Scientist: "Survival of the thickest" is making us stupid!

You —

Well, this is an interesting one that goes against all the common theories. It is often suggested that people are getting smarter over time as they have to access more of their brain, in better ways due to education and all that.

Now a scientist comes across and suggests that we have been getting thicker for maybe longer than 2000 years!

Guardian article.

Actual papers: one and two.

I havent read the papers but one of the suggestions was that in times gone past being stupid meant that you were more likely to get killed and your children being unborn.

Now, you get helping hands making you survive and bring up stupid kids., which then survive due to help from others... leaving even more stupid people around.

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Castiel — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 - 20:11

[quote=You]

Well, this is an interesting one that goes against all the common theories. It is often suggested that people are getting smarter over time as they have to access more of their brain, in better ways due to education and all that.

Now a scientist comes across and suggests that we have been getting thicker for maybe longer than 2000 years!

Guardian article.

Actual papers: one and two.

I havent read the papers but one of the suggestions was that in times gone past being stupid meant that you were more likely to get killed and your children being unborn.

Now, you get helping hands making you survive and bring up stupid kids., which then survive due to help from others... leaving even more stupid people around.

[/quote]

I think what they're getting at is that its no longer 'survival of the fittest'. Where before only the strong and best would survive and breed. Whilst the weak would die out. However in the modern world where everyones taken care of the weak are no longer dying off but surviving and breeding etc etc etc.

Well Britain didnt fight i WW2 just to roll out the red carpet for the nazi perfect race a couple of decades later.