Humanity is becoming less intelligent.
This is the shocking message of
At Our Wits' End. The authors take us on a journey through the growing body of evidence that we are significantly less intelligent now than we were even a hundred years ago.
The research is profoundly thought-provoking, highly controversial, and it's currently only read by academics.
The authors are passionate that it cannot remain ensconced in the ivory tower any longer.
With
At Our Wits' End, they show that intelligence - which is strongly genetic - was increasing until the Industrial Revolution, because many humans were subject to the rigors of natural selection. Having surviving children was the preserve of the cleverest.
But since then, large families are increasingly a trait of the least intelligent.
The book explores how this change occurred and, crucially, what its consequences will be for the future.