
If Modern Humans Are So Smart, Why Are Our Brains Shrinking? - 6ren
http://discovermagazine.com/2010/sep/25-modern-humans-smart-why-brain-shrinking/article_print
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tylerjgillies
if computers are so smart, why are they shrinking?....

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grot
That's one of the first hypothesis discussed in the article: our brains aren't
getting smaller because we are getting dumber, but because the wiring is
becoming more efficient.

I think the most interesting part of the article comes at the end, where the
author points out that while brain volume has decreased since prehistoric
times, it's recently been on the rise. That trend corresponds well with the
availablity of protein in human history. Since farming began, protein has been
a privilege of the rich. Only recently has it been widely available, and in
such quantities. Hence, modern Americans are something like 3 inches taller
than their ancestors 150 years ago.

