The world is our oyster

 

This is a very interesting little lecture on IQ levels by Edward Dutton (aka The Jolly Heretic) in which he argues rather forcefully that the so-called Flynn effect is an illusion. After World War II until the mid-1990´s, IQ test scores in the Western world rose so quickly that a genetic explanation seems out of the question, which in turn has been used to argue that IQ (and intelligence as such) is largely the product of nurture (society or culture) rather than nature (genes). This dramatic rise in IQ is known as the Flynn effect after the scientist who described it. The usual explanation for it seems to be that education has improved during the post-war period. Dutton, who believes that intelligence is strongly hereditary, argues that in reality people in the Western countries have on average become *less* intelligent since around 1900 (or perhaps even earlier).

Interestingly, Dutton actually questions IQ testing. First, IQ tests can be culturally biased (note that this fact is here used by somebody who argues for a “far right” position). They therefore cannot pick up actual intelligence among people with a vastly different culture than the test-makers. This is true not just between different nations, but also through time. The culture of, say, 1940´s England was very different from the today´s culture in the same region. It´s obvious in cases where the tests are in English, but the test-takers don´t speak the language fluently enough. Further, IQ tests can be more or less “g-loaded”. “G” or “general intelligence” is what IQ tests are supposed to measure. According to Dutton, intelligence is like a pyramid, with “analytic thinking” at the bottom. IQ tests are good at measuring this bottom rung of the g-pyramid, and we have indeed become better at analytic thinking due to better education, more exposure to “scientific” ways of thinking, and so on. Indeed, we have also become better at responding to IQ tests, since we encounter them more often!

The Jolly Heretic argues that analytic thinking (which is indeed nurture-related) has been pushed to its “phenotypic maximum” and overwhelmed all other factors linked to g, thereby making it look as if intelligence on the whole has increased and isn´t genetic. But this is an illusion. Dutton takes the example of body length: apparently, the length of legs is more nurture-related, while the length of the trunk is genetic. Thus, if the legs get longer, the body as a whole gets larger, even though the trunk might get smaller! This “co-occurrence” is also at work in intelligence: yes, analytic thinking has improved and hence we look “smarter” overall, but all other metrics suggest that we are really getting more stupid. Our stupidity has been cloaked by the Flynn effect.

Dutton then mentions a number of metrics indicating that our “g” is getting lower. Reaction times are increasing since the 1880´s, indicating a 15-point drop in intelligence. Color discrimination has decreased by 3.5 points per decade during the 20^th century. The usage of high difficulty words peaks during the mid-19^th century. Today, we are back at the level of 1700. Backward digit span and creativity have also gotten worse. So has levels of per capita genius. The proxy for this is the number of new innovations, and this can be measured since the 12^th century. The peak was in 1870. Today, it´s one third of peak – the level in 1600! Alleles (special genes) associated with very high intelligence and high educational achievement are getting less common, at least according to studies made on Iceland, where they have gone down for three generations. Finally, we have the IQ test themselves, which show a “negative Flynn effect” since the mid-1990´s. IQ levels are slowly but steadfastly dropping…on those parts of IQ that Dutton believes are genetic.

Even factors only weakly correlated with intelligence show the same downward tendency. Left handedness is getting more common, we are no longer becoming taller, and people are also getting uglier (having less symmetric faces). Dutton believes this is due to more negative genetic mutations. A genetically healthy population should be righthanded, tall and handsome!

Why are people getting more stupid? There are a number of factors according to Dutton. One is feminism. As women get more education opportunities, the smarter girls get educated and therefore have less children. Stupid girls are left behind, have more children and these will tend to be just as stupid as their parents (or perhaps worse). Overtime, the number of low IQ people in society will therefore rise. Note the paradox: average intelligence declines because of a better education system! 

In general throughout history, intelligent people will tend to have less children when societal conditions becomes less harsh. This is because the will to have children is an instinct, and hence takes intelligence to overcome. Intelligent people will also become less religious in good times, religiosity and natalism being strongly connected. Thus, in harsh Social Darwinian conditions, intelligent people will both breed more and survive better, but in good times, most breeding will be done by low intelligence people who lack impulse control, can´t handle contraceptives, and so on. Paradoxically, therefore, good times lead to a decline in average intelligence. Immigration from Third World countries is another factor that Dutton believes lowers average intelligence in the West. (In another video, Dutton argues that prohibition of abortion will also be dysgenic, since more idiots will be born – something that might rub conservatives the wrong way!)

In 2100, average IQ in Britain will be 85 (if today´s average is set at 100). Or so Dutton predicts. That´s down one “standard deviation”, which means significantly lower. The level of innovation will be at the same low level as in the year 1100. Society will simply collapse, and the presentation ends on a very pessimistic note. Think nuclear winter and shit.

Still, a very interesting (and very disturbing) contribution…