From: kumar@ug.cs.dal.ca (kumar yelubandi)
Subject: My final word (Was Re:  Jealousy (from the pages....))
Organization: Math, Stats & CS, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 02:21:23 GMT

>From: eager@eagercon.com (Michael J. Eager)
>>[I write]:
>>	All I said was the intelligence of MENSAns is upper-bounded
>>	by the intelligence of their highest-scoring member 
>>	(IQ is implied here since this seems to be the most frequent
>>	barometer of reference);  whereas an upper bound does not exist
						^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^	
>>	for non-MENSAns (possibly because we recognize this to be an
>	absurd injunction against the mind's free expansion).  

>The IQ of non-Mensans is not bounded?  While the IQ of Mensans is bounded?
			^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

	Where do you go from an interpretative meaning of 'bound does not
	exist' to finite mathematics?  The context of the debate
	should have made it clear that to most non-Mensans (and I'm 
	pretty sure about this but you will tell me otherwise), 
	quantifying intelligence is a foolish waste of time.  Perhaps
	to us, the quality of intelligence is more important, ie. is
	it an evil intelligence? ...is it a philosophical intelligence?
	...is it a philanthropic intelligence?  The default setting being
	that all of us are intelligent, all 5 gigs of us that inhabit
	the earth.  And quality - I'm sure you would agree - can't
	be bounded, ergo 'an upper bound does not exist' 

	On the other hand, Mensans, tend to quantify intelligence.  
	So, by their own choosing, an upper bound does exist...and
	from what I've heard, she is married to a gifted lad name 
	Jaarvik.  Nice-looking, too...I saw her on a talk-show 
	once.


>To use your own very odd logic, the IQ of both groups is 'bounded' by the
>IQ of the highest-scoring member.   If you want to claim that not knowing 
>your IQ means that it is unbounded, then you have a problem.  What it is
>is unmeasured, not unbounded.

	I believe you should rotate your visual field a few paragraphs
	northwise.  Better yet, count your losses and walk away.  I won't
	pursue this further myself.

>1)  Your understanding of statistics and probability is weak.
>2)  In any finite, orderable set, there is always a highest value.  Therefore,
>    there is a most intelligent person.
>3)  Mensa never has claimed to have the most intelligent people in the world.
>4)  No body cares.


	1)  In Victorian days, I would challenge you to 
	    a duel, 10 paces, for slandering my good name!   :) :)

	2)  Mensa is a finite-ordered set.   10 finalists in a 100m
	    sprint will become a finite ordered set at the finish 
	    line.  Quality cannot be finitely-ordered.  It must first
	    be transformed to a quantity before it can be ordered.  
	    Think of the color spectrum.  The set of primary colors 
	    cannot be ordered because there does not exist a one-to-one 
	    correspondence with the set of positive integers 
	    {1,2,3,4,5,6,7}.  The wavelengths of the primary colors,
	    however, may have a one-to-one correspondence (you can always 
            find a function that maps one set to the other)
	    
	3)  You're right about that.  They only claim to accept the most
	    intelligent people in the world.  Maybe this is not their
	    fault, and the reason they come off as elitist and arrogant is
	    a fault of their marketing firm.  If it can be a quantity,
	    it sure as heck can be a commodity, right?  Is Mensa really
	    a non-profit organization...or am I ill-informed
 	    (If these were Victorian days, you would challenge me to a 
	     duel for bringing the good name of your fair 
 	     organization into question....so...thoooose w-e-r-e the days
	     my friend *the piano player plinks*...we thought would
	     never end, we'd sing and dannnnnce f-o-r-e-v-e-r and a
	     dayyyyy!...we'd play the games we choose, we'd fight and
	     n-e-v-e-r lose!!...those were the dayyys!, oh yes, those 
	     were the days!...la la la laaaa la la....

	4)   Has anybody ever cared about anything?  
	     *melancholy sigh*...Mother Theresa, I love ya!
	


	Kumar

ps:	...let us go on to interesting conversation, shall we...
	We will never agree on a lot of things because we think
	differently.  That shouldn't prevent us from discussing,
	however, other things (and in a less combative manner).

	*raises mug*  Cheers!
-- 
                                ********************************************
   Kumar Yelubandi               **  A wise man learns more from a fool  **
   (good wines = good times!)    **  than vice versa...or so they say    **
   ...in the year 2525...        **           -  Drink up -              ** 
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa