(Viewed 367 times since July 2007)

Idiocracy, here we come?

Do you believe that human intelligence can be quantified? Whether you do or not, there have been many attempts to design tools to give a numerical value for how clever you are, and IQ probably the most widely used since its development nearly 100 years ago. Since then, an enormous amount of data has been collected through IQ testing of individuals, in educational and professional settings (such as the testing of all recruits on entering military service). For some decades, this data has shown a linear pattern of steadily increasing average scores (around three points per decade), known as the Flynn Effect, meaning, effectively, that humans were, on average, getting brighter, or, at least, getting better at the kinds of thinking that IQ tests can measure.

The 2006 film 'Idiocracy' is based on the premise that the human race reached its peak intelligence through natural selection, then began to decline, as those at the lower end of the IQ spectrum not only survived, but bred in far greater numbers than those at the upper end. This lead to a world of idiots within 500 years, and a rather amusing (and, in my opinion, underrated) film. However, could this really come to pass? It would be stretching the point, if not flatly misleading, to say 'some scientists think so', BUT two separate studies (Teasdale & Owen, 2008, and Sundet, Barlaug & Torjussen, 2004) show, for the first time, a decline in average intelligence.

There is no clear answer yet why this decade should be the first to show declining average intelligence, but Teasdale & Owen have rejected dietary causes and hypothesised that the effect could be due to qualitative changes in education systems. Both studies cited above were conducted in technologically advanced European countries; average IQ levels in developing nations, however, are still rising, particularly in the lower half of the spectrum. If this trend continues and is widespread, this could indicate a move towards, if not a world of idiots, a world with more evenly-distributed 'intelligence'.

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