Is intellect primarily based on memory?

no

I would have to say no, as well. It seems to me that it’s more about understanding the relationship of things to one another. Pattern recognition, spatial relations, etc., but also more complex relationships.

Yes, of course it is. With no memory, there would be no intelligent activity.

Memory is only a part of intellect. One must also have the aptitude and knowledge of what to do with the stored information. Case in point, the Savant Syndrome where a person may be able to memorize huge amounts of information such as logorithm tables or prime numbers but have no idea how to use the information. Memory alone is nearly useless unless backed by an ability to manipulate and apply the information to some purpose.

@stranger_in_a_strange_land I definitely agree.

There’s a vast difference between processing power and memory.

@daemonelson My point exactly, but maybe rather too circuitously stated.

@stranger_in_a_strange_land Whether that pun was intentional or not, well done.

@daemonelson :^) thanks.

Intellect is the ability to gather data and the aptitude for turning that data into information. Therefore, memory can be part of intellect. But, memory can also teach us not to put our hand on the hot stove as a four year old. Does that mean the four year old has the intellegence to understand what caused the heat in the first place, or just that it hurt if he or she touched it? Just an opinion.

Nope, it all boils down to the color of your eyes and hair.

@StupidGirl Best answer yet. +GA

I would say no. For one reason, you can memorize lots of facts and figures .. but in order to be intelligent .. you need to have common sense and know how to apply it when you use those facts and figures.

I do think that being “intellectually stimulated” as a child by parents or whoever… will help to enhance a child’s abilities.

I concur that memory is only a small part of it. Computers are far from intelligent. Then can remember things quite well and calculate far faster than most humans, but they have no comprehension of what they are doing so they cannot be considered “intelligent”.

As for human intelligence, there is both nature and nurture involved. Considering that the brain has the ability to rewire itself according to conditions, setting the right conditions can lead to an increased intellectual prowess compared to a completely identical twin, but there has to be enough to work with in the first place and that can only come from nature.

No, there are several factors.