Are people getting stupider due to natural selection?

[thethoughtfox]

Article in the news:

Natural selection making 'education genes' rarer, says Icelandic study
Researchers say that while the effect corresponds to a small drop in IQ per decade, over centuries the impact could be profound

Do people have any thoughts on this? This is my first time posting a link so apologies.

www.theguardian.com/science/2017/jan/16/natural-selection-making-education-genes-rarer-says-icelandic-study?CMP=fb_gu

[minipie]

There is always going to be a conflict between a kinder society (which supports and looks after those who are genetically less clever or less physically able, and their children should they reproduce) and natural selection (in which those people would die out and not reproduce, or would be unable to look after their children so those children would die).

We have (IMO rightly) prioritised kindness over evolution.

[Suppermummy02]

Hopefully we will be able to genetically engineer higher intelligence this century. Its all very well being kind but when the number of people needing help, out number those able to offer help, we will be in trouble.

[Want2bSupermum]

It's interesting to see the effects of this. In Denmark the first affects of a kinder society are already being seen. What has happened is that they have more voters out of work than in work. With so many people dependent on the government for their source of income (DH tells me it's about 1 million workers in private enterprise supporting the population of 5.5 million people) the system is going to eventually snap. Living standards have remained static over the last 20 years meaning the rest of the world has over taken them and overall the government regulation is slowly killing the remaining private enterprise off.

[user1484226561]

just because we tolerate lazy uneducated unmotivated people in our society doesn't mean those people are not capable ofimmediatly being other things if it became necessary for their survival.

[user1484226561]

the laziest most ignorant drop out would decide to use their brains if they had to in order to find food to eat.

Animal studies have consistently shown less intelligence apparent overall in animals with easier lives. This affect is NOT inherited! It is just a response to whether or not you are required to get used to using your intelligence during your upbringing

[prh47bridge]

What has happened is that they have more voters out of work than in work

That is not the case. Denmark's 5.5 million population includes children and people who have retired. Denmark has 4.1 million registered voters (a figure which, of course, also includes young people at university) of whom roughly 2.3 million are working and around 1.2 million are retired.

It is true that less than half the total population is working but that is not unusual. It is also the case in many other countries, including the UK, due to the number of children, students and retired people.

The figure of 1 million workers in private enterprise also appears to be wrong. According to the statistics I've found the true figure is 1.4 million.

[Want2bSupermum]

prh what I meant to say was that they have 1m (or 1.4 million as you have corrected me) workers in private enterprise who are supporting everyone else who is reliant on the government for their income. It's meant that policy is more focused on those who are reliant on the government and not on the enterprise that keeps the government afloat.