The Smart Appear to Be Getting Smarter

I don't think people are getting smarter; they're just getting better at IQ tests. These are not the same thing. As a society we are simply becoming more familiar with the sorts of puzzles researchers use to gauge intelligence.

There is a lot to be said as well for the increase in water quality.

Lots of people used to have a minor or severe case of lead poisoning. In addition to looking a bit like retardation, it also happens to cause poor impulse control, making complex tasks considerably harder.

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/06/the-crime-of-lead-...

> Up to half the people alive in 1930, to use Kovács' insensitive phraseology, were mentally retarded? Really? That might help explain the rise of Hitler, Stalin, and Mao.

What a ridiculous conclusion.

Could the higher IQ scores be a result of the popularization of the internet in the last couple decades? Moving from a platform that spoon-feeds you information to a platform which encourages the user to actively seek out the information they need/want, from a passive experience to an active one, surely contributed to better problem solving skills.

original source sans "Reason"'s idiotic commentary [1]: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/08/are-smart-people-g...

[1] Up to half the people alive in 1930, to use Kovács' insensitive phraseology, were mentally retarded? Really? That might help explain the rise of Hitler, Stalin, and Mao.