Human intelligence is declining according to Stanford geneticist

Ever can’t help but think you’re surrounded by idiots? A leading scientist at Stanford University thinks he has the answer, and the bad news is things aren’t likely to get any better.

Dr. Gerald Crabtree, a geneticist at Stanford, has published a study that he conducted to try and identify the progression of modern man’s intelligence. As it turns out, however, Dr. Crabtree’s research led him to believe that the collective mind of mankind has been on more or a less a downhill trajectory for quite some time.

According to his research, published in two parts starting with last year’s ‘Our fragile intellect. Part I,’ Dr. Crabtree thinks unavoidable changes in the genetic make-up coupled with modern technological advances has left humans, well, kind of stupid. He has recently published his follow-up analysis, and in it explains that of the roughly 5,000 genes he considered the basis for human intelligence, a number of mutations over the years has forced modern man to be only a portion as bright as his ancestors.

“New developments in genetics, anthropology and neurobiology predict that a very large number of genes underlie our intellectual and emotional abilities, making these abilities genetically surprisingly fragile,” he writes in part one of his research. “Analysis of human mutation rates and the number of genes required for human intellectual and emotional fitness indicates that we are almost certainly losing these abilities,” he adds in his latest report.

From there, the doctor goes on to explain that general mutations over the last few thousand years have left mankind increasingly unable to cope with certain situations that perhaps our ancestors would be more adapted to.

“I would wager that if an average citizen from Athens of 1000 BC were to appear suddenly among us, he or she would be among the brightest and most intellectually alive of our colleagues and companions, with a good memory, a broad range of ideas, and a clear-sighted view of important issues. Furthermore, I would guess that he or she would be among the most emotionally stable of our friends and colleagues. I would also make this wager for the ancient inhabitants of Africa, Asia, India or the Americas, of perhaps 2000–6000 years ago. The basis for my wager comes from new developments in genetics, anthropology, and neurobiology that make a clear prediction that our intellectual and emotional abilities are genetically surprisingly fragile.”

According to the doctor, humans were at their most intelligent when “every individual was exposed to nature’s raw selective mechanisms on a daily basis.” Under those conditions, adaption, he argued, was much more of a matter than fight or flight. Rather, says the scientists, it was a sink or swim situation for generations upon generations.

"We, as a species, are surprisingly intellectually fragile and perhaps reached a peak 2,000 to 6,000 years ago," he writes. "If selection is only slightly relaxed, one would still conclude that nearly all of us are compromised compared to our ancient ancestors of 3,000 to 6,000 years ago.”


That doesn’t mean it’s all downhill, though. Dr. Crabtree says, “although our genomes are fragile, our society is robust almost entirely by virtue of education, which allow strengths to be rapidly distributed to all members."

"We have a long time to solve it. People 300 years ago had no idea where we'd be scientifically now," he says. "We'll be able to deal with this problem with a range of humane and ethical solutions."


http://rt.com/usa/intelligence-stanford-years-fragile-531/



Pity education is going down the pan then!!! (no going but gone)

I would comment but I too stupid to understand most of it

Your telling me!
Have you seen that new member Juan King we got a few days ago? You know that
Piss Taker who signed up here with the fake name of that Karl used on my forum under the username J king (where Karl pretended to be Juan King from Mexico.)

Well at first I though it was Chuck that third member I banned from my forum for having an offensive signature and trolling. But this member Juan king is as thick a two planks-more retarded than Chuck ever was.

Juan King said he could not speak good English. Well does he understand the word mentally retarded. I am sure you can explain it to him that that is what he is.

ALLAKAKA wrote: I think the theory has just been PROVED.

Yup!!!

ALLAKAKA wrote: I think the theory has just been PROVED.

Yes why do those 3 members I banned from my forum keep following me around?
Speaking of banned, I am still banned from posting on ADO forums. I tried posting there today but got this error message.
Well I guess barred forever means barred forever. It does on forums anyway.

The pc rubbish hasn't helped, no one can have an different opinion anymore, you're instructed on how to think, its all has to be wishy washy go along with the crowd stuff, not to offend anyone (in particular that is), so you don't need to think too much.

Flix wrote:The pc rubbish hasn't helped, no one can have an different opinion anymore, you're instructed on how to think, its all has to be wishy washy go along with the crowd stuff, not to offend anyone (in particular that is), so you don't need to think too much.

Exactly, bury their heads in the sand and turn the other cheek thinking it will all go away.

ps: there was an old saying "You are not paid to think", Now they are paid not to think,

wyatt1 wrote:

ALLAKAKA wrote: I think the theory has just been PROVED.

Yup!!!

careful now or dave hester will sue you

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/legal-battle-who-gets-say-261627

The Devil, You Know wrote:careful now or dave hester will sue you

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/legal-battle-who-gets-say-261627

I plead Ignorance as I spelt it wif 1 U

I'm not so sure intelligence is really in decline, although it may seem that some are going backwards in the evolutionary cycle!

But at the same time we have instances of extreme genius displayed by others, scientists for example and child prodigies capable of incredible talents at young ages.

There is just so much more going on these days and so much more to know.

And it has become so much more acceptable for people to get by without knowing so much about lots of thing too!

And being vacuous and ignorant has been promoted by celebrity culture as worthy character traits.

mattiducatti wrote:I'm not so sure intelligence is really in decline, although it may seem that some are going backwards in the evolutionary cycle!

But at the same time we have instances of extreme genius displayed by others, scientists for example and child prodigies capable of incredible talents at young ages.

There is just so much more going on these days and so much more to know.

And it has become so much more acceptable for people to get by without knowing so much about lots of thing too!

And being vacuous and ignorant has been promoted by celebrity culture as worthy character traits.

Good evening Mattiducatti.
Matt I agree with you about this celebrity culture & guess that may include those sub-human TOWIE creatures.
I have no idea what their program is about nor do I want to know what it's about but I suppose it's a reality type show?
Good luck to them if they are making a living out of it but it seems to be about a bunch of orange people talking rubbish.
It does seem that nowadays,people aspire to be orange coloured ignorant idiots.

mattiducatti wrote:I'm not so sure intelligence is really in decline, although it may seem that some are going backwards in the evolutionary cycle!

But at the same time we have instances of extreme genius displayed by others, scientists for example and child prodigies capable of incredible talents at young ages.

There is just so much more going on these days and so much more to know.

And it has become so much more acceptable for people to get by without knowing so much about lots of thing too!

And being vacuous and ignorant has been promoted by celebrity culture as worthy character traits.

"being vacuous and ignorant"

Is more or less compulsory

I have never seen TOWIE but I understand it is some kind of 'soap' style nonsense with a reality style format, following the dull and meaningless day to day goings on of some irrelevant and otherwise useless (in the real world) individuals, with a combined IQ of somewhere in the region of that of a traffic warden.

This is a prime example of the 'vacuous and ignorant' being promoted as desirable traits to the wider audience.



"Measuring someone's intelligence by their qualifications is like measuring someone's digestive system by the length of their turds...!" (Anon)

7 inches on a normal day


3 inches on a bad day

Follows on on from the other thread about the Victorians being cleverer than us. Must be some truth to it. Let's be honest, if there were some sort of disaster (EMP surge or something) which meant all technology was downed, no electricity etc, how many of the morons around today would manage?

Tess wrote:Follows on on from the other thread about the Victorians being cleverer than us. Must be some truth to it. Let's be honest, if there were some sort of disaster (EMP surge or something) which meant all technology was downed, no electricity etc, how many of the morons around today would manage?

Precisely!!

Most of them would not know how to start a fire much less cook over it.

( they can start fires for vandalism, but that is somewhat different)

Adrian Messenger wrote:7 inches on a normal day


3 inches on a bad day

EU says it must be in cm. and of a specific shape and weight.

wyatt1 wrote:


EU says it must be in cm. and of a specific shape and weight.

Damn! I'll have to fit a Playdough nozzle

Adrian Messenger wrote:




Damn! I'll have to fit a Playdough nozzle

Don't forget the EU's attempt to straighten out bananas ( is that enough 'an an's' ??)