Baldrson writes "The UK Times Online reports that: 'After studying 25,000 children across both state and private schools Philip Adey, a professor of education at King's College London confidently declares: "The intelligence of 11-year-olds has fallen by three years' worth in the past two decades."' 3 years loss at age 11 is an IQ of 100*8/11 or 73 -- a massive loss of 27 points. Although the test measures, not general IQ per se, but general IQ applied to scientific and technical reasoning, it nevertheless appears to blow 'a gaping hole' in what has been called The Flynn Effect: that IQs have been rising in most parts of the world -- particularly the developed countries."
http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/01/29/1732225&from=rss)

Assuming this is a valid comparison, is this a sign that all our chushy living in the west means we aren't exercising our brains enough in the right ways? Or are we just exercising them in different ways?

Or is it down to videogames again?

Here's how I see it: This is because of bad teachers and parents, but many groups will blame playing videogames, which is actually better than watching TV.

I agree playing computer games is better than watching TV. It exercises the mind more, people can mindlessly watch TV but games make you think.

I was kind of kidding about the video games... tv is a possible factor.. as is diet (more junk foods leading to reduced attention spans). Also less playing games/toys involving physical manipulation skills (mechano, lego) could be an issue.

Maybe in today's society a lot of us don't need sientific and technical reasoning, as we have computers to do it for us, and maybe our skills in other areas have increased as we use them more.

Maybe its down to teaching methods. Infact it could be a whole range of things. However its an interesting and slightly worrying trend if it proves to be bourne out.. and definately warrants more research.

It's been clear that British children are getting dumberer for a while now...

I propose increasing the amounts of logical exercise in and outside of schools?

Solving a Su Doku a day can help:).

And give them all DS handhelds with Brain Training. ;)