[ExI] billk's article

[spike at rainier66.com]

A few days ago, BillK posted an article on students' ability to creatively
solve problems.  The author opined that their ability was declining (I don't
doubt the conclusion.)  That has been rattling around in my brain for a few
days.  I came up with some thoughts.

 

A long time ago, it was noticed that physical fitness among school-aged
children in the USA was declining, by completely objective measures: pull
ups, sit-ups, running, etc.  

 

It isn't quite so simple as that, for the top scholastic athletes are not
declining, but rather improving.  We can explain that of course with better
training, nutrition, incentives (scholarships) and so on.  So while the
average performance declines, the elite get faster and stronger.

 

I am involved with coaching American Math Competition at the local high
school.  We have access to historical results on that test and the test
itself.  Our club trains by taking those old tests (which go back 70 years
(math doesn't change much.))  Our club performs well above the historic
averages.  However. that club only contains students who take competition
math seriously, so I don't really know how to interpret those results.

 

Back to physical fitness: we have seen physical performance of the young
decline for decades, but it should come as no shock: now students have the
option to sit on their butts and play video games, as opposed to in the long
time agos, there wasn't much to do inside of one's house generally.  Watch
TV one might suppose, if one could tolerate reruns of Gilligan's Island and
such.  Most of the fun was outdoors, doing something physical, preferably
dangerous as well.  Now, most kids entertain themselves indoors.

 

OK then, now consider the older set, say the 60 something crowd.  Think back
on when you were a teen.  How did you view those who were then in their 60s?
How common was it to see 60 somethings out running, riding bicycles, hiking,
generally doing fitness things?  As I recall, it was not common.  Plenty of
men worked until age 65, then spun into the ground rather quickly after
that.  But now they generally don't.  A much more common style is to use the
retirement years as an opportunity to get in shape physically.

 

The physical prowess of the average teen has been declining for decades, and
is still.  I am tempted to speculate that the physical prowess of the
average 80 year old is increasing (and has been for decades.)  I might even
guess the average 60 year old today is in better shape than his 1972
counterpart.  But I don't know this and don't know how to get at that data.

 

Ideas please?

 

I am coming at BillK's article around the back way, for once we get some
framework upon which to think about this, I want to go towards older
people's creative problem solving ability.

 

spike   

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