Ammo for Hugh Lincoln

[Hobbit]

Sorry in advance, but I find this interesting. It seems that skull size, which is directly related to intelligence and cognitive ability, is directly related to the climate the person's ancestors were acclimated to. The colder the climate, the larger the skull. It's theorized that this is due to the fact that life in a cold climate requires ingenuity to overcome, while life in warm climates is more reflex, instinct, and athleticism.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/03/26/research_skulls/

[loosecannon]

Sorry in advance, but I find this interesting. It seems that skull size, which is directly related to intelligence and cognitive ability

Actually that is false. Einstein's brain was 2/3 normal size and no deterministic relationship between skull size and intelligence has been determined.

Thanks for playing.

[Nuc]

If a big head denoted intelligence then Rush Limbaugh would be a genius. Obviously the theory is incorrect.

[5stringJeff]

Actually that is false. Einstein's brain was 2/3 normal size and no deterministic relationship between skull size and intelligence has been determined.

Thanks for playing.

I hadn't heard that his brain was 2/3 normal size. In fact, I read that Einstein had 73% more glial cells (cells in the nervous system that provide life support to neurons) than a typical brain, which would make Einstein's brain larger, not smaller.

[manu1959]

I hadn't heard that his brain was 2/3 normal size. In fact, I read that Einstein had 73% more glial cells (cells in the nervous system that provide life support to neurons) than a typical brain, which would make Einstein's brain larger, not smaller.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Einstein+had+73%25+more+glial+cells&btnG=Google+Search

yep....

[manu1959]

If a big head denoted intelligence then Rush Limbaugh would be a genius. Obviously the theory is incorrect.

your head is obviously too small to be able to recognize mr limbaughs brilliance :poke:

[Hobbit]

There are exceptions, but scientists agree that in increase in the skull size of the average human is what made us so much brighter than our ancestors. In fact, the reason babies are born with so little ancestral knowledge is because the skull of a newborn must actually compact during birth, so most brain development occurs post-natal (in fact, the brain doesn't fully develop until your mid-20s). It's all there in the fossil record.

It's also worth noting that Einstein wasn't your textbook case of a smart person. Throughout grade school, he was thought to be mentally handicapped. Exceptional cases, such as Einstein and Stephen Hawking, shouldn't be used as examples of the physiology of your typical above-average thinker.

[Hugh Lincoln]

The brain size-intelligence link sounds like an old wive's tale, but actually holds up.

http://www.lrainc.com/swtaboo/stalkers/jpr01.html

J. Philippe Rushton has written about this extensively.