Published: October 1, 1995

Get Smart

David Perkins, co-director of Harvard University's Proj-ect Zero, remembers the first time he thought up his own theory of intelligence. It was a decade ago at one of the occasional seminars that the center, which specializes in cognitive development, held for its researchers. About seven of them were gathered around, and Howard Gardner, who directs the center with Perkins, was describing his then-emerging theory of multiple intelligences.

"I thought, 'How does intelligence look to me?' '' Perkins recalls. "And it didn't look much like Howard's conceptions of intelligence.''

To Perkins, it appeared that intelligence had three dimensions. One was like a weight lifter, who, by dint of genetics, good nutrition, and exercise, worked efficiently. Another was like a cook who provides the recipes that have been learned from years of experience. The third was like an army general who has a broad overview of how everything works together and the strategic knowledge to deploy resources...