Human intelligence has clearly increased since IQ measurements began in the 1930s. But when one Norwegian research team now took a closer look on IQ tests of hundreds of thousands of conscripted Norwegian men, they discovered that IQ scores no longer increase. Instead, they saw a decline from the conscripts born in 1975 onwards.
– What we saw was that the IQ level began to fall in the Norwegian population. It is especially in vocabulary and mathematics that it starts to fall, says researcher Ole Røgeberg to Idébyrån.
Environmental factors influence
Ole Røgeberg believes that the reduced IQ level is due to environmental factors rather than genes. His research shows that there can be a difference even between siblings.
– I know that they started using calculators in teaching when my little brothers started school. They may have less knowledge to solve mathematics quickly with just pen and paper, he says.
Ulf Danielsson, professor of theoretical physics, is convinced that humans have become dumber. He believes that this is partly due to technological developments.
– It is not necessarily the case that the development of civilization coincides with us becoming smarter. But it is not a given that we humans have to become smarter and smarter to catch up with the machine. There is no natural law in that, he says The idea agency.
Hear more about humanity getting dumber in The idea agency on SVT Play.
