Is declining IQ just a moral panic?
Nigel Short and the brain (image created in Shutterstock)
In terms coined by South African criminologist, Stanley Cohen, a moral panic refers to intense feelings of fear, concern or anger, throughout a given community, in response to the perception that cultural values or interests are being threatened by a specific group, known as folk devils. Moral panics are characterised by an exaggeration of the actual threat posed by the perceived folk devil. Moral panic is a widespread fear and often caused by an imaginary or irrationally identified threat to society’s values, interests and safety. Typically a moral panic is perpetuated by the mainstream media, fuelled by opportunistic politicians and can lead to an increase in social control. In my opinion, climate change fanaticism, as proselytised by the likes of the Energy Secretary Edward Miliband, is an archetypal moral panic, with the folk devils being cast in the guise of energy companies, airlines and owners of petrol-fuelled vehicles, not to mention dissenters from the state approved orthodoxy.
A problem which has not yet attained the status of a moral panic, but which has all the genuine credentials, is the apparent lowering of general human IQ. This week I welcome the most timely contribution to the FT of March 14th, 2025, “Have humans passed peak brain power?” by John Burn-Murdoch. The conclusion is palpable vindication of a prophesy from November 5th, 1972, in Graham Rose’s letter to The Sunday Times “The acid key to your brain power”, and followed up by the invaluable research of nutritionist Profesor Michael A. Crawford of Imperial College and Research Director at The Institute for Brain Chemistry and Human Nutrition.
The identification of declining intelligence, as reported in the FT, is supremely important. If this trend of decline continues, then logically it portends the end of Homo sapiens, with that proud encomium being replaced by Homo ignarus all the way to Homo extinctus.
I would expect it to reach crisis in no more than three generations. The late Stephen Hawking, in somewhat alarmist mode, once even declared that we need to depart the planet within a century. The escalation of mental ill health and decline in IQ, if left to run its course, will destroy humanity in all senses of the word, long before this limit. We have a responsibility to leave the planet fit for our children and theirs.
The have been five audits of the costs of mental health and brain disorders. All five put them top of the list: (two EU in 2005 and 2010; two UK in 2007 and 2010; one independent by Wellcome Trust in 2013). Dr. Jo Nurse, who calculated the UK numbers for the Department of Health, concluded that the cost of mental ill-health was greater than that of heart disease and cancer combined.
Lamentably, nobody in any form of a responsible position for public health has done anything to seriously combat this decline. That is just both unbelievable and totally irresponsible.
The remedies lie in educational policy (more facts, less emoting and the inculcation of the skill of critical thinking) and dietary improvement. For example an emphasis on the virtues of marine based nutrition, as advocated by Professor Crawford. After all, the brain evolved in the sea circa 450 million years ago. During WWII fish and sea foods were never rationed. Since 1950 the decline in our fishing activity has left many once-rich fishing ports close to empty.
At one of the Staunton Memorial Chess tournaments more than a decade ago, which I organised and Michael Crawford opened, the professor extolled the virtues of a marine based diet. Britain’s world title challenger, Grandmaster Nigel Short, listened carefully, ate nothing but fish for the duration of the event and scored a glorious victory. A microcosm, I agree, but significant.
However, in all seriousness, the FT merits congratulations once again on their most welcome intervention in this unjustly neglected, hitherto largely muted, yet crucial, debate. There must be more that can be done to advertise this real threat to humankind. When the brain starts to decline, there is nothing of us left.
Hawking’s conclusion, though, seems to me to be spurious, sensationalised and slightly paranoid. Anyone that has followed the evolution of The Anthropic Principle, since this was first proposed by Brandon Carter in 1973, must be aware of the fine tuning of the universe itself to the presence of humankind. Observers of the evolution of quantum theory will need to acknowledge the role in quantum measurement of the Participatory Anthropic Principle, that requires the watcher as an intrinsic component of that measurement. Indeed, the outcome predicted by Barrow and Tipler’s proposals relating to the Final Anthropic Principle, laid out in their 1986 book The Anthropic Cosmological Principle, suggests, “… that intelligent life will persist indefinitely and that the universe’s purpose is tied to the existence and continuation of intelligent observers.”
Now this final form of intelligence may not be in the human form with which we associate, but it will be humanly formed, humanly designed and, fundamentally, human in nature. Step up Elon Musk, the Starship spacecraft and the planned Martian colony of 2026, populated by Optimus, or rather Optimi, the Tesla humanoid robots. Artificial humans, with the mental power of AlphaZero, may be playing chess against each other on Mars — next year. I can’t wait.
Phillips & Drew Kings, London, 1982, rd. 6
- g3 Nf6 2. Bg2 d5 3. Nf3 c6 4. O-O Bf5
A good solid reply to White’s restrained and subtle flank opening. Black sensibly sets up a bulwark of pawns in the centre.
- d3 e6 6. Nbd2 h6
To provide a retreat for his queen’s bishop against the possibility of Nh4.
Trying to force through the central push, e4. White could, of course, also continue with 7. b3 plus Bb2 and c4. This would be a good alternative way of developing his pieces and attacking in the centre.
- Qe1 Be7 8. e4 Bh7 9. Qe2 O-O 10. b3 a5!
A splendid method of gaining queenside counterplay. White’s best antidote to block Black’s advance is probably 11. a3 a4 12. b4.
- a4?!
I do not like this because it weakens the b4-square, which can be occupied by a Black knight.
11… Na6
Promptly heading for the weak square.
- Bb2 Nb4 13. Ne1 b5
Continuing his theme of a vigorous queenside counter-offensive.
- exd5
This capture looks suspect, since it enhances the power of Black’s queen’s bishop lurking on h7. I would have played 14. Kh1 and then tried to advance my kingside pawns in order to whip up tactical chances in conjunction with the fianchettoed queen’s bishop. (A finachettoed bishop for White is one developed in the flank at either b2 or g2. For Black it would be a bishop mobilised on either b7 or g7.)
14… exd5 15. Ndf3 Re8
If 15… bxa4, then 16. Rxa4 looks playable for White.
- Qd2 Bd6 17. Nd4 Qb6 18. Nef3?
Here it is essential to play 18. axb5 cxb5 (if 18… c5? 19. Nc6!) 19. Bh3! followed by 20. Nef3. In that case, the white knights would mask the weakness on c2 and White would enjoy excellent control of the central squares.
18… bxa4 19. bxa4
If now 19. Rxa4 then 19… c5!
19… Nd7 20. Rfb1
If he moves the queen’s rook, then the pawn on a4 becomes weak.
20… Qc7 21. Qc3
Very artificial. The threat against g7 is transparent and White’s pieces are getting into an ugly tangle.
21… Ne5 22. Nh4 f6
Blocking the diagonal of White’s queen and bishop and squashing any hopes Miles may have harboured of a swindle based on Qxg7.
- Bh3
By leaving f3 unprotected, White invites a possibly unpleasant future knight check on that square. Maybe 23. Ba3!? instead was a better idea.
23… Rab8 24. Nhf5 Bf8 25. Ne3 Qf7
The threat is …c5 and …d4.
- Nb3 c5
Things are out of control for White, since 27. Nxc5 d4! 28. Qxd4 Nf3+ is hopeless.
- d4
Desperation.
27… Nf3+ 28. Kf1
Now Short uncorks a crushing combination which knocks White’s whole position out of joint.
28… Nxc2! 29. Nxc5
If 29. Nxc2 Rxb3! 30. Qxb3 Nd2+ winning the queen.
29… Nxa1 30. Rxa1 Bxc5 White resigns 0-1
On Tuesday May 13, there will be an evening reception and dinner at L’Escargot to celebrate the paperback launch of Chess through the Looking Glass. For further details please contact Ima Von Wenden at secretary@snailclub.co.uk
Ray’s 206th book, “ Chess in the Year of the King ”, written in collaboration with Adam Black, and his 207th, “ Napoleon and Goethe: The Touchstone of Genius ” (which discusses their relationship with chess) can be ordered from both Amazon and Blackwells. His 208th, the world record for chess books, written jointly with chess playing artist Barry Martin, Chess through the Looking Glass , is now also available from Amazon.
A Message from TheArticle
We are the only publication that’s committed to covering every angle. We have an important contribution to make, one that’s needed now more than ever, and we need your help to continue publishing throughout these hard economic times. So please, make a donation.
