Skip to comments.
Researchers suggest Victorian-era people more intelligent than modern-day counterparts
PhyOrg ^
| 17 May 2013
| Bob Yirka
Posted on 05/18/2013 5:32:16 PM PDT by rjbemsha
click here to read article
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-20, 21-40, 41-50 next last
"The Victorian era has been highly touted by historians as one of the most productive in human historyinventions, observations and highly acclaimed art and music from that time still resonate today."
"The researchers claim this [increasing reaction times] proves that people have grown 'less clever' over time. They back up their claim by suggesting they know the reason for the decline in intelligencesmarter people having fewer children, while the less smart, have more."
Standards do seem to have dropped. My father left school after the eighth grade. Must have been around 1914. One day I found some of his old 8th-grade textbooks. They were at 1950's college level, which, if dumbing-down has continued, would probably be at today's grad level. Of course, standards are not IQ.
1
posted on
05/18/2013 5:32:16 PM PDT
by
rjbemsha
To: rjbemsha
yeah but garbage in garbage out
2
posted on
05/18/2013 5:33:47 PM PDT
by
bigheadfred
( barry your mouth is writing checks your ass cant cash)
To: rjbemsha
3
posted on
05/18/2013 5:36:00 PM PDT
by
JoeProBono
(Mille vocibus imago valet;-{)
To: rjbemsha; Revolting cat!
The practice of washing your hands seemed odd to them.
To: rjbemsha
There would probably be some truth to this. Back then, people had to do things for themselves and figure it all out.
Today, everything is done for them.
The lack of stimulation is probably not good for IQ.
5
posted on
05/18/2013 5:38:42 PM PDT
by
Jonty30
(What Islam and secularism have in common is that they are both death cults)
To: a fool in paradise
Germ theory wasn’t discovered yet.
6
posted on
05/18/2013 5:39:34 PM PDT
by
txhurl
To: rjbemsha
There was a lot more natural selection going on then.
Nowadays the state provides for your sustenance, so all you have to do is keep breathing.
7
posted on
05/18/2013 5:39:52 PM PDT
by
E. Pluribus Unum
(Islam is a religion of peace, and Moslems reserve the right to detonate anyone who says otherwise.)
To: rjbemsha
I don't know, did they let admitted foreign born Africans weasel their way into the nations highest office and disarm and harass them because of their political beliefs? Or assist their enemies to take over entire countries and finance their bomb making hobbies with $100,000 in welfare? Yep, I would say they were smarter.
"Hi! My name is Barack Obama and I'm running for Senate! I was born in Kenya but please ignore that down the line when I run for President!"
"Yessar massar Kenyan!"
8
posted on
05/18/2013 5:40:35 PM PDT
by
GrandJediMasterYoda
(Someday our schools will teach the difference between "lose" and "loose")
To: rjbemsha
I read years ago that the ancient Athenians must have been extremely intelligent. Pretty amazing the number of world class thinkers from a city which never numbered more than 100,000.
9
posted on
05/18/2013 5:42:17 PM PDT
by
yarddog
(Truth, Justice, and what was once the American Way.)
To: rjbemsha
Is the article serious? I sincerely think many toothless peasants from the 10th century were smarter than the morons walking around today.
10
posted on
05/18/2013 5:42:21 PM PDT
by
CatherineofAragon
((Support Christian white males----the architects of the jewel known as Western Civilization).)
To: rjbemsha
I’m not sure if it has anything to do with humans getting smarter or dumber, or if it’s just a matter of the values placed on education and the emphasis placed on the virtue of self-improvement and striving to improve one’s own lot.
11
posted on
05/18/2013 5:42:36 PM PDT
by
Joe 6-pack
(Qui me amat, amat et canem meum.)
To: rjbemsha
Oh Pleeeeaase
controversial assertion on reaction times (RT) to visual stimuli given as tests to people from the late 1800s to modern timesthe faster the reaction time, they say, the smarter the person.
Gee... peoples exposure to visual stimuli from an infant to adult are almost identical today compared to the 1800's. /S
Even if there is a basis for RT as an indicator of intelligence the baselines needs to be comparable.
12
posted on
05/18/2013 5:48:28 PM PDT
by
Fzob
(In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock. Jefferson)
To: JoeProBono
I'm an old fart whose Grandfather was born in 1865. He died in 1970 at 105. When he was alive he told me everything back then was books and Napoleon, which is why when you see photographs back then, a lot of men had their hand in their jackets. Napoleon was "the man"
13
posted on
05/18/2013 5:50:19 PM PDT
by
GrandJediMasterYoda
(Someday our schools will teach the difference between "lose" and "loose")
To: rjbemsha
Standards do seem to have dropped. I reluctantly agree. Discipline as well. We Americans have blown public education and I don't see it recovering anytime soon.
If there is an upside it is this: I think it is easier for a young American than a young Victorian to realize what an immense fool he or she has been. That's a watershed of adulthood. Those that pass that test still have a chance.
Mind you, Victoria was Queen for a very, very long time. The technological change that her subjects experienced was as fundamental and shocking over 75 years as our own has been over perhaps half that. Don't despair, the kids are all right and will make us proud yet even if they need a communal thrashing now and then. Sounds pretty Victorian of me, doesn't it? ;-)
To: Jonty30
I was thinking about this today.Welfare and such hurts, it takes us down and is destroying us.
When help is given and gained by the church or the individual, we are more connected to each other. The one gifting is more grateful for their lot and perhaps more understanding of the needy. Not as resentful as when your money is taken and doled out. The needy are more appreciative and grateful to the one giving, it’s not some magical money, it’s connected to a real person who struggles, too. There is less envy. It isn’t impersonal. Hearts connect.
With the state handing out money, the personal human connection is lost. They take more than money from us when the government taxes and doles out. We lose our humanity.
15
posted on
05/18/2013 5:54:07 PM PDT
by
Irenic
(The pencil sharpener and Elmer's glue is put away-- we've lost the red wheel barrow)
To: Jonty30; rjbemsha
There would probably be some truth to this. Back then, people had to do things for themselves and figure it all out. Agreed. I think technology (including mass media) has dulled people considerably.
To: rjbemsha
First,the claim that wetbacks have lower IQs than native born Americans and now this.This will be suppressed,no doubt.
To: rjbemsha
Well DAH!! They didn’t have video games back then.
18
posted on
05/18/2013 5:56:54 PM PDT
by
BobL
(To us it's a game, to them it's personal - therefore they win.)
To: a fool in paradise
“The practice of washing your hands seemed odd to them.”
The practice of getting sick by not washing your hands was also odd to them...didn’t happen.
19
posted on
05/18/2013 5:57:47 PM PDT
by
BobL
(To us it's a game, to them it's personal - therefore they win.)
To: Billthedrill
Mind you, Victoria was Queen for a very, very long time. The technological change that her subjects experienced was as fundamental and shocking over 75 years as our own has been over perhaps half that. Don't despair, the kids are all right and will make us proud yet even if they need a communal thrashing now and then. Sounds pretty Victorian of me, doesn't it? ;-)
Great Hyenas, you are spot on, old chap! B-)
The technological change from 1900 to 2000 was the greatest in known history and the century before, 1800 to 1900 would be in second place. From 1900 to 2000, you had steam trains to spacecraft whereas form 1800 to 1900, you had horses and walking to the steam engine. I think in some things we have slowed down except for medical technology and a few other areas.
20
posted on
05/18/2013 5:57:52 PM PDT
by
Nowhere Man
(Holodeck Computer! End Obongo Administration Simulation Program NOW!!!!)
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-20, 21-40, 41-50 next last
Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson