Intelligence Lost?

I usually operate under the assumption that I (or anyone) could learn just about anything, but I think that there are natural limitations for certain types of knowledge, and whether they can be overcome is often up to the person. An example that I’ll never forget is when I tried to teach my grandmother how to use a computer. She was probably about 80 at the time (she’s 94 now). I consider her pretty intelligent, but she couldn’t grasp the concept of using a mouse. Her hand was on the mouse, and I placed my hand on hers. I used my other hand to point to the screen where the pointer was, and moved both my hands in conjunction so that she could see the coordination between mouse and screen. When I let go for her to try on her own, she kept “twisting” the mouse, as if she were screwing a top on a jar. For a time, I thought it was simply an inconceivable concept for her, but maybe her desire to learn just wasn’t strong enough. I would like to have the intelligence to adapt to the changes that I can’t foresee – to solve problems that I can’t think of.

I think the influx of tech gadgets have in one way helped users' ability to think in different ways from what we're used to; but in another way, they have greatly reduced the need for users to rely on memory. If I can't remember a street name, movie title, band name, song lyric, how to spell anything, a phone number, or anything else that I've not committed to memory, all I need is one of my gadgets. And by that, I mean my laptop or my cell phone. I don't even need to remember or write down the model number of my vacuum to get correct bags - I can just take a picture of the model label with my phone and refer to it in the store.

I take some effort in practicing memory though. When I'm going to a new place, I memorize the address (even if I'm only going to end up entering it into my GPS). I have memorized my account numbers, including my primary credit card (along with date and security code). This is quite handy when ordering stuff online because I don't have to fish out my card. I play video, card, and board games that rely on memory. Even in tennis, I have to remember the score. When I read a book, I memorize the page number where I stopped instead of marking it. I also see an opportunity coming in the somewhat near future as I consider educational options.Above all, I want to be able to grasp concepts that are foreign to me, like the mouse was a foreign concept to my grandmother. She has yet to use a computer.