Here's an interesting citizen science project. BBC Horizon and Dr Adam Hampshire at Imperial College, London, have developed The Great British Intelligence Test to understand how our changing behaviour and lifestyle is affecting our intelligence.

When it comes to measuring intelligence, there are lots of skills that come into play – from problem solving and spatial ability, to emotional awareness and working memory. But however you break it down, one thing is clear – intelligence matters. 

People who score well on intelligence tests tend, on average, to live longer, age better and are more likely to achieve academic and career success. But don’t panic – more and more research is suggesting that intelligence isn’t fixed. That’s why understanding how intelligence works - what factors affect it and how to improve it - is so important.

The Challenge consists of a series of short cognitive tests lasting between 1 and 4 minutes each to test your planning, reasoning, working memory and attention abilities. These are followed by a short questionnaire, after which you will receive a summary of your results and personalised feedback on how you performed and your mental strengths.

In total, the Challenge takes about 30 minutes to complete, and will inform research on the changing nature of our nation's intelligence, in particular, how changing technologies affect our brain function. Later this year, BBC Horizon will air a show on BBC 2 to present the results.

Interested? Learn more about The Great British Intelligence Test on this page on the BBC website, or go straight to the Challenge itself by following this link.

Photo credit: Alice Jamieson, via Flickr.