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Somewhat popular idea in media (say movie "Idiocracy") and general perception of older generation is that people and society are getting dumber. It seems that even real studies show that "stupid" people have more children, than "smart". Does this mean that in some time "stupid" people will greatly outnumber "smart" whose part in population would decline?

If IQ is herediatary, does that mean that people in society are really getting dumber and modern society is doomed to fail, because of decline in intelligence or that is exaggerated myth?

I know Flynn effect, but if genetical basis of inteligence will decline, would it cease to work?

PS. I have nothing to do and do not suggest idea of Eugenics, just wondering is this perception of declining intelligence is true and are the effects exaggerated.

Sklivvz
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    Given you know about the Flynn Effect - i.e. intelligence tests show that intelligence is rising, the rest of your question is moot. – Oddthinking May 12 '13 at 07:53
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    @Oddthinking, that's a very simplistic view point. The Flynn effect isn't a law of nature. For example, Jon Martin Sundet and colleagues found that the increase of scores of general intelligence stopped after the mid-1990s and declined in numerical reasoning sub-tests. – Kenshin May 12 '13 at 10:28
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    Furthermore, In Australia, 6–11 year olds IQ, as measured by the Colored Progressive Matrices, has shown no increase from 1975–2003. So to say that just because one knows the term "Flynn effect" then intelligence is always increasing is a demonstration of lazy thought, and is especially inappropriate for a skeptics site. – Kenshin May 12 '13 at 10:30
  • @Chris: I think you misinterpret and thus malign me. The Flynn Effect isn't a law of nature. It is a set of empirical observations that directly contradicts the conjecture by the OP. I merely inferred that knowing the term meant being aware of these observations. Any subsequent decline does raise questions as to what is going on, but the conjecture that modern society is doomed to sub-human intelligences, a la Idiocracy, is still in tatters. – Oddthinking May 12 '13 at 12:59
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    Am I the only one amused by the combination of the grammar of the title and the content of the question? – Doug Kavendek May 13 '13 at 00:02

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