Global Aging Brains and Poor Literacy Skills
Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): The Good Men Project
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2024/07/14
(Updated June 24, 2024)
*High range testing (HRT) should be taken with honest skepticism grounded in the limited development of the field at present, even in spite of honest and sincere efforts.*
According to some semi-reputable sources listed here, Rick G. Rosner may have among America’s, North America’s, and the world’s highest measured IQs at or above 190 (S.D. 15)/196 (S.D. 16) based on several high range test performances created by Christopher Harding, Jason Betts, Paul Cooijmans, and Ronald Hoeflin. He earned 12 years of college credit in less than a year and graduated with the equivalent of 8 majors. He has received 8 Writers Guild Awardsnominations, winning one and an Emmy nomination, and was named 2013 North American Genius of the Year by The World Genius Directory.
He has written for Remote Control, Crank Yankers, The Man Show, The Emmys, The Grammys, and Jimmy Kimmel Live!. He worked as a bouncer, a nude art model, a roller-skating waiter, and a stripper. In a television commercial, Domino’s Pizza named him the “World’s Smartest Man.” The commercial was taken off the air after Subway sandwiches sent a cease-and-desist letter. (The commercial dramatized the results of a taste test in which Domino’s sandwiches were preferred over Subway’s sandwiches 2 to 1, but Subway and its lawyers claimed the taste test methodology was biased and flawed.) He was named “Best Bouncer” in the Denver Area by Westwood Magazine.
Rosner spent some of the late Disco Era as an undercover high school student. In addition, he spent 25 years as a bar bouncer and fake ID-catcher, and 25+ years as a stripper, and nearly 30 years as a writer for more than 2,500 hours of network television. Errol Morris profiled Rosner in the interview series First Person. He came in second (lost) on Jeopardy! and sued Who Wants to Be a Millionaire over a flawed question and lost the lawsuit. He won one game and lost one game on Are You Smarter Than a Drunk Person?. (He was drunk.) He has spent 40+ years working on a semi-time-invariant version of Big Bang Theory.
Currently, Rosner sits tweeting in a bathrobe (winter) or a towel (summer). He lives in Los Angeles, California with his wife and two dogs. He and his wife have a daughter. You can send him money or questions or just give him shit on Twitter, or find him on LinkedIn. He has a crappy little show on PodTV.
Rick Rosner: Okay, so it’s a common sentiment, shared by many, that there appears to be a higher percentage of individuals in the United States who embrace irrational beliefs than ever before. This isn’t about beliefs that later lack evidence, such as historical medical theories like humour or certain aspects of religion. Rather, it’s about people stubbornly holding onto provably false beliefs based on current knowledge. These are not beliefs that will turn out to be false in the future, but those that are demonstrably false right now. Many agree that the media, including social media and news outlets, partially reinforces and creates these irrational beliefs. However, I would like to propose an additional cause. While misinformation plays a role, our physical health may also contribute to this phenomenon. In the United States, two-thirds to three-quarters of the population has contracted COVID-19, which has been shown to damage the brain with each infection potentially. Beyond COVID-19, 72% of Americans are overweight or obese, and poor physical health can impair brain function. People are generally ready to accept that media consumption can contribute to believing in falsehoods, but they may be less inclined to accept that poor physical health also plays a significant role. The deteriorating health of a large portion of the population could make their brains more susceptible to misinformation. We’ve all observed people in traffic who seem unfit to drive, which may indicate a broader issue where a significant portion of the population is cognitively impaired due to poor health, not just media influence.
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Do you think this could generally be a trend with the aging global population?
Rosner: Yes, that’s a valid point. In developed countries, and even in some less developed ones, people are living longer. Although in the U.S., recent decreases in life expectancy due to COVID-19 and opioid overdoses have occurred, the general trend has been towards longer lifespans. As people age, they tend to experience cognitive decline, though this varies from person to person. For example, Tom Selleck and Harrison Ford, both around 80, still present well and do not appear to be experiencing significant cognitive decline. However, many people in their 70s, 80s, and 90s struggle increasingly with managing daily life. Industries have emerged to exploit these individuals, taking advantage of their vulnerabilities. For instance, in her early 80s, my mother-in-law almost sold unnecessary $20,000 windows. Similarly, my wife’s uncle, in the final stages of diabetes and possibly dementia, was convinced by a dentist to undergo expensive and unnecessary dental procedures. Both reputable and otherwise, charities often target elderly individuals with persistent donation requests. My mother-in-law frequently sent small donations to multiple charities, and she could not keep track of her contributions. Thus, the aging global population is more susceptible to exploitation.
Jacobsen:Do you think this implies a vulnerability to autocracy, authoritarianism, demagoguery, and dogma?
Rosner: Over the past few months, I’ve considered this idea, which may not be entirely original, but it’s something I’ve been pondering. The Spanish Flu, which infected at least a third of the global population between 1918 and 1920, had a devastating impact. It killed at least 50 million people, possibly more, and likely continued to affect people beyond the official end of the pandemic. During the subsequent 20 years, the world experienced significant turmoil. Fascism rose in Italy in 1922 and Germany in the early 1930s, with Japan becoming increasingly militaristic. The KKK resurged in the U.S. during the 1920s. The Great Depression began in 1929, followed by World War II in 1938–39. The post-pandemic period saw economic booms, such as the stock market exuberance of the 1920s, which could be viewed as a form of collective irrationality. The world seemed to go mad during those two decades, and I suggest that the Spanish Flu might have contributed to this madness by impairing many people’s cognitive functions. This historical parallel may offer insights into our current situation, where the aftermath of COVID-19 and other health issues could make populations more susceptible to irrational beliefs and behaviours.
People generally agree that COVID has affected mental well-being, although this may not be thoroughly supported by research. When discussing COVID, it is commonly agreed that it has made people more irritable and aggressive, especially in traffic behaviour. If you delve deeper, you might consider whether the virus has directly affected cognitive function or whether social isolation has caused increased stress. Anecdotally, it can be argued that COVID has exacerbated negative behaviours, potentially making people more susceptible to fascist ideologies.
Jacobsen: What about the impact of substandard educational systems? This issue is not only a current phenomenon but is being worsened by those in authority who set curricula and teach with more advanced cognitive abilities. Specifically, Republicans have been de-emphasizing public education while promoting private education. The neglect of public education can be severe, as seen in Oklahoma under Governor Brownback, where budget mismanagement led to public schools operating only four days a week. This trend signifies a broader Republican disinterest in quality public education, instead favouring charter schools and school vouchers, which often support private religious education. Consequently, public schools across America are struggling and influenced by political decisions that undermine educational quality and integrity.
Rosner: Many Republicans do not prioritize quality public education. They often support charter schools and school vouchers, enabling parents to send their children to private religious schools. This has led to significant disparities in educational quality, depending on one’s location. Additionally, some parents homeschool their children with biased curricula. Entire states, led by governors opposed to comprehensive education, restrict the teaching of topics like slavery to avoid discomforting white students. Thus, the likelihood of receiving a subpar education has increased due to political and ideological influences over the past few decades.
Jacobsen: What do you believe are the primary inflection points? I am not referring to the Southern States or the Northern States, but to specific curricula.
Rosner: Typically, subjects considered optional, such as arts, music, shopping, and home economics, are the first to be cut when school budgets are constrained. Even sports can suffer. If you mean points in time when these changes occurred, that’s different. Historically, both political parties generally agreed on basic educational values. However, during Reagan’s era, extremists with radical views infiltrated the Republican Party, promoting ideas contrary to traditional American values, like the notion that taxation is theft. This shift has led to Republicans embracing increasingly radical policies that undermine the nation’s foundational principles, including public education and basic public services.
Jacobsen: One last point: According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 79% of U.S. adults possess English literacy skills sufficient for tasks like comparing information, paraphrasing, or making low-level inferences. This implies that 43 million U.S. adults have low literacy skills.
Rosner: So, you’re saying that 79% of American adults can comprehend basic written material while 21% struggle significantly?
Jacobsen: Yes, that’s correct. The 79% to 21% split represents the adult population’s literacy skills.
Rosner: That makes sense, but I would like to see a more detailed breakdown, often referred to as cross tabs, to understand which demographics are included. For instance, including very elderly individuals might skew the results, as a significant portion of those over 88 years old might have diminished literacy skills. A more accurate assessment would involve typical Americans aged 18 to 80. Similarly, understanding the demographics of those who believe in false claims, like the 2020 election being stolen, would be insightful. I expect a higher belief in such misinformation among older age groups. Analyzing these trends can reveal more about the extent of literacy and critical thinking skills in the population.
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