The Human Brain is Shrinking - yes we is becoming dumber

[Sugilite-Rocks]

I don't believe that ... I don't believe that the human brain is shrinking... we are getting dumber because we don't read and don't learn

[Shadow00]

"Ok lets say our brain is shrinking... I it not possible that what is happening is data being compressed inside our brain,Micro sizing it?
You know,To give more room for memory?"

I agree with this, image our brains are becoming adapted to learning so much that is has to compress itself to hold it all. Take for example, you compress a file into a .ZIP folder, it still has everything inside the same but it is just compressed. Same with a .RAR file even. <---Fight against that logic. ._.

*You just got beat by the logic of Lamb & Blood*

Yes, sure, want to know the great gap in productivity between the 1800s even till now?
The last scientific breakthrough based on a human idea?
We are indeed getting dumber.
And honestly, since we are returning to the ORIGINAL brain capacity (you know from when people lived on trees?) I'm pretty sure we are doomed.

Want to know the fun part?
We don't even learn so much.
It isn't compressing itself at all, it's simply shrinking.
Take for example a person that never gets taught a thing and one that is on scientific research:
The both have the same brain, they just USE it differently.
Nobody has yet achieved a 100% brain usage, so your statement is invalid.

And as much as youd like to think, we are not computers.

[mmm]

Smaller brains don't mean dumber people. Unless you want to say that women are dumber than men, as they have smaller brains.

[Dr Frook]

Smaller brains don't mean dumber people. Unless you want to say that women are dumber than men, as they have smaller brains.

omg, I knew there must of been a reason why they is dumberer.

[wolves rock]

...I think you're missing mmm's point -.-'
Maybe we're just coming to a standstill, yes? We've invented so much stuff, and we are still making progress and discoveries...just at a slower pace maybe.

[GarthVader449]

Human brain is shrinking; human brain is bigger.
There is soild evidence for both, Wolves is right there are pleanty improvements in technology. Mobile phone 30-40 years ago was 10-50 times bigger than they are today. You go on the internet with them, take pictures etc....
People are trying to get a hologram T.V - Which would be seriously cool! - trying to disprove basic laws of physics, that were protrayed as correct hundreds of years ago. They say people get smarter and learn through there mistakes, so dissproving, what we though was a basic law of physics is a massive improvement.

[mmm]

I like to think of neural plasticity as an indicator for the base human intelligence. Neural plasticity is the phenomenon where our brain physically changes as we perform certain tasks, making or strengthening connections between neurons. This means every time you learn something knew or add more knowledge there is a physical change to your brain!

Anyway, neural plasticity is still going strong, and therefore so is our intelligence.

Misc: Neural plasticity peaks during the period from birth to the age of 4 years old. After that, neural connections being made are much slower. Oh, and if you don't practice what you've learned the neural connections actually disappear. I just find the brain to be such an interesting topic.

[Dr Frook]

I like to think of neural plasticity as an indicator for the base human intelligence. Neural plasticity is the phenomenon where our brain physically changes as we perform certain tasks, making or strengthening connections between neurons. This means every time you learn something knew or add more knowledge there is a physical change to your brain!

Anyway, neural plasticity is still going strong, and therefore so is our intelligence.

Misc: Neural plasticity peaks during the period from birth to the age of 4 years old. After that, neural connections being made are much slower. Oh, and if you don't practice what you've learned the neural connections actually disappear. I just find the brain to be such an interesting topic.

brain size isnt everything...

1. The largest brain belongs to the sperm whale: 7 kg (17.5 pounds). The blue whale, the largest animal on the planet, being twice longer and thrice heavier, has a brain weighing 5 kg (12.5 pounds).

2. Human brain has an average weight of 2.7 pounds (1.2 kg), variations between 1.1 and 1.4 kg being considered normal. Our brain represents 2% of our weight, the largest brainin the animal world compared to the body size.

3. The brain of the men is, on average, 100 grams (0.3 pounds) heavier than that of the women.

4. The largest brain of a terrestrial animal is that of the elephant: 10.5 pounds (4.78 kg). Still, the brain of the elephant makes less than 0.1% of its body weight.

5. Amongst our relatives, the primates, apes have the largest brains. The mountain gorilla (Gorilla gorilla beringei) has a 0.95 pounds (430 g) brain. Still, that of the chimpanzee is larger compared to its body size: 0.77 pounds (350 g) (a chimpanzee male is 2.5-3 times lighter than a gorilla male).

The smallest primate brain is detained by the mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus) of Madagascar: 0.004 pounds (2 g) (this is also the smallest primate in the world).

6. The largest brain of a carnivore mammal is that of the walrus (Odobenus rosmarus): 2.4 pounds (1.1 kg).

7. Domesticated animals have smaller brains than those of their wild forebears. At a similar body weight, the brain of the domestic cat (with an average value of 0.06 pounds or 30 grams) is 23.9 % lighter than that of the wild cat, the brain of the dog is 29 % lighter than that of the wolf, and the brain of the pig is 34 % lighter than that of the wild boar.

8. The octopus is known to be the most intelligent invertebrate. Its brain is made by the largest neurons (brain cells) found in nature.

An octopus brain is formed by 500 million large neurons (while the human brain is made of roughly 100 billion smaller neurons), but the intelligence of this aquatic creature is comparable with that of the apes.

9. After humans, the nature's relatively largest brain is that of the dolphin: 2 kg. A dolphin weighing 120 kg (280 pounds) has a 1.7 kg (4 pounds) brain; compared to its size, this is almost thrice than a chimp.

10. Amongst vertebrates, the smallest brain in relation with the body size seems to have belonged to a dinosaur: Stegosaurus was 6 m (20 ft) long and weighed 2 tons. Its brain was just the size of a walnut! To compensate this, the spine presented a second "brain" in the pelvic area.

[LightningClaw]

WE ARE NOW A DUMB COUNTRY D8

[Shadow00]

WE ARE NOW A DUMB COUNTRY D8

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