I have watched this video of Korn Evolution. I don’t think its the overall truth that IQ is decreasing, as they say in the video? Sure it makes sense that if less intelligent poeple are born, then there must be some decrease in the average IQ. They say that there are no natural predators to thin out the population, therefor there are more dump people that reproduce. But isn’t it true that dumb people do stupid stuff and therefore there life expectancy is less?
The measure “heritability” includes both a direct effect of the genotype on IQ and also indirect effects where the genotype changes the environment, in turn affecting IQ. That is, those with a higher IQ tend to seek out stimulating environments that further increase IQ. The Flynn effect can be explained by a generally more stimulating environment for all people. I also think that the internet has an environment factor on people’s IQ, therefor increasing IQ. With the world’s population exceeding 6.8 billion, nearly one person in three surfs online. Environment also plays a roll in the activation and developing of certain genes. No, I don’t think that IQ is decreasing, and No I don’t think that we are going to become dumber then the chimpanzee. We are not even descendant from the chimpanzee.
Excuse me for not watching your video - I am mostly allergic to downloading videos off the net. So maybe I am off base - apologies in advance.
The whole IQ number is a crock. IQ has sweet fuck all to do with intelligence, and IQ tests measure only what IQ tests measure. I’m allergic to them too.
You get these silly comparisons of countries’ average IQs. Psychometric types then start claiming that people from Vanuatu are much more intelligent than those from the CAR, for example. Now while I acknowledge that our own beloved SA appears to be populated with morons, what these psychometric types should rather be doing is looking to why their silly tests give different results on populations - maybe said tests are a bit fuktup.
What is probably happening, if IQs are declining, is something like this:
the tests were developed “using” people from certain limited population groups of certain cultures at a certain time
the tests don’t work so well on different population sets from different cultures
as time passes the cultural bias of the tests becomes outdated; cultural factors have changed, so test “victims” don’t score so well. Bummer.
I remember reading one comment on IQs that I rather liked. If you were suddenly dumped in the Kalahari, would you prefer to be with someone from your own culture with an exceptionally high IQ or with a local average-IQ Bushman?
I think there’s a significant perceptional bias in the allegation that stupidity’s on the increase. This is much the same kind of effect you find with those who would tell you that the world’s going to hell in a hand basket. Basically, it’s older people resisting changes that they don’t understand who like complaining that the world is in decay.
Evolution doesn’t work that fast that it would result in a properly measurable change in average intelligence in just a few generations. Intelligence (as supposedly measured by IQ) isn’t a guarantee against being wiped out by an effectively unforeseeable event, and nor is stupidity enough to ensure its own demise. It’s likely that the perceptional bias is the result of growing older and noticing the inexperience of relatively more “naïve” young people who have yet to acquire knowledge the observer already has. The only change in IQ statistics that can reasonably be expected over the past few generations is an increase in its spread, not its average, because of advances in medical science that enable a greater proportion of foetuses and infants to survive, thus increasing available variability.
Intelligence (as supposedly measured by IQ) isn’t a guarantee against being wiped out by an effectively unforeseeable event, and nor is stupidity enough to ensure its own demise.
Yes you are correct with that, but I think there are sometimes foreseen events that can be prevented and it does play a fraction of a role.
For instance: The famous breakfast run on the road to hartebeestpoort dam. I would avoid that road if i were a biker, because many bikers get killed on that road. I don’t say all bikers are dumb but some of them do stupid things like drive recklesly. People that normaly decide on wiser decisions live longer, i think. But you’re right that it won’t have such a colossal impact on the amount stupid people, maybe I should rather call it common sense. It just seems that there is alot of road accidents by dumb people and its just a damn shame…
As Hermes points out, the more educated (intelligent) you are, the less kids you have, the uneducated masses tend to breed like bunny rabbits, they are also more inclined to fall for religion which relies on their flock not to question but the believe instead.
I don’t believe to much of the IQ claim but I’ve heard that it is increasing. A point ot two per decade overall. Seems to be conflicting info coming out.
I’ve heard that as well. It has allegedly increased by a full standard deviation (15 points) since testing began. I can’t provide a link because I can’t remember where I read it.
As far as I know the scale is adjusted frequently to take the increasing IQ scores into consideration.
In other words, it’s now harder to score a 100 (average) IQ than it was before.
I’m in the camp that thinks this is an effect of education, you have language and math parts of the IQ test. You’ll obviously do better if someone had taught you about maths and language. Or given you memory training for the memory part of the test, etc…
