Leading Geneticist: Human Intelligence is Slowly Declining...

[DalTheJigsaw123]

I am not sure what to take from this. I do not agree, but I can see how a point can be made for it? Any thoughts?

http://naturalsociety.com/leading-geneticist-human-intelligence-slowly-declining/#ixzz2LOpmcFPF

[Seeker of Wisdom]

A comment says:

 

The part about floride is bull If you read the actual study (link in the article) you would see that it says high level of floride (like in high polution areas) can cause those effects, not the levels in drinking water. "the NRC report examined the potential adverse effects of fluoride at 24 mg/L in drinking water and not the benefits or potential risks that may occur when fluoride is added to public water supplies at lower concentrations (0.71.2 mg/L) (NRC 2006)."

Aside from that, the constant technological stimulation is reducing attention spans and deep thinking. People are losing the ability to watch the clouds without fidgeting and pining for Temple Run. Multitasking and scanning articles train poor mental habits.

 

However, I think if people combined our modern technology with a cultivation lifestyle (meditation, contemplation, introspection, a bit less materialism) we'd seriously benefit in many ways.

 

I don't think genetics is the issue, it's just modern lifestyles that train bad mental habits. We can more than counteract this with cultivation.

 

If it was up to me, all schools would teach shamatha, based on The Attention Revolution. The atheist writer Sam Harris meditates, so it can be done as a secular practice to benefit anybody regardless of their beliefs.

Edited February 22, 2013 by Seeker of the Self

[zanshin]

We recently saw the movie, Lincoln, and I was thinking the same. People certainly spoke more eloquently then. Intellectualism is often looked down on now. We tune into some simple sound byte then our short attention spans zoom off to the next thing. I don't know if I completely agree either; people today have access to an incredible wealth of information and multitasking can be a useful skill. We have pretty quick access to multiple expert opinions by scanning those articles. I do agree with Seeker of Self that people's focus would greatly benefit from a cultivation practice, more time in nature too. I think people need to understand just because an expert has an opinion doesn't mean they're right and research is often flawed. Now his idea that we are less emotionally stable. What if there suddenly were no meds for psych issues?

[Apech]

I am not sure what to take from this. I do not agree, but I can see how a point can be made for it? Any thoughts?

 

http://naturalsociety.com/leading-geneticist-human-intelligence-slowly-declining/#ixzz2LOpmcFPF

 

I'm knot geddin dumma, 4 shure. I'm a fukkin genias. Tru.

[Thunder_Gooch]

[GrandmasterP]

As a general observation based on many years of university teaching, yes.

Young people today are far less generally intelligent than those in the past.

Time was they needed a modern foreign language plus A Level Maths and English Language to get into univerity alongside degree relevant A Levels too.

These days an attendance certificate in finger painting or similar is deemed sufficient.

[Apech]

As a general observation based on many years of university teaching, yes. Young people today are far less generally intelligent than those in the past. Time was they needed a modern foreign language plus A Level Maths and English Language to get into univerity alongside degree relevant A Levels too. These days an attendance certificate in finger painting or similar is deemed sufficient.

 

 

Have you tried painting your fingers? Its not easy.

[zanshin]

As a general observation based on many years of university teaching, yes.Young people today are far less generally intelligent than those in the past.Time was they needed a modern foreign language plus A Level Maths and English Language to get into univerity alongside degree relevant A Levels too.These days an attendance certificate in finger painting or similar is deemed sufficient.

In US it's gone the other way. Few years ago a friend was stressing about whether his bright son would get into Ohio State. I was surprised because 20 years ago if you lived in state and filled out your paperwork you could basically count on going there. Apparently, even state schools becoming more selective to retain freshmen and with trend for everyone to go to college they have enough applicants to be picky.

[ralis]

In US it's gone the other way. Few years ago a friend was stressing about whether his bright son would get into Ohio State. I was surprised because 20 years ago if you lived in state and filled out your paperwork you could basically count on going there. Apparently, even state schools becoming more selective to retain freshmen and with trend for everyone to go to college they have enough applicants to be picky.

 

To obtain entrance as a freshman to The Ohio State University, I believe a GPA above 3.2 is required. That only applies to the main campus in Columbus. The branch campuses have lower admission criteria. After course work at a branch, then one can transfer to the main campus. I am a proud OSU Buckeye alum!

[gendao]

In US it's gone the other way. Few years ago a friend was stressing about whether his bright son would get into Ohio State. I was surprised because 20 years ago if you lived in state and filled out your paperwork you could basically count on going there. Apparently, even state schools becoming more selective to retain freshmen and with trend for everyone to go to college they have enough applicants to be picky.

Well, it also depends on what voting block you belong to. The bar gets raised and lowered to amplify or oppress various groups based upon such demographic criteria, like race:

empirical look at the individual factors that dramatically raise or lower the likelihood of acceptance into the leading American universities which select the next generation of our national elites. The research certainly supports the widespread perception that non-academic factors play a major role in the process, including athletic ability and “legacy” status. But as we saw earlier, even more significant are racial factors, with black ancestry being worth the equivalent of 310 points, Hispanics gaining 130 points, and Asian students being penalized by 140 points, all relative to white applicants on the 1600 point Math and Reading SAT scale.

So, based upon race alone, Asians must now score 450 pts higher than Blacks on the SAT for similar admission consideration in the US's equalized "releveled playing field" (where a goal scored by Asians is now worth 450 pts less than one scored by Blacks).

When you lower the bar for some people, I guess you must raise the bar for others...? Or...if you can't beat them, join them?!

Edited February 22, 2013 by vortex

[zanshin]

Yay Ralis! So am I and thanks for the details. Yeah the kids there seem much brighter now, well with the decline in dive bars I'm sure they study more too. OSU always took good care of us though, on weekends they'd put up barriers so we wouldn't go stumbling into High Street.

[mike 134]

the flynn effect says that IQ's have been going up ever since they invented IQ tests (3 pts per decade per wiki) but it is almost certainly an artifact.

 

I personally think that the average world intelligence is going down fast, if for no other reason than the over-multiplication of the lower classes and third world peoples. And the average first world intelligence is also going down due to loose and shortsighted immigration policies.

 

Selective breeding (eugenics) is the only solution to this problem.

Edited February 22, 2013 by mike 134

[ralis]

Yay Ralis! So am I and thanks for the details. Yeah the kids there seem much brighter now, well with the decline in dive bars I'm sure they study more too. OSU always took good care of us though, on weekends they'd put up barriers so we wouldn't go stumbling into High Street.

 

 

Were the barriers put up after the OSU Mich game? Actually it is bad form to say Mich as opposed to TTUN.

[ralis]

Well, it also depends on what voting block you belong to. The bar gets raised and lowered to amplify or oppress various groups based upon such demographic criteria, like race:

So, based upon race alone, Asians must now score 450 pts higher than Blacks on the SAT for similar admission consideration in the US's equalized "releveled playing field" (where a goal scored by Asians is now worth 450 pts less than one scored by Blacks).

When you lower the bar for some people, I guess you must raise the bar for others...? Or...if you can't beat them, join them?!

 

 

Your link to 'The American Conservative' is biased. Are you going to start another racist rant on here?

[ralis]

the flynn effect says that IQ's have been going up ever since they invented IQ tests (3 pts per decade per wiki) but it is almost certainly an artifact.

 

I personally think that the average world intelligence is going down fast, if for no other reason than the over-multiplication of the lower classes and third world peoples. And the average first world intelligence is also going down due to loose and shortsighted immigration policies.

 

Selective breeding (eugenics) is the only solution to this problem.

 

Clearly your post is bigoted and racist in regards to stating that immigrants, third world and poor people are less intelligent than upper class persons. In general those persons you are referring to are of a different race. I assume you are speaking from the position of being a U.S. citizen. Furthermore, you are advocating eugenics as a solution to a problem that you have been indoctrinated and brain washed to believe in!

 

Eugenics is based on 'Social Darwinism'. Are you able to understand the extent of what you have stated here? I think not!

Edited February 22, 2013 by ralis

[gendao]

Your link to 'The American Conservative' is biased. Are you going to start another racist rant on here?

Yes, based upon that article, it does appear to be biased against racist admission standards. Which would make it an anti-racist rant, no?

 

Or are you seriously implying that forcing one race (and an even numerically-smaller minority at that) to score 450 pts higher than another is somehow NOT racist??? Like, not even a little bit? ORLY???

Granted, test scores & IQ aren't everything, by far...but 450 pts is one MASSIVE gap!

 

So, do you think anti-meritocratic, racist policies like this are contributing to America's free fall in global competitiveness and spiraling debt?

[zanshin]

Were the barriers put up after the OSU Mich game? Actually it is bad form to say Mich as opposed to TTUN.

Before Campus Gateway we went to dive bars and got cheap beer that came out in plastic buckets like a janitor would use with a stack of cups and drank and danced til closing time when we stumbled home- so we needed barriers every weekend.

 

Like so many other parts of life that strip has become outwardly nicer, yet somehow lacking in character, sort of sterile, bland and regulated. But if it ever gets to a point where problems are attempted to be solved by selective breeding, I'd rather just go stumble into oncoming trafic

Edited February 22, 2013 by zanshin

[Stosh]

Dumber - smarter?

With 12 dozen or so aspects of intelligence to measure , it is a difficult conclusion to arrive at

Im not sure I would look first to a geneticist to answer it

Kids today have different skill sets , and judging them by the standards we were judged by

may not do them justice , the world is far more complicated now.

To me it seems wisest to judge , if one must, each case individually, for the traits they have

leaving the suppositions about categories of people where they belong

in the trash.

[Owledge]

Insecure bully kids in school say intellect is uncool and harass bright kids while teachers are often even more insecure/inept and let it happen.

 

Building character strength would help - still a rarely practiced discipline it seems.

[Owledge]

I also agree that "intelligence" is a huge generalization, it's very situation-dependant.

IQ tests reflect only a tiny bit of the whole picture.

 

You can say a few words to some people and their supposed IQ suddenly drops a few dozen points.

[Gerard]

.

Edited September 13, 2013 by Gerard

[Owledge]

That's basically it. But why is this happening? It's not humans' fault:

 

‘As above, so below’

 

Joel Signeur discusses this in his first lecture.

I think it's related to the phenomenon of "awkward silence" and people having to have the TV or music playing all the time. They're insecure, have issues, and are trying to distract themselves ... from themselves. It's a subtle but pervasive alternative to alcoholism or other drug abuse. When things deep in your psyche are traumatic - or just painful and you can't handle pain - then you move them into your subconscious. If you are full to the brim with issues and they bubble up to the surface, then you need to numb your mind down to shut that out. ... Also related to SPS (Shallow Personality Syndrome - i just made that up).

[Owledge]

You'll notice whenever a person has nothing to say, they start moving their hands or feet in a strange way then they start talking somewhat slower and more awkward and then pick up the conversation again.

Yeah, like diverting energy from vocal to motor functions so that it doesn't go somewhere it's not supposed to go. Sometimes this could also happen when someone expects the other people will not wait for him to finish. Impatience can be contageous.

 

Did you ever imagine how much of talking in a loving relationship could be better expressed through action?

I came up with a tip for love relationships: Don't tell your loved one something that can better be expressed through loving action.

Words are cheap, and if they become convictions, they can mess up perception of reality. It's more natural to just live what you feel.

[Greyharte]

For reference, I'm a junior in college, just recently turned 21. Bias notice here.

 

From what I have heard/read, the adversity to silence thing is primarily a Western (or at least U.S.) trait. I personally am fine with a moderate amount if I'm conversing with someone else. I like to have time to consider (at least somewhat) what they're saying. Plus, with ADHD, it helps me a lot to understand what is being said. It's odd, though, because ADHD tends coincide with the adversity to silence...

 

In regards to the intelligence part, I'm not sure that I would say that it is declining. Part of that depends on what measure you use to judge it. If you use an IQ test, then people who are better prepared to take the test will typically do better on it than those who don't. I've passed many a test (I'm talking mostly A's) by relying on test-taking skills alone, rather than intimate knowledge of a subject.

 

At the same time, I do think that too much social media and instant gratification via technology can (if it hasn't already) have an effect on people's perceived intelligence. Constantly focusing on others' lives takes the attention away from your own and often hides your own problems. Instant gratification is extremely tempting (especially for someone like me) and the ease of information technology makes it all the more instant.

 

I personally believe (similar to the conveniently named Shallow Person Syndrome) that it is getting harder for people to look past the surface and peer into the essence of things. Though I can't say I agree with all of it, religion in general typically teaches that things aren't exactly as they appear. Though I consider myself a non-theist, spirituality can help teach subtlety. "Modern" culture is becoming less and less subtle. It is supposedly more "obvious" and "out there". Unfortunately, individuals (especially those that are born and raised not knowing anything else) think that that is "just how things are". They see a cell phone as a "cell phone" instead of as a convenient (though not necessary at the bottom line) electronic tool that makes things overall easier. The culture is starting to rely on these things that don't naturally appear.

 

If anything, I think culture is becoming so abstracted that it is getting away from the nature of the world (I suppose the Tao would be appropriate to mention here). How often does it really matter how high our score is on Fruit Ninja? Will it mean life or death for us? What about eating? The culture has become so developed that it's getting away from the basic assumptions that were necessary to build that culture in the first place. Maybe this is related to the parents wanting a better life for their kids thing.

 

Just my (scattered) opinion...