Why did we become blind, I don’t know, perhaps one day we’ll find out, Do you want me to tell you what I think, Yes, do, I don’t think we did go blind, I think we are blind, Blind but seeing, Blind people who can see, but do not see — Jose Saramago
Where would be end up?
It is interesting to speculate how the average IQ of humanity would evolve and what its consequences on the possibility of the emergence of a dystopian or a utopian world might be?
Granted, such speculation could all be science fiction but then I am not the first one to delve into fantastical worlds of future possibilities.
A hypothesis about the evolution of the average IQ of a society is that it could be self-limiting. The basic premise of the hypothesis is not hard to formulate.
Increasing IQ would lead to technological advances that in turn could be negative feedback interfering with the upward trend in the average IQ.
Natural selection prefers traits that increase the chance of survival and reproduction, higher IQ being one. Technological advances, however, can provide artificial crutches that can blunt the advantages of having a higher IQ and disrupt the natural process of natural selection.
At least this part is not entirely speculation. There is already evidence IQ is declining.
Now consider how evolution of IQ can affect the possibility of a society evolving into a dystopia or a utopia?
There is a natural tendency to follow the path of least resistance. Why waste energy doing things the hard way? Technological offerings combined with biology’s tendency to prefer the path of least resistance could lead to a dystopian future where the majority is made up of low (or just adequate) IQ people. Everywhere we have seen heads bend over staring at the screen of smartphone scrolling through endless feeds of distractions. That sure looks like a recipe for evolving towards a lower IQ state.
This path could lead to a dystopian world similar to the one depicted in the movie Matrix, where humans are enslaved by machines and happily live in a simulated reality.
What would be a possible trajectory for a Utopian world?
One scenario is that people are mindful of their acts, are growth oriented, and value cooperation and harmony. There is equity, justice, and respect for diversity. People use technology to enhance their well-being and protect the environment, rather than exploit it. They are inspired by ecotopian (eco + utopia) visions that imagine a sustainable and harmonious relationship with nature.
Sounds good but it sure does not sound like us.
Which one is more plausible — dystopia or a utopia? Looking around and the way technology may be blunting our IQ, if I were to guess, the answer would be dystopia.
But then, one person’s dystopia could be another person’s utopia, so the answer may depend on who has the podium.
Ciao.
See also:
Western IQs drop by 14 points in last century
An intelligence crisis could undermine our problem-solving capacities and dim the prospects of the global economy
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