Theodore Talk: Born Smart or Built Smart? The Truth About Intelligence and Effort
- July 26, 2026
In this talk, Alexander Puutio, Adjunct Professor at Columbia University and author of the upcoming book AI for MBAs, will explore the critical distinction between being "born smart" and being "built smart." He will also examine how curiosity, metacognition, resilience, and deliberate practice shape effective intelligence, often outweighing genetic endowment. By looking at how individuals and organizations foster, or sabotage, their own cognitive performance, we can identify the tools and environments that maximize human potential. For Mensa members in particular, the opportunity lies in shifting the conversation from static measures of IQ to dynamic strategies for making intelligence count in the world.
Register for this presentation here.
____________________
Theodore Talks take place on Zoom the fourth Sunday of each month at 2:30 p.m. CT.
A list of future Theodore Talks can be found on the Mensa National Events Calendar at https://www.us.mensa.org/attend/calendar/.
Questions? Contact Brad Lucht at MensaTheodoreTalks@gmail.com.