Name: Why our IQ levels are higher than our grandparents'
Uploaded: 2013-09-26T15:10:46Z
Duration: 18 min 27 s
Description: It's called the "Flynn effect" -- the fact that each generation scores higher on an IQ test than the generation before it. Are we actually getting smarter, or just thinking differently? In this fast-paced spin through the cognitive history of the 20th century, moral philosopher James Flynn suggests that changes in the way we think have had surprising (and not always positive) consequences.

It's called the "Flynn effect" -- the fact that each generation scores higher on an IQ test than the generation before it. Are we actually getting smarter, or just thinking differently? In this fast-paced spin through the cognitive history of the 20th century, moral philosopher James Flynn suggests that changes in the way we think have had surprising (and not always positive) consequences.

Why our IQ levels are higher than our grandparents'

Average IQ scores have soared over the past century, with people today outperforming their ancestors by striking margins—those from 1900 would register only a 70 by modern standards. This leap is not a sign of innate brilliance, but of shifting mental habits shaped by education, work, and society. More abstract reasoning, scientific thinking, and hypothetical problem-solving now permeate daily life, affecting everything from moral debates to professional demands. Yet, these gains have not spread evenly across all areas, leaving gaps in political literacy and historical awareness.