Study: Human Beings Getting Dumber

Given the technological advances we have witnessed in our lifetimes, it seems

ridiculous to argue that humans are getting dumber. This is, however, what Stanford
University researcher Gerald Crabtree has suggested. In two recently published articles,
he writes:

"I would be willing to wager that if an average citizen of Athens of 1000 BC were to
appear suddenly among us, he or she would be among the brightest and most
intellectually alive of our colleagues and companions (…) We would be surprised by our
time-visitor's memory, broad range of ideas and clear-sighted view of important issues. I
would also guess that he or she would be among the most emotionally stable of our
friends and colleagues."

Crabtree’s thesis is based on the idea that our genes must be functioning at full
capacity to optimize intellectual and emotional behavior. He contends that our intelligence
may have peaked before our hunter-gatherer ancestors left Africa. At that time, due to
selective pressures, humans evolved to have genes that maximized brainpower. Since
then, selective pressures have decreased. This has made it possible for several 'genetic
mutations’ that hinder our intellectual and emotional capabilities to survive.

Despite these "two or more" harmful mutations of the past 3,000 years, Crabtree
believes that technology will allow humans to compensate for these mutations in the
future. "We have a long time to solve it. People 300 years ago had no idea where we'd be
scientifically now," he says. "We'll be able to deal with this problem with a range of
humane and ethical solutions."

Critics say there is insufficient data to support Crabtree's thesis. Others, such as
psychology professor Eyal Reingold, argue that the modern-day threats to intelligence are
not genetic but environment-based. These threats, rooted in our upbringing and
socialization, are the cause of school bullying and children bringing guns to school,
according to Reingold.

[Sources: http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/2012/11/stanford-university-researcher-
says.html, http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/11/15/research-suggests-humans-are-evolving-to-be-dumber/ ]