Re: Intelligence increase

From: Robin Hanson (rhanson@gmu.edu)
Date: Wed Oct 04 2000 - 15:39:13 MDT


J. R. Molloy wrote:
> > Human IQ has been increasing. I doubt this is because of what chimps are
> > doing here on Earth. If it is because of what humans are doing, then it
> > must be due to an "autocatalytic positive feedback loop" among humans.
> > What else could it possibly be?
>
>Human IQ has increased (on average... don't forget this means on average)
>due to
>better nutrition, a certain amount of natural selection, medical cures for
>brain
>disease, and the educational system teaching the test.

All of these things aren't coming from chimps, or rocks, or fish - they are
coming from humans. Thus the group of humans, taken as a whole, *is*
autocatalytic!

Robin Hanson rhanson@gmu.edu http://hanson.gmu.edu
Asst. Prof. Economics, George Mason University
MSN 1D3, Carow Hall, Fairfax VA 22030-4444
703-993-2326 FAX: 703-993-2323



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