Why are our IQ levels are higher than our grandparents?

Interesting idea supposing that kids nowadays can deal much better with hypothetical problems than 100 years ago.. Personally I'm not sure whether that means we're much more 'intelligent'. I don't really want to ask any questions about it, but rather- if anyone watches it and they do have a question, please feel free to post here for sparking friendly conversation and debate,

http://www.ted.com/talks/james_flynn_why_our_iq_levels_are_higher_than_our_grandparents.html

I have taken an IQ test several times throughout my life. What did I find? The more I gained knowledge the better I did. Meaning, we have more access to knowledge and have researched learning skills more effectively than in the past, and this increases the IQ in general. It's my conclusion, anyway. I could be wrong, but it makes sense.

I agree, Selenatlantis. It's not that we're more intelligent than our ancestors, we just have better access to information and learning techniques.

It is things like this that leave me wishing there was such a thing as a true intelligence test. The problem with IQ tests is that to a degree they have to be knowledge based, leaving them imperfect. Intelligence requires knowledge but they aren't the same thing. If such a perfect test existed I would consistently try to beat my best score for a challenge. Lol

May the Force be with you,
Rai

I think that due to the inventions of the last century, our internal communication as a species has risen to a very high level. Learning is changing, and the more you communicate with others, the greater is the chance and also the need for change.
Maybe that's why we humans have been getting smarter the last decades. More training.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFBs--n94YM

I think its the way people think more then anything, and this can be entrained and refined.

Its the education. I had to take an IQ test for a job once and the CEO told me he was impressed with my score considering I had not finished college at the time. He said college grads tend to score in that range.

Dude, we evolve each generation. You might be surprised at the new research which shows how behaviours are passed down from parent to child through genes.Maybe the real conclusion from this study is that intelligence is the most important trait to survival.

Whyte Horse wrote: Dude, we evolve each generation. You might be surprised at the new research which shows how behaviours are passed down from parent to child through genes.Maybe the real conclusion from this study is that intelligence is the most important trait to survival.

I'm not so sure about that, dude. There is some evidence (circumstantial of course) that supports the theory that Neanderthal man was actually more intelligent than Cro-magnon man. At least he had the potential to be more intelligent.

We're just better at giving and taking tests.