FSS-DPSY Research Colloquium: Why Intelligent People Do Unnatural Things
Speaker: Prof. Satoshi Kanazawa, Reader, Department of Management, London School of Economics and Political Science
Date：17 Sep 2024 (Tue)
Time：14:30 – 15:30
Venue: E21B-G016
Language: English
Abstract: It is commonly, and unquestioningly, believed that intelligence is an unqualifiedly and universally positive trait. In this talk, Dr. Kanazawa challenges this common assumption and demonstrates that intelligent people are, in fact, evolutionarily not so smart. Because general intelligence evolved to solve evolutionarily novel problems, more intelligent individuals today are more likely to acquire and espouse evolutionarily novel preferences and values that our ancestors did not possess. This is why more intelligent people today are more likely to: be politically liberal in the United States; be an atheist; value sexual exclusivity (but only if they are male); be nocturnal night owls; listen to classical music; drink alcohol (and engage in binge drinking and get drunk); use psychoactive drugs; and have low fertility. Note: There will be a quiz at the end of the talk.
