Has mankind reached a turning point - our brains are getting smaller

[Texashiker]

The largest brain measured in a humanoid was 20,000 - 30,000 years ago

For the past 20,000 years, the human brain has been shrinking.

http://discovermagazine.com/2010/sep/25-modern-humans-smart-why-brain-shrinking/

If the human brain continues to shrink, will society gradually decline?

 

[Nemesis 1]

Good than if we get dumbed down enough. We may not destroy ourselves. Whales have really big brains and they seem to be running this earth just fine don't they.

 

[bfdd]

The largest brain measured in a humanoid was 20,000 - 30,000 years ago

For the past 20,000 years, the human brain has been shrinking.

http://discovermagazine.com/2010/sep/25-modern-humans-smart-why-brain-shrinking/

If the human brain continues to shrink, will society gradually decline?

Or view it more like the semi-conductor industry. It's shrinking as it gets more and more refined, removing the excess.

 

[Jaepheth]

It's not the size that counts; it's how you use it!

Seriously, I'm pretty sure intelligence is more determined by the inter-connectivity of the neurons, not the physical size of the brain. A smaller brain that has more connected neurons will out-think a larger brain with fewer connections.

 

[irishScott]

So whales are smarter than us? Star Trek VI was right! D:

 

[Craig234]

http://www.wallstreetdaily.com/2011/04/21/democrat-or-republican-brain-sca/

The results suggest conservatives have more grey matter in the area of the brain linked to emotions. But liberals have larger anterior cingulate cortexes, an area of the organ used in decision-making.

 

[chucky2]

Even if the study is accurate, it's really the types of decisions that liberals make/want to make that is the problem. Making a poor decision faster than someone makes a quality decision really doesn't help US...

 

[Londo_Jowo]

But liberals have larger anterior cingulate cortexes, an area of the organ used in decision-making.

Is that why they sit in parks pissing and moaning about their bad decisions such as borrowing more than $100K to get an useless liberal arts degree?

 

[Craig234]

So whales are smarter than us? Star Trek VI was right! D:

Dang you, I'll look nerdy correcting you to Start Trek IV, not VI.

And that was specifically the blue whales, who were really the Astoovian overlords from the planet Orpa.

Of course, that was a script error, everyone knows they are Astoovian OVERSEERS.

 

[Craig234]

Even if the study is accurate, it's really the types of decisions that liberals make/want to make that is the problem. Making a poor decision faster than someone makes a quality decision really doesn't help US...

It's not about faster, it's about better, and we know which side you are on on this.

 

[irishScott]

http://www.wallstreetdaily.com/2011/04/21/democrat-or-republican-brain-sca/

You would quote that shit in an irrelevent thread. I think I'll quote this from your link:

By looking at the brain structures Kanai says the brains of liberals tend to be more active in situations involving conflict or uncertainty whereas conservatives are more thoughtful than liberals in processing emotions like fear.

But Neuroscientist Gerain Rees says more tests will need to be carried out to show the true impact that fear has to play.

”What we found was that a structure to do with the emotion processing, called the amygdala, was larger in people who reported Conservative attitudes, and that doesn’t necessarily mean those people are more fearful or as some people might have it a fear centre is bigger, that structure is involved in all sorts of emotion processing, not just fear.”

So basically by your own link Conservatives process emotions better. Certainly explains irrational liberal reactions to things like guns.

Or I could quote this:

Using MRI technology, the brains of around 90 volunteers were scanned and analyzed.

Among them were two politicians, as Ryoto Kanai who conducted the study explains:

Bottom line: Scientists in the UK have revealed that people with opposing political views have different brain structures. The London University College researchers say the part of the brain that processes emotional reactions is larger in conservatives than in liberals.

A sample size of 90 with 2 politicians and a "duh" conclusion. Please don't post this shit again.

 

[gevorg]

Getting there, just give it a few more years and conversion back to apekind would be complete.

 

[chucky2]

It's not about faster, it's about better, and we know which side you are on on this.

Of course we know, I'm on the better side. Silly Lib...

Oh, almost forgot:

LOL@234

 

[Darwin333]

Dang you, I'll look nerdy correcting you to Start Trek IV, not VI.

And that was specifically the blue whales, who were really the Astoovian overlords from the planet Orpa.

Of course, that was a script error, everyone knows they are Astoovian OVERSEERS.

They went back in time to retrieve a humpback whale, not a blue whale.

 

[Craig234]

You would quote that shit in an irrelevent thread. I think I'll quote this from your link:

So basically by your own link Conservatives process emotions better. Certainly explains irrational liberal reactions to things like guns.

Or I could quote this:

A sample size of 90 with 2 politicians and a "duh" conclusion. Please don't post this shit again.

It was a bit more lighthearted - not totally - than you understood.

But that was an absurdly diplomatic article, as to how it said 'conservatives are greatly susceptible to fear, dominating their politics, making them scream 'I NEED MY GUN!!!!''

This is why McCarthyism and Birchism are right-wing phenonema - 'Eisenhower and the army are communist agents and fluoride is a commie mind-control plot!!'

Meanwhile, liberals set off alarms about actual issues, like concentration of wealth.

 

[Ausm]

I thought the world was only 6,000 years old??

 

[BoberFett]

Getting there, just give it a few more years and conversion back to apekind would be complete.

If breast size is inversely proportioned to brain size, I'll enjoy the future.

 

[irishScott]

It was a bit more lighthearted - not totally - than you understood.

But that was an absurdly diplomatic article, as to how it said 'conservatives are greatly susceptible to fear, dominating their politics, making them scream 'I NEED MY GUN!!!!''

This is why McCarthyism and Birchism are right-wing phenonema - 'Eisenhower and the army are communist agents and fluoride is a commie mind-control plot!!'

Meanwhile, liberals set off alarms about actual issues, like concentration of wealth.

Oh please. As I pointed out, liberals set off alarms about non-issues as well. Assault weapons ban (and gun control in general), extreme animal rights, whether God should be on money or not, whether personal prayer should be allowed in public schools, whether a kid should be expelled for bringing a boy scout knife to school, among many others, are all liberal phenomena.

Both parties have their objective rights and their objective wrongs. But that would mess with your self-image, so you'll never admit that. Thankfully that means your influence will be confined to your own extreme segment of the political spectrum, where everyone already agrees with you anyway.

 

[Vic Vega]

Die shrink - duh.

The fab process is being refined. That is all.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Dang you, I'll look nerdy correcting you to Start Trek IV, not VI.

And that was specifically the blue whales, who were really the Astoovian overlords from the planet Orpa.

Of course, that was a script error, everyone knows they are Astoovian OVERSEERS.

Too much LDS in the sixties.

 

[JD50]

I read somewhere that this is because of Vaccines. OP can you confirm this?

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

I read somewhere that this is because of Vaccines. OP can you confirm this?

I'm pretty sure it's the cumulative effect of no child left behind.

 

[halik]

http://www.wallstreetdaily.com/2011/04/21/democrat-or-republican-brain-sca/

Interesting, I wonder if they're just really seeing religious vs rational difference, since those two split the liberal/conservative poles pretty well.

 

[Gigantopithecus]

Too much LDS in the sixties.

What do Mormons have to do with this?

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

What do Mormons have to do with this?

Woosh!