191 replies to this topic

[darkmoonlady]

I call bull on the concept humans are somehow losing intelligence for the simple reason of more people on earth now are literate and have more access to information than at any other time in history. Nutrition, education, access to medical care, prenatal care all contribute to intelligence and are at the highest level of access to the most people than ever before historically speaking. It is easy to say we are getting less intelligent but what was the average IQ a hundred years ago or five hundred years ago or a thousand?

[Render]

Detective Mystery 2013, on 26 February 2013 - 04:27 AM, said:

That's a good point. We can be mentally "ambidextrous", though. We can learn to be both a computer programmer and a mechanic, get all kinds of cerebral exercise for all kinds of possibilities. You never know when the grid will get hit by something.

Well that is kinda the thing. As your learn to create problems you learn to problem solve. This is a skill not only limited for use in the IT world.
There are surprisingly few people who actually think as logic problem solvers on this planet, we could use some more.
I look forward to what the new generations will produce. Im certainly not gonna underestimate them like most people here appear to be doing.

[Detective Mystery 2013]

Render, on 08 March 2013 - 12:21 PM, said:

Well that is kinda the thing. As your learn to create problems you learn to problem solve. This is a skill not only limited for use in the IT world.
There are surprisingly few people who actually think as logic problem solvers on this planet, we could use some more.
I look forward to what the new generations will produce. Im certainly not gonna underestimate them like most people here appear to be doing.

That's nothing new. It happens each generation. I don't care if you're an ancient Sumerian or a modern American. Most of it comes down to the fact that people reflexively think that things were better when they were younger. It may or may not be true. Of course, it depends on the situation. I do think that nostalgia plays a part, though. Amnesia does too.

[Professor T]

darkmoonlady, on 08 March 2013 - 07:54 AM, said:

I call bull on the concept humans are somehow losing intelligence for the simple reason of more people on earth now are literate and have more access to information than at any other time in history. Nutrition, education, access to medical care, prenatal care all contribute to intelligence and are at the highest level of access to the most people than ever before historically speaking. It is easy to say we are getting less intelligent but what was the average IQ a hundred years ago or five hundred years ago or a thousand?

The Ability to read text does litttle imo to measure intelligence.. It's the ability to understand what the text means that is a true measure of intelligence. If you get a group of people to read a book__let's say the bible__ then ask them later to explain what it all meant they're all going to come up with a different answer, some inteligent, some not so intelligent.

[Mikko-kun]

Intelligence, emotional receptiveness, sensitivity and ability to handle those things doesn't have to correlate with how much knowledge you've forced yourself to take in, or how busy and efficient environment you've forced yourself to live and work. We live in a society where we're not free at all, even though the illusion is being fed to us again and again. Freedom encourages free mind, lack of freedom encourages mental captivity. True freedom is to be able to decide your own fate, and most of us can't do that in fear of losing a precious job. I'm not saying being unemployed is the solution, but a little flexibility wouldn't hurt.

[Frank Merton]

We are not losing intelligence, and even if we were it would take tens of thousands of years.  Evolution doesn't work so fast.

That many are poorly educated or spend all their time in front of the boob tube and never learn anything is a fact, and maybe a problem, but to conclude that this causes the race's intelligence to deteriorate is a case of the fallacy of inheritance of acquired characteristics.

[Professor T]

Not sure what your point is here Frank.. Evolution has nothing to do with it.
Imo we are what we eat... Or perhaps a better wat to put it would be you are what you consume..... And daily we as a species are forced to consume advertising, propaganda, lies dressed up as the truth.. We are told what to wear and what to buy and what will make our lives batter. We are inspired by the plastic facade of self indugent ego to the point where our children grow up and want be Beibers, and Want to be Sport-stars, and Want to be anything but themselves..

We're taught to want money to the point where all else becomes secondary. We a taught to take sides and to associate our entire being into, Nation, race or religious affilliations.. (it's a long list)  There is no Humainity in that, and these are not the kind's of persuits that are intligent..

Edited by Professor T, 09 March 2013 - 09:26 AM.

[Mikko-kun]

Yep, here too we take sides between sceptics and believers.. you know I came here so I could discuss something constructively, whether there's enough material for that or not. Of course things can heat up everywhere you go with certain people's temperaments (me included), but it's too much about the facade and too little about exchanging thoughts, except the ones we already know.

[Frank Merton]

Intelligence is a tough one to measure, but over the years it has pretty much been determined that potential intelligence -- what one can have under optimal conditions -- is largely an inhereted trait.

Deprive a child and he or she will be stunted, not just in growth but in all aspects of development.  Disease and emotional events can also have an effect.  I suspect there is also an effect from the quality of the education, although this is debated.

All these things come and go, but generally have been improving, so if anything we should be getting smarter.  It isn't visibally happening, which tells me we are probably close to optimal now.

[Professor T]

Mikko-kun, on 09 March 2013 - 03:52 PM, said:

Yep, here too we take sides between sceptics and believers.. you know I came here so I could discuss something constructively, whether there's enough material for that or not. Of course things can heat up everywhere you go with certain people's temperaments (me included), but it's too much about the facade and too little about exchanging thoughts, except the ones we already know.

Agreed..
If one takes a side in a debate one looses the ability to see both perspectives & imo the all important outsiders perspective (3rd perspective).. When one see's something from the 3rd perspective is not clouded by temperments (ego) and what we think we know..

[Professor T]

Frank Merton, on 09 March 2013 - 04:10 PM, said:

Intelligence is a tough one to measure, but over the years it has pretty much been determined that potential intelligence -- what one can have under optimal conditions -- is largely an inhereted trait.

Deprive a child and he or she will be stunted, not just in growth but in all aspects of development.  Disease and emotional events can also have an effect.  I suspect there is also an effect from the quality of the education, although this is debated.

All these things come and go, but generally have been improving, so if anything we should be getting smarter.  It isn't visibally happening, which tells me we are probably close to optimal now.

I tend to agree that deprivation of childrens education is a big problem, and that development is being stunted by the likes of disease, emotional events... Am kind of surpised no one in this thread has mentioned the "Vacination" theories out there that claim that Children being vacinated causes issues in development... There may be some truth to it.. Dunno..

I personally don't think that Intelligence has been pinned down to optimal conditions, potential, and I certantly don't believe it can ever be measured to the point of even finding an optimal level. Nor is it imo an inherited trait.. Sure we do have people who are born at a disavantage because of genetic abnormalities, but we measure their intelligence against their ability to perform, communicate and interact in our society. We cant measure (as far as I'm aware) their congition at a conscious/experience level from within.. In many cases____am thinking autistic prodigies here___ what society calls a disadvantage turns out to be miraculous abilities & intelligence that is something the rest of society is surprised & inspired by.

[Jeremiah65]

We are far to dependent on technology to do the simple things for us.  Most folks need a calculator app to know what 7 X 8 =  ....it's sad.

Wanna talk about discounts and percentages?...most folks cannot figure out what 20% off a 10.00 dollar item equals....pathetic.

I hope this thread finally reaches the conclusion that modern technology has dumbed down huge numbers of people...so we can move on to other topics...this section of the board has been dead and this blatantly obvious conversation just plugs along....we get it...human beings are stupid and rely too much on technology now...move along herds...



Describing the obvious does not fix it....how about some suggestions to fix the issue...or better yet...find something else to b!tch about....

Edited by Jeremiah65, 09 March 2013 - 11:10 PM.

[CrimsonKing]

darkmoonlady, on 08 March 2013 - 07:54 AM, said:

I call bull on the concept humans are somehow losing intelligence for the simple reason of more people on earth now are literate and have more access to information than at any other time in history. Nutrition, education, access to medical care, prenatal care all contribute to intelligence and are at the highest level of access to the most people than ever before historically speaking. It is easy to say we are getting less intelligent but what was the average IQ a hundred years ago or five hundred years ago or a thousand?

More of something does not necessarily mean better.As has been stated it is not what one learns but what they retain and how/if they put it to good use.

People many years ago had more children per person than most do today,they did this for survival.To have more help around a farm and to make sure if some died there would be others to help carry on.Fast foward to present time we have those who have figured out that having more children gets them more money on a welfare check.Which is better?

1 suggestion i have jeremiah is instead of people specializing in just one area throughout their education,instead branch out into several different areas.With the way our current educational system is set up though this would be almost impossible.Most now days also do not care to learn because everything is just there at the touch of a button,just having the ability to look at something then type it does not make one educated on the subject.Back when people had to know how to raise animals,grow vegetables,work the land, and build things just my opinion but that made them smarter they actually understood what they did because they had first hand experience doing it.

1 example i do not claim to be the smartest person alive,some on this forum are smarter than me on several subjects.I have never just specialized on 1 area though.

My example anyway,my uncle went to college for 8 years has a very good job and is damn good at his job.I have 2 years of college but do something other than what i started college for because i enjoy it more and i still have it to fall back on at some point if need be.My uncle can tell you everything there is to know about his field but has no clue how to work on a car,no knowledge on any house repair,couldnt cut a tree down without it falling on him,is stunned when i grow vegetables,and many more things outside his field.These are all things i can do and more yet he has to pay others to do these things for him.He is the quintessential educated idiot as i said great at his field but not much else.

[jesspy]

lol speak has a big contribution to loss of intelligence.

[Detective Mystery 2013]

jesspy, on 10 March 2013 - 12:32 AM, said:

lol speak has a big contribution to loss of intelligence.

FWIW, LOL. OTOH, OMG. You and I are on the same screen. "Idiocrish" is used more than English.