We Are ALL Getting Dumber... Yes, You Too!!

Popsci Article



A Stanford geneticist, Gerald Crabtree, has concluded that we humans have so many genetic mutations that it has effected our overall intelligence. Our ancestors were basically smarter than we are today as a result. He suggests that with each generation comes harmful mutations that, down the line, has impaired our intelligence compared to that of our ancestors. He calculates that within 3,000 years, “we have all sustained two or more mutations harmful to our intellectual or emotional stability.”

“There is a general feeling that evolution constantly improves us, but it only does that if there is selection applied,” Crabtree said in an interview. “In this case, it is questionable about how much selection is occurring now compared to the process of optimizing those genes, which occurred in the jungles of Africa 500,000 years ago.”

Some argue that this point is flawed due to natural selection. Other scientist that disagree have said:

Natural selection is incredibly powerful, and it definitely has the ability to weed out new mutations that significantly impair intellectual ability.

Or does it?

An example he uses to counter this is our sense of smell. Our olfactory receptors have been tuned way down from when we hung out in caves 500,000 years ago. Our sniffer kept us alive and put food in our bellies. As compared to a dog's sense of smell, we've damn near lost most of ours because we don't use it like our ancestors did. We are guided by our intellect now (where did the food come from, what plant/animal, how does it grow, etc) instead of our pure sense of smell.

“Once you place pressure on intellectual abilities, and take it off of olfactory abilities, the olfactory genes deteriorate,” Crabtree said.

He also believes evolution now selects for other traits--namely, the most healthy and the most immune, not the most intelligent. "Human movement into communities and cities increased the spread of infectious diseases, and those with the strongest physical constitutions survived to pass on their genes."

So in there lies the rub. Have we really gone through so much negative gene mutation in our brains that our intellect has been stymied? Because the "dumber" physically strong survived in the past under harsh conditions, with us being the product of their survival, does it mean we are getting dumber down the line of human evolution? Something to think about...

Between the GMO's mutations on our genes, to the sodium fluoride/aspartame diets, our human race on the cellular levels are becoming more retarded with each generation. Just look around if you're too lazy to research proof in the studies.

The further we get from "nature/natural" living, the worse we are going to get, until our cells adapt fully to this new environment. The air right now is breathable, somewhat, to us all, but take a man or woman from 200 years ago and plop them in Los Angeles, and they'll be dead from respiratory illness in a matter of days.

At the end of the day, our cells will adapt and live on. Whatever they throw at us, we will adapt and survive as a species. In our lifetimes and the next, it's going to be hard dealing with the devolution and the talking monkeys all around.

reply to post by davcwebb


I think Joe Rogan explains it well.

Just think about how dumb future generations may be.

Interesting to see other's perspective. Our generation has grown to be so dependent on technology. That's not necessarily a bad thing. There's so much information to store, maintain and utilize that we gather. Aren't we advancing in all fields? The medical field is advancing.
One thing is for sure, technology sure is getting smarter.

I could not argue against this, even if my life depended on it. :lol

The world is a crazy place!

reply to post by davcwebb

here i thought he who has the most toys win's

most of the intelligent ones have confessed... pursuit of it wasn't the brightest use of their existence to begin with and bore them positions truly not considered beforehand

so at least this confirms
we listen better
"dumb" as that maybe
but we can at least enjoy our existence in a more so free state and leave the sharp axe in the shed while heading to the beach singing...zippy tah do dah all the way...

Originally posted by JibbyJedi
At the end of the day, our cells will adapt and live on. Whatever they throw at us, we will adapt and survive as a species. In our lifetimes and the next, it's going to be hard dealing with the devolution and the talking monkeys all around.

I don't think I could agree more with this. Unfortunately, with the studies being downplayed, GMO's mutations are just beginning. As you said, "the further we get from 'nature/natural' living, the worse we are going to get" and let's hope they do adapt to the new environment. Especially for those of us in the U.S.

Not all people are getting dumber, only the ones exposed to certain foods and chemistry they cannot eat. All foods are drugs, chemicals in certain configurations. Everyone has different genetic sensitivities, some have allergies to foods, others have metabolic issues with foods, and others haven't gained the ability to properly digest all foods. Straightening out the diet will allow the brain to grow back to it's proper operating conditioning over a couple of months to a year. I can't tell you what to eat, I can eat things my own wife can't eat and she can eat things I can't eat. Men and women have always eaten different throughout history, they can't change that in a few generations.

If you want to increase the clarity of thought, you need to test things on your own. Many foods have a doping effect, there are many types of doping. You can calm yourself with foods, you can make more adrenaline with foods. You can be full of energy all day long and eat something when you go home to relax. Most people already know of this but knowing why it happens and how these things effect other bodily functions is what I study. I study the antidotes for the chemistry, just eat a certain food and the side effect goes away. Spices are important as are cooking practices. Our ancestors knew these things, at least some of them did. If this is knowledge is not passed on from generation to generation than we have gone backwards.

Yes we have gone backwards. We put our trust in others to study our diets not realizing that they can't test everyone. Eating the wrong foods can cause a lot of problems, not just the chemical additives are a problem. Everyone needs to test these things themselves, I have studied the effect of foods on consciousness a lot. Drinking high sugar drinks can give you some of the same effects as alcohol does. You can be drunk without even knowing it. Most of the fructose gets absorbed in the stomach and turns to acetyl aldehyde. This chemical can cause a drunkening effect in most people because we can't detox it fast enough. With the glucose energy build and the drunken effect we make more mistakes unless the brain can detox or the liver can process the fructose.

Most of our common sense can be regained in a short period. If we desire to change. It is fun living in blissful ignorance sometimes. Actually it is fun living that way all the time.

From what I can tell, this claim may only be partially true.

Essentially we are taking a very limited slice of information out of context and are making sweeping generalizations as a result.

Data can be interpreted in many ways after all, relativity.

But then again maybe it is true, look how quickly people believe this crap just because a guy with a degree said it. Maybe we are getting dumber.
Maybe we were always this dumb?

Hard to tell considering we have almost no data in the first place.

reply to post by davcwebb


Its almost impossible to conclude how natural selection is going to pan out down the line. The context in which we measure intelligence might be changing...the world is different and while I can see that we are shedding some of our old senses and abilities I'm not sure were not gaining new ones that are more relevant to the current world we live in. The measure of intelligence is context based...there is no universal standard.

A Jaguar is infinitely more intelligent in the context of a jungle than I will ever be. Change the context and give the Jaguar a math test and the results change drastically though...(hopefully lol)

We might be outgrowing our old models that measure intelligence...this might be what is indicating a decline...the scale of measurement isn't keeping up.

Originally posted by isyeye
Just think about how dumb future generations may be.

Invalid post; considering the time we even reach these genetic/biological mutations (which the Stanford geneticist, says is 3000 years till most people have it), we'll have traversed any intellectual roadblocks with technology. All our research is pointing towards not only eventual biological immortality, but enhanced mental functions like we can't begin to imagine. The merging of man and technology -- the next step of evolution that will put any of these "humans are getting dumber" claims to rest.

Sorry but your dreams of a world like Idiocracy won't be coming true...

speak for yourself

reply to post by Sly1one

A Jaguar is infinitely more intelligent in the context of a jungle than I will ever be. Change the context and give the Jaguar a math test and the results change drastically though...(hopefully lol) We might be outgrowing our old models that measure intelligence...this might be what is indicating a decline...the scale of measurement isn't keeping up.

Math is a good indicator that we are getting dumber. People were a lot better at math before some genius invented a calculator. Every generation since then less and less people know math and not many know how to make a calculator either.

So it's almost like we are getting dumber thanks to some really smart people.

reply to post by davcwebb


It actually makes tons of sense. I mean if stupid people are surviving and thriving as a result of civilization and technology then they are going to permeate the overall population more, spreading stupidity genetically. Even taking natural selection to account, if for instance it is in fact taking place at all, then it it tends to mutate certain characteristics in a way that makes them more useful based on how they are in fact used. As was stated in the op we can't smell as well anymore because we don't need to so that sense has deteriorated. In many ways the modern day conveniences mankind enjoys has made them dumber in much the same way. I would wager that while many are quite knowledgeable of how to operate the newest iphone few people understand the basics of metallurgy or polymers...most of us know how to use technology but how many of us truly understand all that it takes to create it? I'd bet anyone that reads this thread has the intelligence to operate a toaster but that very few if anyone here would know how to make one or would know how to make the individual parts to make the toaster. Just making the metal parts, would require a knowledge of minerals, where to find them, how to melt them down and purify them and then how to cast them or machine them into being would be incredibly difficult for most people. I would guess that baser knowledge, such as, how to purify metal was probably more well known by the general populace in yesteryear, but less was known about the end result. Today it is backwards.

Da wat ya talking about we be fine ...OOOOMgawa! me a degree and master's ...me no dumd...have to go now eat raw deer meat!

Originally posted by whatsecret
reply to post by Sly1one

 

A Jaguar is infinitely more intelligent in the context of a jungle than I will ever be. Change the context and give the Jaguar a math test and the results change drastically though...(hopefully lol) We might be outgrowing our old models that measure intelligence...this might be what is indicating a decline...the scale of measurement isn't keeping up.

Math is a good indicator that we are getting dumber. People were a lot better at math before some genius invented a calculator. Every generation since then less and less people know math and not many know how to make a calculator either.

So it's almost like we are getting dumber thanks to some really smart people.

Well I will agree on the basis that most are participating in a world in which they hardly know how it works...I won't dispute that...the awesomeness of Sagan taught me that a long while ago...

I don't know about dumber....but we are definitely getting more and more dependent...dependent on technology and those whom can provide it, produce it, manufacture it, and utilize it...

reply to post by Sly1one

I don't know about dumber....but we are definitely getting more and more dependent...dependent on technology and those whom can provide it, produce it, manufacture it, and utilize it...

When looking for a word to describe a person you pay at the register that can't figure out how much change to give you without a calculator dumb is the word that comes to mind. but I guess you can also call it dependent. I'm not saying that I don't use a calculator, I'm just saying that to the older generations we look pretty dumb. And if you consider that world leaders give speeches on a 8 - 12 grade level and show cartoons when addressing the UN for instance, it seems like it's getting worse every year.

I myself is a high school dropout and if it wasn't for the spellcheckers and calculators life would be a lot harder for me.

reply to post by davcwebb


Ho hum. Another Eugenics PR plug. FYI....

The elite breed for sociopathy and fortunately, continue to lose reproductive capability with every successive generation. Which says a lot about natural selection and imho, proves the process' validity.

The poor DO breed like rabbits (as eugenicists lament) and fortunately, they CAN. Also says a lot about natural selection and imho, also proves the process' validity.


Also FYI - Without lower class fertility, we wouldn't have a hope in Hades of beating the epigenetic effects of industrial pollution or surviving as a species.

The human standard of intelligence only applies to humans. Were not getting dumber. "Dumb" is subjective.