My Braim Hurts

Yes, it's true, our brains have been shrinking for millennia and you can blame it on the wonders of civilization. Research has shown that when population density increased, brain size decreased. The supposition is that larger pools of shared labor resulted in specialization of key tasks, like agriculture or medicine or, I dunno, dildo-manufacturing, so the brain took the opportunity to shed a few unnecessary neurons that were previously used for doing, well, everything.

We've also domesticated ourselves, just as we domesticated wild animals, which also results in tinier craniums. I know that seems odd but think about it... whenever an individual acts aggressive, or "savage", we tend to cut him out of the herd via ostracism or death. We civilized folk prefer life to be as quiet and predictable as possible. War is just collective culling. Notice, for example, what a model citizen Germany has been for the past 65 years since the Allies cut its virtual nuts off.

There is some indication that brain size is on the increase again, at least since American colonial times, but that may be nothing more than the result of better diet. We're physically larger than we were 300 years ago and a bigger brain naturally comes with the territory. However, judging from the Racal-burdening fat-asses blocking the cookie aisle at Wal-Mart the quality of these brains is mixed.

The Big Question is, which direction is the human brain ultimately headed? Bigger or smaller? It's not entirely clear but I personally believe American Idol fans, NASCAR loonies, Scientology, Tea Partiers, and web comic artists are leading the way towards a glorious Idiocracy... if it isn't already here.

=Lefty=