Posted on 03/27/2006 1:35:38 AM PST by wolf78
BRITAIN and France have experienced long periods of conflict and rivalry but now victory in one area can be claimed: Britons are more intelligent than the French.
A new European league of IQ scores has ranked the British in eighth place, well above the French, who were 19th. According to Richard Lynn of the University of Ulster, Britons have an average IQ of 100. The French scored 94. But it is not all good news. Top of the table were the Germans, with an IQ of 107. The British were also beaten by the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Italy, Austria and Switzerland.
Professor Lynn, who caused controversy last year by claiming that men were more intelligent than women by about five IQ points on average, said that populations in the colder, more challenging environments of Northern Europe had developed larger brains than those in warmer climates further south. The average brain size in Northern and Central Europe is 1,320cc and in southeast Europe it is 1,312cc. “The early human beings in northerly areas had to survive during cold winters when there were no plant foods and they were forced to hunt big game,” he said. “The main environmental influence on IQ is diet, and people in southeast Europe would have had less of the proteins, minerals and vitamins provided by meat which are essential for brain development.”
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
I'm kind of wondering what country the person that wrote this article and headline came from. When I look at the chart Germany AND the Netherlands have 107 and it seems like Germany is only on the top and 'the brainiest' because it came first alphabetically.
It was obviously not 160 plus humility.
Rather difficult, since the poll was about European countries.
According to the article, American college students scored the highest.
This explains Florida, it seems.
same here in germany ;-)
I know exactly what the 78 stands for :)
“The main environmental influence on IQ is diet, and people in southeast Europe would have had less of the proteins, minerals and vitamins provided by meat which are essential for brain development.”
Yet another reason not to mess with Texas. :P
Hey, I'm just having a bit of fun. But joking aside: Personally I believe that most of the research concerning the IQ is junk science. The fact that Marilyn vos Savant has an IQ of above 200 is trivia, but little more. The same goes for the discussion of "national IQs".
While it is true that there are truly gifted people who are quicker to recognize patterns and have a deeper, more intuitive understanding of things (and while these people as children deserve a special learning environment), I find it a bit ridiculous to try and put that into a single score. Also many of Lynn's conclusions are anecdotal or speculative at best.
But hey, the topic's a great discussion starter ;-).
CR, I like your reply at #36.
Yes, American heritage does owe much to British traditon.
I've always considered that British liberal heritage to be based to a large degree on the idea of individual freedom and limited government, while Continental liberalism is based on the idea that all things flow from government and from the intellects of those who are in charge. Common sense does dictate that the former idea would work better.
"IMHO, Nietzsche wrote some of the best German prose in the 19th century. Beautiful German style! Also much misunderstood both then and now because he was (a) writing metaphorically, which is subject to misinterpretation however well written, and (b) was mad toward the end."
Ah, it is always great to talk to a true "connaisseur" of German literature and philosophy. Nietzsche is - in every regard - fascinating to read. I also find the parallels between Nietzsche's prose and Rilkes poetry highly interesting (e.g.: Nietzsches philosophy of language as compared to Rilke's "Die Dinge singen hör ich so gern!").
well, all but the Medizin....
Yeah, but it's contradicted by Massechussetts and New York.
More evidence intelligence is tied to testosterone level...
1. I don't feel superior.
2. I am not arrogant.
What I am is profoundly humbled and blessed to have been born an American.
I will though admit to succumbing to an irritable state when foreigners, especially Europeans, get up on their soapboxes and utter untruths and fallacies about the United States.
That is so funny. You made my day. I thought I was the only one.....HAHAHA.
We´re not that kind of Euros here. And though your tone sounded arrogant, nobody can judge about your character from a few posts on the board. Therefore, enjoy the evening!!
Good point!
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.