the Atlantic Wire
According to a new report in Discover Magazine, the human brain, which has expanded for most of our biological history, has begun to shrink. Kathleen McAuliffe writes that, according to new research, “Over the past 20,000 years, the average volume of the human male brain has decreased from 1,500 cubic centimeters to 1,350 cc, losing a chunk the size of a tennis ball. The female brain has shrunk by about the same proportion.” And that shrinking appears to still be happening on an evolutionary scale.
Found by Cinàedh.
…. or is it just more efficient use of your brains? Don’t we only use a fraction of our brain matter anyway? What’s that? Do I know what electrolytes are? Well, it’s, uh, it’s what plants crave!
I look around my office and I have to say I can see it. People seem dumber, rapid de-evolution. Idocracy in action.
Well, we don’t have to do math in our heads anymore. Don’t have to hunt game, either.
Actually, brain size is only part of the equation.
After all, there are creatures that have far larger brains but at less intelligent.
What was discovered a number of years ago was that it’s the number of creases on the brain surface that matter. They actually increase the surface area of the brain. So you get more area for less space.
If they’re religious bible thumpers or crazy regressive muslims, then yes, yes, they are!
Whats the point here? That smart people play golf?
Ha, ha. What Robert said: brain to body ratio’s have a strong positive correlation, but its not one to one. Missing evidence: the intelligence of man 20K years ago.
I’m thinking smaller brains at birth means less chance for brain injuries while being born–if Darwin is too stupid to let the brain grow even more after birth.
Lots of variables. Meme: the transfer of information outside of genes. Maybe we better keep books around a while longer?
Using only a fraction of your brain (usually quoted as 10% – 15%) is a myth. You use it all.
I’d be interested to hear which parts of the brain are shrinking, or is it the brain as a whole?
We are just becomming more effi
Where were we?
Who needs a brain when you have Google?
YES
@degee I think that percentage refers not to a physical percentage, but to a percentage in terms of total capacity.
Anyway, in a world where people enthusiastically follow what Paris Hilton does and paint their dogs in pastel colors, yes I have to agree the human race is becoming more stupid. When aliens finally come and kick our butts (If we don’t all DIAF in 2012) we won’t know what’s going on, but we’ll tweet it on our overpriced and somewhat useless iphone 6’s.
idiocracy, here we come!
Direct consequence of our unnatural diet. It is scientifically accepted fact that we grew our brains by the positive feedback of eating more meat-> growing bigger brains-> able to catch and eat more meat->…
However, our inventions by that very bigger brain brought forth agriculture and introduced in our food line items we have not evolved to eat nor are good for us. This culminated in USA own “food pyramid” – the greatest perversion of nutritional education ever. The very items we were not designed to eat: grains – occupy base, major food source we are instructed to eat while the very source that have led to our advance and growing brains – meat – have been left as the minimal component. Nutritional science have been hijacked by likes of “Road to Wellville” comedians. Smaller brains are the consequence of last 10000 years of misguided malnutrition.
Computers keep getting smaller and more powerful. Maybe our brains are doing the same thing.
The Bell Curve came out 15 years ago explaining that.
Brings a whole new meaning to “Dumb and Dumber”. Could it be we simply rely to heavily on technology and things that make our life simpler that we don’t use our brains as much?
I know from the standpoint of younger people. That common sense is a learned trait. Yet many including my teenage Daughter seem to have so little of it. Working out common everyday problems seems to be hard. I sometimes wonder if living the good life all the time is not so good.
hmmm,
And you wonder why?
SOY and its oil..
even in Nature, it is impossible to remove 3 internal things that happen with SOY, to make it SOY. and still have the SAME PLANT.
I saw this on the last episode of “Ow My Balls”
DEVOlution!
Everything is coming to a close.
THe host of this site, John Dvorak has proposed that much education is pointless, you should just teach kids to use the internet and calculators.
The brain needs exercise, just like the body.
It’s not the size that matters, it’s how you use it!
Just look at who’s having the most children. What does that tell you?
Well on our way to becoming Eloi.
don’t use it, you lose it.
Go into Wal-Mart sometime and take a close look at the gene pool in there..
Need more data, but yes… I believe it’s possible that people’s brains are shrinking. =D
I hope most of these comments are meant to be sarcastic, otherwise I have grave concerns.
While the average brain size of humans is getting smaller, that does not preclude a segment of the species having and increase in brain size.
Eventually the species will split in two. The majority will be the helots and the other species will in effect be the New Spartans.
In the autumn the Crypteia will return.
#25, framecrash How many people have actually read “The Time Machine?” (On an iPad is acceptable…)