Lecture Notes: Have Humans Past Peak Brain Power?

Introduction

• The lecture explores the claim from a Financial Times article by John BN Murdoch titled "Have Humans Past Peak Brain Power?"
• Goals:
  • Understand why data suggests we are getting dumber.
  • Identify practical ways individuals can push back on this trend.

Background Information

• The article is inspired by analysis from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
• They conduct the PISA test, which benchmarks teenagers globally in math, reading, and science.
• The article claims average reasoning and problem-solving abilities peaked in the early 2010s and have been declining since.

Evidence Presented

• A graph shows a decline in performance in science, reading, and math starting around 2012.
• Similar declines were observed in adult literacy tests.
• This time frame coincides with the widespread ubiquity of smartphones.

Possible Causes

• The decline in cognitive abilities aligns with other negative trends, such as teenage mental health issues, also beginning around 2012.

The Role of Smartphones

• The lecture suggests that smartphones, specifically the attention economy they support, are likely culprits.
• Before smartphones, platforms aimed to be useful. Post-smartphones, the goal shifted to capturing attention.
• This shift encourages addiction to the fast stimuli of smartphone apps.

Hypothesis: Cognitive Death Spiral

• Smartphones cause rewiring of the brain to crave fast, stimulating content.
• This makes it harder to concentrate and apply intelligence.
• It reduces engagement in activities that foster intelligence growth, such as reading.

Impact on Reading

• A graph shows a decline in leisure reading among US teenagers starting around 2012.
• Reading is described as exercise for the brain, essential for cognitive development.

Possible Solutions

• The lecture suggests learning from past societal changes, like the shift to office work requiring deliberate exercise to maintain physical health.
• Similarly, we need deliberate cognitive exercises to maintain brain health today.

Recommendations for Individuals

• Reading: Read regularly, treating it as calisthenics for the brain.
• Limit Phone Use: Keep the phone out of reach when engaging in other activities.
• Avoid Stimuli Stacking: Don’t consume multiple streams of stimuli simultaneously.
• Engage in Reflection Walks: Take walks to think deeply about specific problems.
• Concentration-Intensive Hobbies: Pursue hobbies requiring focus and skill development.

Conclusion

• Smartphones are not inherently bad, but the way they have altered our attention and cognitive development is a concern.
• By consciously engaging in brain-strengthening activities, individuals can combat the trend towards lower cognitive abilities.