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American IQ scores have rapidly dropped, proving the 'Reverse Flynn effect'

(www.popularmechanics.com)
256 points hirundo | 2 comments | 10 Apr 23 13:00 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
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faeriechangling ◴[10 Apr 23 15:04 UTC] No.35513202[source]▶
Could this have to so with smart people increasing pursuing hedonism over reproduction? Maybe Idiocracy was right all along.

From a strict evolutionary perspective I have doubts that a high IQ is useful anymore.

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polski-g ◴[10 Apr 23 16:17 UTC] No.35514025[source]▶
IQ hasn't been beneficial to evolution for over 100 years. Once means-tested welfare came into existence, being low-IQ became more advantageous. The reason Europe was able to take over the world is that they taxed the poor (low-IQ) more than the rich in the dark ages and the rich out-bred the poor for at least 2 generations.
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faeriechangling ◴[10 Apr 23 18:23 UTC] No.35515540[source]▶
Very arguably social welfare resulted in the biggest increase in IQ levels in history as general health, nutrition, and education improved. Also social welfare improved social mobility which should cause IQ to have more of an impact rather than less of one.

I am not rejecting this point but I have a hard time accepting it Carte Blanche. If anything if IQ is lowering for generic reasons I would suspect birth control as a cause especially since it’s a more recent phenomenon than means tested welfare.

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1. laverya ◴[10 Apr 23 22:51 UTC] No.35518353[source]▶
Social welfare could do BOTH things - dramatically increase IQ for the next generation (that grows up with proper nutrition etc) while also remove the selective pressure that increased IQ over the course of centuries.
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2. SamoyedFurFluff ◴[11 Apr 23 11:50 UTC] No.35523767[source]▶
Social welfare hasn’t been centuries. Many social welfare programs have barely been 1 generation. The big ones (social security, food stamps) aren’t even 1 century old!