Today, training requires a fundamental shift that has not been seen since the advent of the Second World War. The need to train broad cross-sections of the general population for homeland defense is once again paramount. The objective has spurred a new look at what we thought we knew about human intelligence, multi-media presentation, learning, and how we measure the results. The paper begins with Flynn's intelligence paradox, the mid-70's dip in SAT scores, and data from the US patent office to debunk the traditional notion of intelligence. Citing work from a rather eclectic group of learning research sources, the paper develops practical guidelines to get the most effective training out of CBTs (Computer Based Trainers). The research cited ranges from the theoretical to practical and includes cognitive capacity research by the Internet 2 consortium, human network adaptation models developed by NDU (National Defense University) to break up terrorist cells, and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) clinical research. In addition, performance and retention insights from the design of the television show "Blue's Clues" provide some surprising applicability. Then, the author moves from amusingly theoretical to eminently practical by concluding that not all CBTs are alike in their ability to instigate behavioral change and describes specific features that CBT designers and evaluators can consider that enhance adaptability and retention for broad segments of the population.