The Flynn Effect

According to researchers the average child born in 1932 would have had an IQ of 80 versus 100 for someone born today.  This is the Flynn Effect which notes that IQs have risen over time.  It's a fascinating concept that has been supported  by recent research.  Scientists estimate that 12,000 years ago the average human would have had an IQ of 48 and that the rate of IQ gain has been accelerating since the industrial revolution.

For the record over a 30 year period IQs increase anywhere from 10 to 21 points on a normalized 100 point scale depending upon the sample (Spanish schoolchildren, Dutch conscripts).  The increases are almost all limited to the bottom half of the intelligence distribution.

It turns out that our parents really were dopes.  And that our kids are right about us as well.