16 Nov 12
4 edits
Originally posted by sonhouseDid their calculations take into account that the 'selection' against those bad mutations does not require people to actually die as a direct result of being less intelligent?
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-humans-slowly-surely-intellectual-emotional.html#ajTabs
Mutations not being selected against are adding up to dumber humans. However, forewarned is forearmed. (Enough mutations and we might HAVE four arms🙂
Being less intelligent may reduce the probability of reproductive success even if no actual death-through-stupidity is involved and, if their calculations simply ignored that, their calculations would probably be completely invalid. I note I see no mention of reproductive success nor anything that implies it in that link so I wonder if they erroneously ignored this.
This is a very common error people make about evolution; they either don't understand or keep forgetting that it is not really about individual survival at all but passing on genes.
16 Nov 12
Originally posted by sonhouseI am estimating that it will take hundreds of generations before the average IQ is down to my level. People seem just smart enough to be dangerous anyway.
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-humans-slowly-surely-intellectual-emotional.html#ajTabs
Mutations not being selected against are adding up to dumber humans. However, forewarned is forearmed. (Enough mutations and we might HAVE four arms🙂
16 Nov 12
Originally posted by sonhouseThey've got it all wrong. Whats really happening is a much wider variety of genes is now possible thus opening up the possibility of greater intelligence.
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-humans-slowly-surely-intellectual-emotional.html#ajTabs
Mutations not being selected against are adding up to dumber humans. However, forewarned is forearmed. (Enough mutations and we might HAVE four arms🙂
Of course what they totally ignore is the fact that a large proportion of the population growth is currently amongst the poor which do not benefit as much from modern medicine anyway.
16 Nov 12
Originally posted by sonhouseI could have told you that from 10 years of teaching.
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-humans-slowly-surely-intellectual-emotional.html#ajTabs
Mutations not being selected against are adding up to dumber humans. However, forewarned is forearmed. (Enough mutations and we might HAVE four arms🙂
16 Nov 12
Originally posted by KazetNagorraThat's because it's still just as easy as ever for Tab A to find Slot B.
I'm also unsure as to how they conclude that intelligence is now not selected against - it seems to me that the world is much more complex than in prehistoric days, and well-educated people tend to do be successful at reproducing.
17 Nov 12
Originally posted by SoothfastCountering that is the Flynn effect, where IQ scores are rising in one aspect of testing, not in math or general but in abstract thinking, those scores have been rising around the world regardless of economic status:
That's because it's still just as easy as ever for Tab A to find Slot B.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flynn_effect