"Because IQ is a standardized measure, humankind's average score still sits at 100-but this isn't your granddaddy's 100. IQ tests are regularly recalibrated, and over the past many decades, when new subjects have taken an old test, they have almost always outscored their predecessors' average; Grandpa's generation might have hovered around 100, but the kids are scoring 115 ... which then becomes the new 100. This phenomenon is called the Flynn effect, and researchers still aren't sure what causes it."
"Perhaps it's due to more efficient education or better nutrition. The reason could be that modern environments contain more interesting stimuli or that modern gasoline no longer contains lead. I haven't seen anyone propose that trivia is to thank, but the growing popularity of quizzing tracks with the IQ trend line pretty well too. I think I speak for all of science when I say we shouldn't rule it out quite yet."
Measured human IQ scores have risen steadily over the past century, a phenomenon known as the Flynn effect. Standardized tests are regularly recalibrated, so newer generations often outscore predecessors—examples show older cohorts around 100 while children score about 115, which then becomes the new baseline. Proposed causes include more efficient education, better nutrition, richer cognitive environments, and the removal of lead from gasoline. The growing popularity of trivia and quizzing parallels rising test performance and may contribute to increased test familiarity. Three trivia prompts follow, asking about a shared university-city name, a Winter Olympics sport without mixed events, and Jesse Jackson's colorful label for his vision of unity.
Read at The Atlantic
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