The Human Intelligence Podcast

n this episode of the RIOT IQ Podcast, we talk with Dr. James J. Lee about why IQ is still widely misunderstood and how intelligence researchers actually think about it. The conversation breaks down what IQ measures, what it does not, and why many public discussions around IQ miss the mark. James explains how researchers interpret IQ data, how prediction works in intelligence research, and where simplified narratives break down when applied to real-world outcomes. We also discuss how modern research approaches are improving the way intelligence is studied, how scientists think about general intelligence, and why understanding the limits of IQ is just as important as understanding its strengths. Topics covered in this episode: – What IQ actually measures – Common misconceptions about IQ – What IQ can and cannot explain – How intelligence researchers think about prediction – The limits of oversimplified IQ narratives – How modern research is refining our understanding of intelligence This is part of the RIOT IQ Podcast, where we explore intelligence, cognition, and human potential through science, data, and serious conversation. If you found this episode valuable, consider subscribing for future episodes and sharing it with someone interested in intelligence, psychology, or human behavior. Resources discussed in this episode: https://doi.org/10.1177/09637214251339449 🧪 Curious about your own IQ? If you want to explore your own ability profile, you can take a free sample of the RIOT IQ test at https://www.riotiq.com. 🧠 Human Intelligence Podcast We go deeper into intelligence, psychology, and human ability on the podcast. Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-human-intelligence-podcast/id1838505248 Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/7rlGMBgISCAxVwJMAXor3M

This is part of the RIOT IQ Podcast, where we explore human intelligence through science, data, and serious conversation. If you found this episode valuable, consider subscribing for future conversations like this and share it with someone interested in intelligence, neuroscience, or human behavior. 🧪 Curious about your own IQ? If you want to explore your own ability profile, you can take a free sample of the RIOT IQ test at https://www.riotiq.com. 🧠 Human Intelligence Podcast We go deeper into intelligence, psychology, and human ability on the podcast. Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-human-intelligence-podcast/id1838505248 Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/7rlGMBgISCAxVwJMAXor3M 🔔 Subscribe for more videos on intelligence, psychology, and cognitive science. All our links → https://linktr.ee/riottest Follow us on X → https://x.com/RiotIQ

In this episode, we sit down with neuroscientist Dr. Richard Haier to unpack what intelligence and IQ actually look like inside the brain. We talk about what decades of brain imaging research reveal about IQ, why higher intelligence is linked to more efficient brain activity, and what PET scans, genetics, and network models tell us about how intelligence works at a biological level. We also explore common misconceptions about IQ, the limits of what training and environment can change, and what current science does and does not support when it comes to increasing intelligence. This conversation focuses on evidence, not ideology, and draws from over 50 years of research in neuroscience and intelligence science. Topics covered in this episode: – How IQ relates to brain efficiency – What PET scans reveal about intelligence – The Parieto-Frontal Integration Theory (PFIT) – Genetics, environment, and cognitive ability – Can IQ change over time? – What intelligence research actually shows This is part of the RIOT IQ Podcast, where we explore human intelligence through science, data, and serious conversation. If you found this episode valuable, consider subscribing for future conversations like this and share it with someone interested in intelligence, neuroscience, or human behavior. Dr. Richard Haier is also the founder of the HIrE Foundation, an initiative focused on supporting rigorous, open scientific research on intelligence and human cognition. Learn more about the foundation here: https://www.hirefoundation.org/ 🧪 Curious about your own IQ? If you want to explore your own ability profile, you can take a free sample of the RIOT IQ test at https://www.riotiq.com.

If you want to explore your own ability profile, you can take a free sample of the RIOT IQ test at https://www.riotiq.com.In this episode, Russell talks with Damien Morris about free will, genetics, and responsibility. They explore why genetic explanations for behavior are often misunderstood, what people get wrong about determinism, and how philosophical assumptions shape research in behavioral genetics, psychology, and social science.Damien explains the idea of “free will by subtraction,” why ignorance cannot be the basis of freedom, and how different views of free will lead to very different conclusions about responsibility, inequality, and criminal justice. They also discuss why genetics does not erase agency and why philosophy still matters for understanding human behavior.Read the article discussed in this episode: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/twin-research-and-human-genetics/article/behavioral-genetics-and-human-agency-how-selectively-deterministic-theories-of-free-will-drive-unwarranted-opposition-to-behavioral-genetic-research-and-undermine-our-moral-and-legal-conventions-part-i/EF9614F273F0F07150C5DBB29F1DF1D8If you want to watch the full video version of this episode, visit our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@RiotIQTestLearn more about the RIOT IQ test at https://www.riotiq.com.

If you want to explore your own ability profile, you can take a free sample of the RIOT IQ test at https://www.riotiq.com.In this episode, Dr. Russell T. Warne speaks with Dr. Jonathan Anomaly about embryo selection, polygenic scores, and what modern genetics can predict about traits like IQ, health risks, and longevity. They talk through how polygenic scores are built, what kind of IQ gains are realistic when selecting embryos, why parents rarely choose the highest IQ embryo, and how people balance disease risks against cognitive traits.They also discuss validation studies, ethical concerns, CRISPR and gene editing, long term social effects, and what embryo selection might mean over several generations.If you want to watch the full video version, visit our YouTube channel at @RiotIQTest. Learn more about the RIOT IQ test at https://www.riotiq.com.

If you want to test your own ability profile, you can take a free sample of the RIOT IQ test at https://riotiq.com.In this episode, Russell talks with Dr. Thomas Coyle about a surprising finding in modern intelligence research. There is an ability that predicts STEM success better than IQ, and most people never hear about it.Dr. Coyle explains what this ability is, how it develops during adolescence, and why schools rarely teach or measure it. They also cover spatial and mechanical skills, processing speed, sex differences, and why these patterns matter for future engineers and technical careers.This is a simple and clear conversation that shows how different abilities shape real outcomes beyond a single IQ score.Watch the full video version on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@RiotIQTestLearn more about the RIOT IQ test: https://riotiq.com

In this episode, Dr. Russell Warne talks with Yujing Lin from King’s College London about her new open-access study on polygenic scores and cognitive abilities. The conversation explains how polygenic scores work, why they predict IQ and education so well, and what changes when you compare unrelated individuals to siblings raised in the same family.We explore how genetics and environment interact, why socioeconomic status matters at the family level, and why between-family effects are real signals rather than bias. The discussion also covers missing heritability, additive genetic effects, and why the same genetic variants influence intelligence across the full normal range.If you’re curious about what modern behavioral genetics really shows about intelligence, this episode gives you a clear and data-driven explanation.Read the full study here: https://icajournal.scholasticahq.com/article/140654-polygenic-score-prediction-within-and-between-sibling-pairs-for-intelligence-cognitive-abilities-and-educational-traits-from-childhood-to-early-adulthoodTry a free sample of the RIOT IQ Test → https://www.riotiq.com Follow us on X → https://x.com/RiotIQ Find all our links → https://linktr.ee/riottestWatch the video version on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RiotIQTest

What happens to intelligence when people face extreme environments like prisons? In this episode we talk with Dr. Michael Woodley of Menie about his recent paper, “The Reversal of Spearman’s Hypothesis in Incarcerated Populations and the Role of Non-Shared Environmentality.”We explore how one of the most established ideas in intelligence research completely reverses inside prison populations. Michael explains why harsh and unpredictable environments can trigger hidden talents and what that means for understanding IQ, cognition, and human adaptability.In this conversation we cover:What Spearman’s hypothesis really meansHow non-shared environments shape cognitive differencesWhy harsh environments can flip expected IQ patternsThe evolutionary explanation behind hidden talentsWhat this research means for testing and interpretationWatch the full video version on YouTube. Subscribe to see more episodes and conversations about intelligence, psychology, and human potential.Watch the full video version on YouTube and subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@RiotIQTestRead the full research article:https://icajournal.scholasticahq.com/article/140843-the-reversal-of-spearman-s-hypothesis-in-incarcerated-populations-and-the-role-of-non-shared-environmentalityLearn more and take a free sample of the RIOT IQ Test → www.riotiq.com Find all our links here: https://linktr.ee/riottest

What does "grade level" really mean, and does it still make sense in today's classrooms?Dr. Russell T. Warne sits down with Dr. Karen Rambo-Hernandez from Texas A&M University to discuss new research showing that millions of students perform above or below their assigned grade. They explore how COVID-19 changed achievement in math and reading, why classrooms can span five to seven grade levels of ability, and what teachers can do when the system itself is not designed for such diversity.Should schools keep grouping students by age, or shift toward readiness and ability instead?Read Dr. Rambo-Hernandez’s paper: Millions of Students Are Still Above Grade Level : https://doi.org/10.1177/01623532241277840Watch the full video version on YouTube and subscribe: https://youtu.be/SenIUvVpLTQLearn more and take a free sample of the RIOT IQ Test → www.riotiq.comFind all our links here: https://linktr.ee/riottest

What does it really mean for an IQ test to be “biased”? In this episode of The Human Intelligence Podcast, Dr. Craig Frisby, author of Essentials of Assessing Bias in Intelligence Testing, explains why bias is not about score gaps but about measurement error.We explore how psychologists detect and remove biased items, why landmark cases like Larry P. and PASE v. Hannon changed the conversation, and why breaking standardization or using “dynamic” assessments and race-norming models like SOMPA failed to improve fairness.Read Craig Frisby’s book: Essentials of Evaluating Bias in Intelligence Testing → https://amzn.to/4pUDh8TWatch the full video version on YouTube and subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@RiotIQTestFind all our links here: https://linktr.ee/riottest

What does it really mean to be intelligent, and can we say the same for AI? In this episode of The Human Intelligence Podcast, Dr. Russell T. Warne speaks with Dr. Gilles Gignac from the University of Western Australia about two of his influential papers on defining and measuring intelligence.Together they explore why intelligence is about solving novel problems at our maximum capacity, how “achievement” differs from true intelligence, and whether artificial systems like large language models can ever be meaningfully compared to humans. They also discuss how psychometric methods can improve AI benchmarks and what both psychologists and computer scientists can learn from each other.If you are curious about human intelligence, artificial intelligence, and the future of measuring both, this episode will give you a fresh perspective.Referenced articles:Defining Intelligence: Bridging the Gap Between Human and Artificial Perspectives → https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intell.2024.101832Psychometrically Derived 60 Question Benchmarks, Substantial Efficiencies, and the Possibility of Human AI Comparisons → https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intell.2025.101922

Are our tests of intelligence really measuring universal abilities, or are they shaped by schooling and culture? In this episode, we explore how environment influences executive function and why that matters for the science of intelligence.In the first episode of the RIOT IQ Podcast, host Dr. Russell Warne, Chief Scientist at Riot IQ, talks with Ivan Kroupin, a cross-cultural cognitive scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. Ivan is the lead author of The Cultural Construction of Executive Function, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.Ivan shares stories from his fieldwork in Namibia, Angola, and Bolivia, where children often show impressive real-world skills that standard tests fail to capture. Together, they discuss what this means for psychology, anthropology, and intelligence research, and why it is so important to understand the cultural side of human cognition.If you are curious about how people think, learn, and adapt in different environments, this episode will give you a fresh way to look at intelligence.Read the open-access article here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2407955122