The other day, I was discussing the relation between information and intelligence with one of my closest friends. I will present his thoughts on the topic as impartially as I can. Then, I'll add mine and try to draw a conclusion in the attempt to settle the matter, at least for the time being.
My friend stated that the intelligence is the ability someone has to solve a determined problem. Then, he added that when you get more information, your chances of solving any given problem get higher. Therefore, the more information you have, the more intelligent you are. I'll take the liberty to summarize his thoughts on a simple equation:
Information + 1 = Intelligence + 1
Information +1 -1 = Intelligence
Information is Intelligence.
As the equation above shows, if you think having more information makes you smarter, then you think information is intelligence. While I agree that having more information definitively helps you find a solution to an issue, I know for a fact that having more information doesn't make you cleverer.
Here is where my friend and I part ways, for I know that information and intelligence, even though always used together, are very different concepts: The information is raw, unprocessed data; the intelligence is the ability to use this data in many ways and for various purposes. This is very similar to what my friend said, but it does not mean the same thing. The resolution of problems, what you do with intelligence, is not intelligence, but a mere consequence of it. The intelligence is the means, the problem solving is the end.
Or at least that's what I think. What do you, reader, think?
EDIT: After talking a while (a couple hours?) with my friend Chris Wright, we finally agreed on a single definition of intelligence: "The intelligence is the ability to transform data into knowledge, to use it and retain it as knowledge. The faster you transform the data, the longer you retain it as knowledge and the better you use it for something, the smarter you are."
Cheers on our first agreement, Chris!
