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Post by itachirumon on Jan 2, 2012 12:54:27 GMT -5
I'm pretty sure this was explored in the movie Idiocracy... and it didn't end really well for earth.
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Post by Vene on Jan 2, 2012 14:18:46 GMT -5
I'm pretty sure this was explored in the movie Idiocracy... and it didn't end really well for earth. Idiocracy was entertaining (and plants totally do crave electrolytes), but its science is fucking bullshit. Intelligence is not simply a matter of genetics, but also of environment influences like nutrition. And educational attainment is a completely different factor, having a good educational system makes huge differences independent of intelligence. Not to mention that the changes it had occur were too goddamn fast; if our intellect were to change like that from evolutionary influences we need to look at a scale of tens of thousands of generations at the absolute least.
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Post by N. De Plume on Jan 2, 2012 15:52:21 GMT -5
[Intelligence is not simply a matter of genetics, but also of environment influences like nutrition. Isn’t there a feedback loop here, though? I mean, folks that are totally uncaring towards intellectual development (which is the real crime in the whole thing, as opposed to simple lack of intelligence) are not very likely to provide an appropriate environment for their children’s development. Yeah, the movie did just focus on genetic aspects with respect towards the whole “dumbing down” thing. But still, I just don’t see why that is such a mark against the general premise once you consider the concept applied to a social sense.
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Post by Vene on Jan 2, 2012 17:58:24 GMT -5
[Intelligence is not simply a matter of genetics, but also of environment influences like nutrition. Isn’t there a feedback loop here, though? I mean, folks that are totally uncaring towards intellectual development (which is the real crime in the whole thing, as opposed to simple lack of intelligence) are not very likely to provide an appropriate environment for their children’s development. Yeah, the movie did just focus on genetic aspects with respect towards the whole “dumbing down” thing. But still, I just don’t see why that is such a mark against the general premise once you consider the concept applied to a social sense. It still doesn't follow because educational attainment has actually improved over time, not decreased. In the past couple years we may have slid back a bit due to an increase in poverty, but it's a pretty baseless fear that dumb people having kids leads to chaos. Here in reality, most people really do care about the education of their children (which is why property in a good school district can be expensive). The real threat is not due to morons having children, but from things such as austerity measures (which increase poverty and poverty is strongly linked with decreased school performance).
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Post by brendanrizzo on Jan 2, 2012 21:54:16 GMT -5
Where is here, Vene? I'm not sure where you're from, but thIngs have certainly regressed in the US over the last 30 years or so...
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Post by ironbite on Jan 2, 2012 22:10:21 GMT -5
......
Ironbite-*hangs self, respawns* DAMN IT!
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Post by Vene on Jan 2, 2012 22:11:50 GMT -5
Where is here, Vene? I'm not sure where you're from, but thIngs have certainly regressed in the US over the last 30 years or so... Also, this: From 2000 to 2010, the percentage of people over the age of 25 with at least a bachelor's degree rose from 26 percent to 30 percent. Women in that age group were slightly more likely than men to have a degree—86.7 percent compared with 86.6 percent. chronicle.com/article/Increasing-Share-of-Adults/127264/This is not the only aspect of erudition, but it is certainly counter to the claim that we're getting dumber.
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Post by Dragon Zachski on Jan 2, 2012 22:16:05 GMT -5
brendan, it's kinda disconcerting that you tend to bounce between the extremes of "AMERICA, FUCK YEAH!" and "YEAH, FUCK AMERICA!"
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Post by N. De Plume on Jan 2, 2012 22:24:42 GMT -5
Just gotta ask: Are there any stats on the actual quality of education with those degrees? After all, the degree itself is little more than a piece of paper. Having one doesn’t mean it came from a decent college or that you passed with anything more than the bare minimum out of a feeling of obligation, or that you even retain any of the knowledge that that piece of paper is supposed to represent.
Think: Kent Hovind.
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Post by Vene on Jan 2, 2012 22:30:04 GMT -5
Just gotta ask: Are there any stats on the actual quality of education with those degrees? After all, the degree itself is little more than a piece of paper. Having one doesn’t mean it came from a decent college or that you passed with anything more than the bare minimum out of a feeling of obligation, or that you even retain any of the knowledge that that piece of paper is supposed to represent. Think: Kent Hovind. I don't have those numbers, feel free to Google them and tell us what you find. The Census Bureau might have something. As a general rule, public colleges and universities are good (and the US does have a lot of highly ranked universities).
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Post by N. De Plume on Jan 2, 2012 22:56:14 GMT -5
Could take me a while. Not sure where to start with this kind of search.
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Post by SpukiKitty on Jan 7, 2012 12:18:36 GMT -5
This is why free child-psychology and discipline classes should be offered for all parents. Many of the people who chose this book would just as easily choose the free classes. I'm sure some people picked up this book because it advocated child abuse, but I am also sure that just as many people were simply looking for legitimate parenting help, since most books are purchased based on the cover alone, and the Pearls' book has a serenely deceptive cover (because that child doesn't have a black eye and a bloodied nose). Frankly, though, the title alone would disgust me enough to stay away from the book: To Train up a Child? Really?? Hell, I just realized that I don't remember ever saying that I "trained" my pets; I would probably say that I "taught" them or something. I know. Their books have these very polished, beautiful covers of cute, happy moppets.....But the contents are pure High Octane Nightmare Fuel & the authors are shaggy, filthy hicks living on a scruffy farm in the backwoods of Nowheresville USA!
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