What is the nature of the brain and the mind? How do we define intelligence—is it merely the ability to learn and remember, or does it encompass something more profound? Can intelligence be nurtured and expanded, or are we constrained by fixed biological limits? These questions have captivated me since childhood. Over the course of my academic and professional journey, I’ve encountered individuals who seem to grasp abstract ideas and drive innovation with striking ease. These encounters sparked a deeper curiosity about the mechanisms behind cognitive variability—and whether such disparities can be understood, mitigated, or even overcome.
While modern society increasingly strives to reduce inequality in areas like wealth, education, and access to opportunity, differences in cognitive capacity remain largely unexamined and unaddressed. No matter how equitably resources are distributed, policies alone cannot enhance innate intellectual potential. At the same time, the rapid rise of artificial intelligence challenges us to redefine our role as humans. As machines begin to outperform us in narrowly defined tasks, we must ask: how can we harness these technologies not only to augment human cognition but also to ensure that human ingenuity and purpose remain central in an increasingly automated world?