"For many decades now we’ve been getting smarter. All across the planet average IQ results have been rising… by about 3 points every ten years. It’s called the Flynn Effect and it’s changing our societies. So what is it? What causes it? And what could be the consequences if — as seems possible — it goes into reverse."
Originally posted by FMF "For many decades now we’ve been getting smarter. All across the planet average IQ results have been rising… by about 3 points every ten years. It’s called the Flynn Effect and it’s changing our societies. So what is it? What causes it? And what could be the consequences if — as seems possible — it goes into reverse."
podcast - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes ...[text shortened]... nt increase when, together, we might well have gone up 4, 5 or 6 points or more.
Who is who?
Aging will reverse the process. There comes a time, whether we like it or not, when the body's cells die at a faster rate than they can be replenished...including those in the brain.
Originally posted by FMF "For many decades now we’ve been getting smarter. All across the planet average IQ results have been rising… by about 3 points every ten years. It’s called the Flynn Effect and it’s changing our societies. So what is it? What causes it? And what could be the consequences if — as seems possible — it goes into reverse."
podcast - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes ...[text shortened]... nt increase when, together, we might well have gone up 4, 5 or 6 points or more.
Who is who?
I suppose it matters how IQ is measured.
How about making a healthy meal without relying on pre-packaged food, for instance?
Or how about fixing something yourself when it's broken?
I wonder if we've been getting dumber in those kinds of aspects.
Originally posted by Great King Rat I suppose it matters how IQ is measured.
How about making a healthy meal without relying on pre-packaged food, for instance?
Or how about fixing something yourself when it's broken?
I wonder if we've been getting dumber in those kinds of aspects.
I have been hearing from some of my younger friends in their 60's that their granddaughters do not even know how to read a recipe. Those abbreviations, such as T, tsp, C, pinch, etc. And as far as making a pie crust? (let alone bake a pie in the first place) They buy those soggy, greasy packaged ones at the grocery store. 😛
Originally posted by ale1552 Aging will reverse the process. There comes a time, whether we like it or not, when the body's cells die at a faster rate than they can be replenished...including those in the brain.
The "time" seems to be coming sooner for some of our young cohorts..
Originally posted by FMF "For many decades now we’ve been getting smarter. All across the planet average IQ results have been rising… by about 3 points every ten years. It’s called the Flynn Effect and it’s changing our societies. So what is it? What causes it? And what could be the consequences if — as seems possible — it goes into reverse."
podcast - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes ...[text shortened]... nt increase when, together, we might well have gone up 4, 5 or 6 points or more.
Who is who?
Or do we just think we're getting smarter? The ingestion of volumes of information does not mean one is smarter because of it. Knowing more information isn't a good test of intelligence in my opinion, but rather how one uses that information, or knowledge, to make themselves a better person is.
I don't see so much of that happening. I see people getting worse.
Originally posted by josephw The ingestion of volumes of information does not mean one is smarter because of it. Knowing more information isn't a good test of intelligence in my opinion....
You don't know what the Flynn Effect is, do you? You didn't bother to look it up. You didn't listen to the podcast, did you? It isn't about "ingestion of volumes of information" at all. 😀
Originally posted by FMF "For many decades now we’ve been getting smarter. All across the planet average IQ results have been rising… by about 3 points every ten years. It’s called the Flynn Effect and it’s changing our societies. So what is it? What causes it? And what could be the consequences if — as seems possible — it goes into reverse."
podcast - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes ...[text shortened]... nt increase when, together, we might well have gone up 4, 5 or 6 points or more.
People get smarter about answering old familiar questions. The raise in IQ is due to the statistical methods involved, and not necessarily any actual gain in intelligence.
I don't trust IQ tests anyway. eg Jam some math rote into the dumbest fart on the planet and she'd do decent on many of the tests.
Originally posted by ale1552 Aging will reverse the process. There comes a time, whether we like it or not, when the body's cells die at a faster rate than they can be replenished...including those in the brain.
And even while we type, there are scads of laboratories feverishly doing everything possible to stop that process.
Some claim they are close to succeeding.
Benjamin Button, anyone?
Originally posted by FMF You don't know what the Flynn Effect is, do you? You didn't bother to look it up. You didn't listen to the podcast, did you? It isn't about "ingestion of volumes of information" at all. 😀
I can see the "Flynn Effect" hasn't had an effect on you! Or maybe it has. 😉
The "Flynn Effect" is an illusion created by those that want to appear smarter than they actually are. The reality is society is getting dumber.
Originally posted by josephw The reality is society is getting dumber.
Upon what measures do you base this claim?
It is an interesting assertion, and one that would be well worth discussing, as long as you have more than just your personal disapproval, frustration or disappointment with society your evidence.
Originally posted by FMF Upon what measures do you base this claim?
The physical senses, knowledge of the truth and experience.
And maybe just a little common sense and a bit of reasoning. I'm not going to spend all day proving an assertion with a statistical analysis of the state of man's condition.
I think the only reason for asserting the idea that "we've been getting smarter" is due to the increase and availability of information, which gives the illusion of an increase in smarts. That's just the way I see it based on everything I know, which isn't much, but it's enough for me.
Why don't you provide the evidence for why you think we're "getting smarter"? Or that there is even such a thing as the "Flynn Effect"?
Originally posted by josephw Why don't you provide the evidence for why you think we're "getting smarter"? Or that there is even such a thing as the "Flynn Effect"?
I don't have any reason to think we are getting more intelligent to the degree that the Flynn Effect suggests.
Where I live and work, people entering university are getting "smarter" (more intellectually skillful) and certainly more knowledgeable thanks to positive and sorely needed changes to educational methodology over the last quarter of a century.
The Flynn Effect is a statistical thing about scores on IQ tests, and the tests/statistical pattern/theory certainly exists. The "Flynn Effect" is not mine, it's an idea coined by researchers called Hernstein and Murray named after someone called James Flynn.
Originally posted by josephw The physical senses, knowledge of the truth and experience. And maybe just a little common sense and a bit of reasoning. I'm not going to spend all day proving an assertion with a statistical analysis of the state of man's condition
So you've got no objective or empirical evidence to back your "The reality is society is getting dumber" thing?