I have been reading an interesting book recently where 2 characters in the book were discussing the idea that species that evolved on very different planets seemed to have evolved to about the same level of intelligence. This, despite one of the species is much older, it turned out that the issues that drove evolution were the avoidance of predators and acquisition of prey. Side issues were that the people from the different planets had similar rates of thinking and language, so that one whose memories were very different than human memories, and mathematical computation rates were very different, basic thought processes seemed occur at the same rates.
This seems to me to be a very interesting question. How do we process information in our brains? Input information comes from our senses, which trigger responses in our brains that are both reasoned and instinctual. In the natural state we need to survive and breed, but in our modern environment our worlds are so different and complex. Are we evolving? Are we still apex predators who wear fancy clothes and live in houses? This is a very interesting topic. Can we talk about it?
Our next meeting will be in September. I will give you some time to think about this.
<Update> As usual, I asked Bard for their opinion:
Human intelligence has been rising since the dawn of man, but seems not to have changed in the past 2,000 years or so. Is this correct? If intelligence has remained the same, why is that?
< Bard responds> That is correct. There is evidence to suggest that human intelligence has been rising since the dawn of man, but this trend seems to have plateaued in the past 2,000 years or so.
There are a few possible explanations for this. One possibility is that the environment has become less stimulating for intelligence. In the past, humans had to be more resourceful and creative in order to survive. They had to hunt, gather, and build their own shelters. Today, many of these tasks are automated or outsourced, which means that we don't have to use our intelligence as much.
Another possibility is that we are simply measuring intelligence in the wrong way. IQ tests, which are the most common way to measure intelligence, were developed in the early 20th century. They are based on a narrow definition of intelligence that focuses on logical reasoning and problem-solving. However, there are many other aspects of intelligence that are not captured by IQ tests, such as creativity, emotional intelligence, and social intelligence.
It is also possible that intelligence has not actually plateaued, but that we are simply not seeing the changes because we are measuring it in the wrong way. For example, it is possible that we are becoming more intelligent in ways that are not captured by IQ tests. For example, we may be becoming better at understanding and using complex information, or we may be becoming more creative.
Only time will tell whether human intelligence will continue to rise in the future. However, it is clear that the environment and the way we measure intelligence play a role in determining how our intelligence evolves.