Trace Levels of Lead Shown to Lower IQs

constantnormal writes "This government study explains a lot of things, from the American public's propensity to elect the worst candidates, to the decreasing fraction of students who bother to study the "hard" sciences, to the overwhelming power advertising holds over their apparently simple minds. I think it was all the leaded gasoline burned in this country prior to the 1970s.
Homer Simpson IS the archetypal American -- Thinking and Reasoning is just too doggoned difficult."

Comments

Bell Curve

[Henry V .009]

7 points down, that's about half the IQ difference between Blacks and Whites (avg. 85 and 100 respectively). It's interesting how an IQ test can be meaningless and racist, but still reflect minute quantities of harmful substances in the bloodstream. Reminds me of all those racist and sexist SAT math exams. I have yet to find a single objectionable math question, but the scores prove that it must be so...

Yes, yes, this will draw flames. I think some people might like to have a honest discussion about this though, so mod the flames down, and but keep your hands off of the 'flamebait' button in regards to this post. If you feel I'm wrong -- reply. (I shouldn't have to include this paragraph, but it goes to show how busted slashdot's moderation system is.)

Might as well go all the way off topic

[Syncdata]

One point -- please don't confuse the United States with Canada and Mexico.
You referred to the U.S. as America. America is a continent. There are several governments upon this continent, one of which is the United States of America. My phrasing was quite precise.
As to your second complaint, what does your problem with current events in iraq have to do with lead poisoning? State your political views in a comment or article about politics. Would you write a header merging your displeasure with Iraq in an Astronomy article?
As far as your typical rant against capitalism and our suckering for Advertising, I don't know what you're talking about pal. I don't own a dell, and I don't connect via America online. Yet you included me in your sampling of northern, central, and south America.
Basically, here's my take. You want to generalize? You want to disparage those less wise then yourself? Fine. But post it on Fark, and keep it out of an article on lead poisoning. You want to draw some bizarre corrallary between lead products and lack of wisdom? Post it as a comment, not as the damn lede to the article.
*sigh*, sorry fellow science readers, all 10 of you, please rejoin your regularly scheduled analysis, nothing to see here.

Yeah, Americans are dumb.

[spike hay]

We don't contribute anything to science and technology. Well, not much. It's piddling. Just stuff the transistor, the microchip, the tv, the computer, the space shuttle, the Apollo program, the affordable car, the tech behind the internet, stealth aircraft, lasers, probes to the outer solar system, UNIX, AC, the Hubble telescope, the lightbulb, the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider, nuclear power, nuclear bombs, and a few other worthless little dodads.

Yeah, we suck.

Of course, we are the only ones in the world who have low IQs like this. No other country was ever stupid enough to use leaded gasoline prior to the 1970's or lead plumbing. Only we are that dumb.