On Sunday, July 21, 2024, the 46th president of the United States stepped out of the presidential race and abandoned his bid for a second term.
The polls said the contenders were tied. How could an effective president and a decent man be tied with a felon and purveyor of flapdoodle? No matter, the race was too important. Biden’s party was convinced he could not win. So, Biden quit either because, although he believed he would win, he was pressured or because he agreed he would lose and was a patriot.
Joe Biden stepped down. The old white guy was replaced by a much younger woman of color. The party thought Biden was running a lousy campaign—not aggressive or energetic enough. He was too old. He dropped the ball on the debate stage. Even after 50 years of service, the old guy was not allowed even one bad day.
The party thinks Harris is running a flawless campaign. She is taking the fight to Trump. She wiped the floor with him during the debate. She is young and energetic. So, 72 days later, and 35 days until Election Day, where are we? The polls say the contenders are tied.
What explains any of this?
Perhaps the polls are wrong.
Perhaps the various polls of the swing states modify the meaning of the national polls.
Perhaps those in the know knew Biden couldn’t manage any more, or did we accept the diagnosis of a stand-up comedian and a man who played a doctor on TV rather than from real doctors?
Perhaps we value someone who can speak well about the job more than someone who can do the job well.
Perhaps racism and sexism are challenged, but ageism is still acceptable.
Maybe this is the new age. The one wherein a gadget is a necessary body part, food is more caloric and less nutritious, experts are suspect, data is ignored, might makes right, and a tall girl from Pennsylvania tells us how to vote. What explains any of this?
Maybe we are just not too bright? Nope, studies actually find the current age group 25 to 40 years pursues higher education more often: 39 percent have a bachelor’s degree or better compared to 15 percent in the last generation. Education has climbed steadily since 1968, with even higher gains for women: 43 percent of women now have advanced degrees.
On the other hand, for the first time in 100 years, IQ scores dropped precipitously. Scientists from the University of Oregon and Northwestern University looked at nearly 400,000 IQ tests conducted between 2006 and 2018 and compared them to IQs over 100 years. They dropped with the most marked decrease among the youngest (ages 18 to 22 years). The data suggests that human intelligence may have plateaued.
However, the finding is nuanced. For example, there is an increase in the number of people with an IQ over 130. The subject is complex and further study may reveal more about the situation and the cause.
In the meanwhile, if we are looking for explanations, here are four suggestions from the researchers about the possible causes or contributing factors.
- Technology is not our friend. It is a shortcut to learning too often relied upon. We can find the answer and perhaps memorize it, but in that process, do not acquire deeper knowledge.
- We eschew those who do have that knowledge. We attack educated experts and ignore those with experience in favor of new and modern approaches. As for our seniors: We take away their car keys and warehouse and marginalize them. In the process, we lose the benefit of their knowledge, experience, and historical perspective.
- We argue facts not just opinions.
- Historically extended education and improved nutrition have contributed to increased IQs. According to author Morgan Spurlock, to increase profits, food companies create food that makes us fat but not satisfied, provides the calories but not nutrition. Furthermore, advanced education has become a negotiation rather than a rigorous process that included the possibility of failure. Higher learning, like so much else, has become a business with profit as its bottom line.
Whether we have earned it or not, there are times when we want the Earth to bend in our direction. Without doubt, a majority of Americans want Trump to lose and fade away. It is one thing to be convinced and another to be conned. Let us hope we all vote. Let us hope we vote in huge numbers. Let us hope our combined IQ is radiant.
