Going Rogue with James Flynn

Via Steve, the New Zealand Herald reports that the man who discovered the Flynn Effect doesn't think it will save our demographic future.

Otago University emeritus professor Dr Jim Flynn was commenting on census figures that show mothers without a higher education were the anchor of New Zealand's current fertility rate.

"Everyone knows if we only allowed short people to reproduce there would be a tendency in terms of genes for height to diminish. Intelligence is no different from other human traits," he told the Sunday Star-Times.

"A persistent genetic trend which lowered the genetic quality for brain physiology would have some effect eventually."

Statistics show women without tertiary qualifications who had reached their early 40s had produced 2.57 babies each.

In contrast, women with a higher education were producing just 1.85 babies each.

Dr Flynn said at 73 he was too old to worry about offending anyone.

I hope so . . .

Commissioner for Children Cindy Kiro said Dr Flynn was getting into "dangerous territory".

. . . 'cause they're already sharpening the pitchforks!