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What would civilisation look like if the average IQ was 150?

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Original post by capitalismstinks
Discuss.


By definition, the average IQ is always 100. What you propose is impossible.
STDs wouldn't be a problem, and neither would dangerous illegal drugs. In terms of politics, the likes of Ukip wouldn't be nearly as popular. Other than that, it wouldn't be much different.
There would still be higher and lower percentiles within the distribution so your question is irrelevant
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by Good bloke
By definition, the average IQ is always 100. What you propose is impossible.


Yes, very good. :smile:

But if we leave pedantry aside, how would civilisation look if the average IQ of the populations was 150 by todays standards.

The norms that we find exceptional today would be the default positions. Civilisation would be able to reach for a higher plateau. I don't think people realise just how intrinsic civilisation is to IQ levels.
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by Slim and proud
There would still be higher and lower percentiles within the distribution so your question is irrelevant


Do you not understand the world average?
Original post by cranbrook_aspie
STDs wouldn't be a problem, and neither would dangerous illegal drugs. In terms of politics, the likes of Ukip wouldn't be nearly as popular. Other than that, it wouldn't be much different.


If average global IQ was 150, do you think the crude and primitive institutions of mass democracy would still actually exist?
Original post by capitalismstinks
Do you not understand the world average?


Let me put it in laymans terms:

There would still be smart and stupid people in your population so your question is irrelevant.

There's nothing amazing about having an IQ of 150 if people on the top percentile have an IQ of 180.
Original post by capitalismstinks
If average global IQ was 150, do you think the crude and primitive institutions of mass democracy would still actually exist?


Yes.
Reply 10
It would be pretty much the same. Just because someone can recognise patterns better than others, it doesn't make them more knowledgeable etc.
Original post by Slim and proud
Let me put it in laymans terms:

There would still be smart and stupid people in your population so your question is irrelevant.

There's nothing amazing about having an IQ of 150 if people on the top percentile have an IQ of 180.


Ok, so lets imagine you had two islands with 10 million people on each. One island has average IQ of 150, the other 50.

Are you seriously suggesting that the two islands would be similar?
We wouldn't have Islam.
Original post by capitalismstinks
Ok, so lets imagine you had two islands with 10 million people on each. One island has average IQ of 150, the other 50.

Are you seriously suggesting that the two islands would be similar?


Your original question is completely irrelevant if you are looking at IQ within population because there will be differing abilities anyway, with 150 being the average. People with IQs of 180 likely to have better abilities, therefore making the 150 IQ less important. IQ will only matter at an individual level, i.e, comparing people for whatever reason, whether education or employment.

Your current question becomes valid because you are looking at IQ between populations, which frankly the answer is obvious to anyone who has a functioning brain. That's why occupational psychometric tests have comparison groups. Also to note, an individual cannot be compared to a group that's not relevant to his or her background characteristics.

My responses are based on an assumption of normal distribution. If your questions are based on flat distribution, then I don't know what planet you live on.
(edited 8 years ago)
Reply 14
I think we'd be generally wiser and society would be better structured.
Also, just to add...

As a forward thinking person, an IQ of 150 wouldn't matter to me so much if it was just the average.
Original post by Slim and proud
Your original question is completely irrelevant if you are looking at IQ within population because there will be differing abilities anyway, with 150 being the average. People with IQs of 180 like to have better abilities, therefore making the 150 IQ less important. IQ will only matter at an individual level, i.e, comparing people for whatever reason, whether education or employment.

Your current question becomes valid because you are looking at IQ between populations, which frankly the answer is obvious to anyone who has a functioning brain.
That's why occupational psychometric tests have comparison groups. Also to note, an individual cannot be compared to a group that's not relevant to his or her background characteristics.

My responses are based on an assumption of normal distribution. If your questions are based on flat distribution, then I don't know what planet you live on.


Well clearly you don't have a functioning brain because the question 'What would civilisation look like if the average IQ was 150' clearly implies a comparison between the 2 populations viz. the current one, and the hypothetical population 50 IQ points smarter.

The answer 'it is irrelevant' would only be correct if his question was specifically 'if the average IQ was 150, would people feel smarter relative to their peers?' Which is actually not quite as clear-cut an answer as you suggest, by the way; it may be the case that our ability to perceive differences in intelligence improves as IQ increases (see for example Dunning-Kruger effect). So really, your 'it is irrelevant' answer is merely half-understood pomposity.
There would probably - probably - be fewer internet trolls.
Reply 18
Even if the average IQ was 150 (by today's standards), there would still be a large range of values with a significant variance. There probably wouldn't be that much of a difference at all for this reasom alone, regardless of th further fact that the progress of a civilisation is not measured solely by its members ability to recognise patterns, which is all that an IQ tests involves.

In my opinion, the growth of a civilisation is not just measured in terms of political and economic systems whoch could probably be proved upon by highly intelligent people, but by its ethics and how they are practiced. Alas, deotological ethics does not work, and there is a lot more to a civilisation than what IQ cna measure.
Original post by ClickItBack
Well clearly you don't have a functioning brain because the question 'What would civilisation look like if the average IQ was 150' clearly implies a comparison between the 2 populations viz. the current one, and the hypothetical population 50 IQ points smarter.

The answer 'it is irrelevant' would only be correct if his question was specifically 'if the average IQ was 150, would people feel smarter relative to their peers?' Which is actually not quite as clear-cut an answer as you suggest, by the way; it may be the case that our ability to perceive differences in intelligence improves as IQ increases (see for example Dunning-Kruger effect). So really, your 'it is irrelevant' answer is merely half-understood pomposity.


If the average IQ was 150, there would be people with better IQs, so the average IQs of 150 are completely irrelevant. I'd rather have ideas driven by people with IQs of 180 than 150, thank you very much.

I'm assuming a normal distribution
(edited 8 years ago)

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