People are getting dumber

[oragator1]

Not that today's society is anything other than corroborating evidence, but we are not as smart as we used to be. But what is scary about this article is all of the things in our daily lives that contribute to it.

http://www.google.com/gwt/x?u=http://naturalsociety.com/leading-geneticist-human-intelligence-slowly-declining/&ei=qZEiUcGlKNmcmwek24HwCQ&wsc=vb

[Dreamliner]

You lost me with the high fructose link. Maybe HFCO fear was being adduced as evidence of increasing stupidity ?

[Emmitto]

Check out the comments that follow. My favorite one is the guy who believes higher IQ people aren't reproducing as much (possible), and confirms he's one of them (doubtful), but is going to do his part by donating to sperm banks. Patriot!

[JerseyGator01]

It's been recently found that monkeys have better memories than people, which thrilled the liberal lawyers in DC who will never lobby for giving monkeys the right to vote. Too risky.

I've found that Animal House is gospel in the sense that dumb is often promoted no matter what the profession.

[orangeblueorangeblue]

Actually that isn't at all what the recent studies said.

[Minister_of_Information]

Idiocracy!

[tegator80]

Idiocracy!

That people marry others of similar traits is not news. That lower class people, who are more likely to be rather unintelligent, have more offspring than the well-off is not news.

That the unintelligent show up to the voting booths in droves because they have been "inspired" is kind of new. And I don't think it is going to change anytime soon.

[gatordee]

What is the Dewey Decimal System and these things called encyclopedias?

[OaktownGator]

That people marry others of similar traits is not news. That lower class people, who are more likely to be rather unintelligent, have more offspring than the well-off is not news.

That the unintelligent show up to the voting booths in droves because they have been "inspired" is kind of new. And I don't think it is going to change anytime soon.

Do we know that the "unintelligent show up to the voting booths in droves"?

Just asking.

According to the CNN breakdown on exit polls (http://www.cnn.com/election/2012/results/race/president#exit-polls), if we use education level as a proxy for intelligence, the number of voters with no high school degree was very low - less than 3%, and the number with just a high school degree was 29%.

Still about 68% of voters had some level of college, and 47% were college grads.

Interestingly, the 19% with post-grad degrees went more heavily for Obama (55%), than the high school grads (51%), some college (49%), and college grads (47%).

Not sure what that all adds up to, but overall, it doesn't look to me like an issue of lack of intelligence or lack of education that beat the Pubs.

The break by Party, showed overwhelming party line votes for both parties - 92% of Dems for Obama and 93% of Pubs for Romney. And Pubs actually won the independents 50%-45%.

Outside of party line voting, the real stand out statistic was the overwhelming vote from Obama by all major minority groups - Blacks (no surprise), as well as Latinos and Asians both over 70%.

IMO, if you look at all this, it indicates the Pubs have a serious problem with race. And while there have been folks who've tried to overcome that (GW had a very diverse cabinet and was consistently trying to push a "big tent"), this problem is not too surprising due to a the way Pubs have driven wedge issues for decades. Pubs seem to demonize minorities every election. The results should not be surprising on election day. They're going to have to change this wedge issue strategy pretty quickly IMO, or face a long run of minority party status.

[oragator1]

Do we know that the "unintelligent show up to the voting booths in droves"?

Just asking.

According to the CNN breakdown on exit polls (http://www.cnn.com/election/2012/results/race/president#exit-polls), if we use education level as a proxy for intelligence, the number of voters with no high school degree was very low - less than 3%, and the number with just a high school degree was 29%.

Still about 68% of voters had some level of college, and 47% were college grads.

Interestingly, the 19% with post-grad degrees went more heavily for Obama (55%), than the high school grads (51%), some college (49%), and college grads (47%).

Not sure what that all adds up to, but overall, it doesn't look to me like an issue of lack of intelligence or lack of education that beat the Pubs.

The break by Party, showed overwhelming party line votes for both parties - 92% of Dems for Obama and 93% of Pubs for Romney. And Pubs actually won the independents 50%-45%.

Outside of party line voting, the real stand out statistic was the overwhelming vote from Obama by all major minority groups - Blacks (no surprise), as well as Latinos and Asians both over 70%.

IMO, if you look at all this, it indicates the Pubs have a serious problem with race. And while there have been folks who've tried to overcome that (GW had a very diverse cabinet and was consistently trying to push a "big tent"), this problem is not too surprising due to a the way Pubs have driven wedge issues for decades. Pubs seem to demonize minorities every election. The results should not be surprising on election day. They're going to have to change this wedge issue strategy pretty quickly IMO, or face a long run of minority party status.

And women.

[Dreamliner]

And women.

That's even worse than stupid. We know that women want more government. Turns out suffrage was a very bad idea.

[gator1986]

Maybe people are becoming less intelligent, but rather more dependent. When you have everyone answering every questions and doing every task for you... Who needs to be smart?!!? Welcome to America!

[tegator80]

That's even worse than stupid. We know that women want more government. Turns out suffrage was a very bad idea.

Wow, I am glad you have a good sense of humor. Just don't let your wife in on it.

If you want to know who I am talking about, I will provide you my idea of "inspiration":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIkksi344cM

[ncgatr1]

T.V. has elevated my feeble mind to the point were I actually understand Beverly a hills Housewives.

[exiledgator]

The Internet and Information Age has devalued knowledge. Not sure if this effects 'intelligence' but I could see how it could effect IQ scores.

[wargunfan]

When the NEA and teachers unions put educating children at the bottom of their priority lists the result was predictable.

[tegator80]

The Internet and Information Age has devalued knowledge. Not sure if this effects 'intelligence' but I could see how it could effect IQ scores.

I can understand the effect of easy anything on motivation. I would suppose that intelligence is a sign of inquisition whereas motivation is a sign of want. And perhaps many people are learned because they want and a lack of want becomes a lack of knowledge. Does that make any sense?

[Lawdog88]

The Internet and Information Age has devalued knowledge. Not sure if this effects 'intelligence' but I could see how it could effect IQ scores.


I am not totally certain I understand what you are saying.

But I am sorta afraid to admit that. :laugh:

[exiledgator]

I finally read the article and see that my post wasn't really in line with the author's take, but I was saying that modern technology may play a role.

I have near instantaneous access to information several orders of magnitude greater than an ancient Athenian could have ever dreamed of. It's in my pocket all day - waiting for a few keystrokes or a voce command. Knowledge, as we traditionally think of it, is loosing value. Combine this with its easy access and retaining it becomes less important.

Granted, knowledge is not intelligence but the headline read "dumber", which is all to often conflated with ignorance.

[PITBOSS]

That's even worse than stupid. We know that women want more government. Turns out suffrage was a very bad idea.

more bigoted comments from "Dreamliner"

[wygator]

Knowledge isn't intelligence.

Are we less intelligent, or are we simply, as a society at large, being more poorly educated?