[jostmey]

I saw that wikipedia article too. The articles smells like BS. But, who is to say that intelligence is favored by evolution. If humanity is not careful, our ancestors could end up being intellectually inferior. For a more entertaining story that this article read "Galápagos" by Kurt Vonnegut.

[jrs99]

i don't think Einstein back then would have had a higher chance of surviving than some other random person.

Possibly there was very little advantage being a genius would give you back then? Especially if you count the life expectancy.

If everyone had a spear and you were the genius that invented the bow and arrow, then one day later, everyone would copy you.

Also, an older society of average people would have created more technology than a newer society of geniuses. Or even if a society of thousands developed, they would be able to create more advanced weaponry than a village of 40 geniuses. So maybe the group of humanoids with the genetics that made them a super social species with the predilection for massive groups would give them a huge advantage over a genius group without the genetics to seek massive societies.

A city of 10,000 people all with "IQ" of 90 that has been around for 500 years would annihilate technologically a village of 40 all with "IQ" of 150 which has been around for 100 years.

[baddox]

Is there a correlation now between intelligence and having children?

[jrs99]

not being in a city doesn't necessarily mean you'll have fewer children. but it may mean you don't like cities, and your children won't like cities, and you may prefer living in a small tribe.

[marcosdumay]

> But, who is to say that intelligence is favored by evolution.

Well, define "intelligence".

Evolution seems to favor technology very strongly, and our models imply that it would. But more detailed senses for example isn't as strongly favored.

[autokad]

i don't know about that. considering the n=1 on intelligent species on the planet (perhaps ever lived) and every other species (that has ever lived) is not intelligent, it seems like we would be an accident.

evolution seems to favor volume over quality, not to say there aren't exceptions but roaches and rats seem to be doing pretty well.