'t want to excel in sports?  While others are struggling to find their areas of strength, the speedsters already have at least a few athletic ones in hand.  Some will continue to study in school, obviously, but many more in our sport-oriented society will learn that their speed is the gift they should cherish and exploit.  That the speed will enable them to excel in multiple sports earning them easy praise that is often much harder to obtain through academic studies.

Sadly, in the USA that gift of speed will give some so much in grade school and high school that it will almost seem foolish to even try to build themselves academically.

However, my attempt only explains any possible inverse correlation between studiousness and speed as a function of American culture.  I would be far more reluctant to tie intelligence and speed because that would imply that the two somehow compete against each other genetically.

FWIW - One could make a similar attempt to explain beauty and studiousness.  The cute people get breaks, make friends easily, etc.  And therefore they might see less need, or have less free time, to study relentlessly to find a place in school.  However, there too I would be reluctant to tie beauty and intelligence together as some kind of genetic impossibility.

All of this is on the margin.  Yet since the Stanford AD is trying to recruit kids a few standard deviations above the mean academically and physically, these societal forces that bias the talent pool a touch could make a big difference.

And the evidence of the correlation (or the recruiting challenge) does seem to exist on the field.  Stanford football, baseball, women\'s basketball, men\'s basketball, even track & field all have chronic problems recruiting athletes with quicks that can qualify academically.

[Farm93]

Could someone please explain this inverse relationship between intelligence/studiousness and speed? This has been spouted in football discussions, as well, and I just don\'t get it. (and I was not a sprinter)

Yvonne - I could only run a track timed 4.5 40.  So I am not as fast as some, but I was close enough to see the path.

If you can fly, you can fly.  You likely could always fly.  In every single sport kids play, those that can flat out run usually excel.  So from a very early age you would likely understand that your speed makes you great in sports.  And what American raised kid doesn\'t want to excel in sports?  While others are struggling to find their areas of strength, the speedsters already have at least a few athletic ones in hand.  Some will continue to study in school, obviously, but many more in our sport-oriented society will learn that their speed is the gift they should cherish and exploit.  That the speed will enable them to excel in multiple sports earning them easy praise that is often much harder to obtain through academic studies.

Sadly, in the USA that gift of speed will give some so much in grade school and high school that it will almost seem foolish to even try to build themselves academically.

However, my attempt only explains any possible inverse correlation between studiousness and speed as a function of American culture.  I would be far more reluctant to tie intelligence and speed because that would imply that the two somehow compete against each other genetically.

FWIW - One could make a similar attempt to explain beauty and studiousness.  The cute people get breaks, make friends easily, etc.  And therefore they might see less need, or have less free time, to study relentlessly to find a place in school.  However, there too I would be reluctant to tie beauty and intelligence together as some kind of genetic impossibility.

All of this is on the margin.  Yet since the Stanford AD is trying to recruit kids a few standard deviations above the mean academically and physically, these societal forces that bias the talent pool a touch could make a big difference.

And the evidence of the correlation (or the recruiting challenge) does seem to exist on the field.  Stanford football, baseball, women\'s basketball, men\'s basketball, even track & field all have chronic problems recruiting athletes with quicks that can qualify academically.

[Farm93]

Could someone please explain this inverse relationship between intelligence/studiousness and speed? This has been spouted in football discussions, as well, and I just don\'t get it. (and I was not a sprinter)

Yvonne - I could only run a track timed 4.5 40.  So I am not as fast as some, but I was close enough to see the path.

If you can fly, you can fly.  You likely could always fly.  In every single sport kids play, those that can flat out run usually excel.  So from a very early age you would likely understand that your speed makes you great in sports.  And what American raised kid doesn\'t want to excel in sports?  While others are struggling to find their areas of strength, the speedsters already have at least a few athletic ones in hand.  Some will continue to study in school, obviously, but many more in our sport-oriented society will learn that their speed is the gift they should cherish and exploit.  That the speed will enable them to excel in multiple sports earning them easy praise that is often much harder to obtain through academic studies.

Sadly, in the USA that gift of speed will give some so much in grade school and high school that it will almost seem foolish to even try to build themselves academically.

However, my attempt only explains any possible inverse correlation between studiousness and speed as a function of American culture.  I would be far more reluctant to tie intelligence and speed because that would imply that the two somehow compete against each other genetically.

FWIW - One could make a similar attempt to explain beauty and studiousness.  The cute people get breaks, make friends easily, etc.  And therefore they might see less need, or have less free time, to study relentlessly to find a place in school.  However, there too I would be reluctant to tie beauty and intelligence together as some kind of genetic impossibility.

All of this is on the margin.  Yet since the Stanford AD is trying to recruit kids a few standard deviations above the mean academically and physically, these societal forces that bias the talent pool a touch could make a big difference.

And the evidence of the correlation (or the recruiting challenge) does seem to exist on the field.  Stanford football, baseball, women\'s basketball, men\'s basketball, even track & field all have chronic problems recruiting athletes with quicks that can qualify academically.