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In reply to the discussion: People Getting Dumber? Human Intelligence Has Declined Since Victorian Era, Research Suggests [View all]caseymoz
(5,763 posts)40. That means education has come down.
But it was also administered by the authoritarian method.
Why use all those colons and semicolons? Is the lack of them really one of the signs we've gone rapidly downhill in education? That's more of matter of punctuation style than anything. Punctuation has gone to an open style, where the emphasis is on flow. It might be dumber not to use colons and semi-colons, or it might be more efficient. More efficient might look less intelligent-- on paper, excuse the pun.
Greek and Latin are practical for communicating with the past. If there's one thing the media have done, it's put people solidly in the present. However, I think the focus also has to do with the population. With six billion people on earth, and news traveling instantly from one continent to the other. Also, with six billion living, there's always one of them who knows the classics, and he or she likely speaks your language. Somebody else is bound to be as wise as Aristotle.
I'm thinking also that as upper class people spent their time learning languages, servants (or wives) had the thankless duties of supporting them, that is, fed, clothed and kept the study tidied up. The lower class who did the support duties seldom shared in the education.
Therefore, I think a lot of the grand education was tied to the class system, and perhaps to boredom.
And as for the classics, I'm afraid they've been surpassed. People refined the art of storytelling a lot in a couple thousand years.
No, I don't think people are getting dumber.
Hey, that you for referring us to archive.org. I think I'll be spending time there.
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People Getting Dumber? Human Intelligence Has Declined Since Victorian Era, Research Suggests [View all]
onehandle
May 2013
OP
Especially if absolutely shitty science writing like that linked to above becomes the norm. n/t
antigone382
May 2013
#5
Hilarious! I thought exactly of this movie when I saw the post. Sadly, it's coming true.
kysrsoze
May 2013
#9
i read old books. my 1891 encyclopedia britannica's language is full of colons + semi-colons.
pansypoo53219
May 2013
#6
That started in the 80's. No president has talked to us like adults since Carter.
craigmatic
May 2013
#53
Few years ago I took a 5 grade test from 1904. I was amazed at how much info that..
BlueJazz
May 2013
#12
The Flynn effect is very well documented and it says the opposite is true
Exultant Democracy
May 2013
#25
In the 1800s the Republicans were the good guys and the dems were the bad guys.
mucifer
May 2013
#51
Intelligence doesn't mean compassion or common sense. Also, hindered by lack of information.
onehandle
May 2013
#32
Is it just me, or did anyone else notice the pop up ad for ''Lumosity'' on this thread?
YOHABLO
May 2013
#33
WHERE DID THIS RESEARCH OCCUR, IQs were invented during WWI NOT Victorian times
happyslug
May 2013
#46
Pretty sure most scientists are fairly familiar w/basic statistical concepts ...
brett_jv
May 2013
#61