Why humanity is stupid

But they enjoy "an unusually high fraction of intelligent people" who collectively overcompensate for the dumbos. Declining nations have, instead, an "alarming proliferation" of non-stupid people whose behaviour "inevitably strengthens the destructive power" of their persistently stupid fellow citizens.

There are two distinct, unhelpful groups: "bandits" who take positions of power which they use for their own gain; and people out of power who sigh through life as if they are helpless. Without mentioning any form of the word "stupidity", it serves as an enlightening and dismaying supplement to the basic laws. Next week, I will tell how some physicists, inspired by Cipolla's work on stupidity, have come up with an improved way to choose politicians.

They applied a bit of modern mathematics to an old Athenian principle of democracy. The result: governments that more efficiently produce laws that benefit society. Improbable Research: the laws of human stupidity. Non-stupid people always underestimate the damaging power of stupid individuals, it seems — this is one of the laws of human stupidity.

This article is only available in the PDF format. Download the PDF to view the article, as well as its associated figures and tables. After Sinclair Lewis wrote "Babbitt," he pointed out that even the best of us are Babbitts and that even the smartest man may have Babbitt characteristics.

Professor Pitkin has made a survey of stupidity among the great, among nations and races, indeed, such a massive array of stupidity in general as to convince the reader that stupidity is everywhere and that one is warranted in indicting Professor Pitkin for stupidity for making so much of stupidity. One need not search far to understand why human beings are stupid.

It is simply because they are human beings. Coronavirus Resource Center. Our website uses cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing to use our site, or clicking "Continue," you are agreeing to our Cookie Policy Continue.

Perhaps one day a freely evolved machine will think about us stupid humans who nonetheless managed to set in motion the processes that led to its existence. Then, maybe, it will do the thing we never could: make us into something better. The views expressed are those of the author s and are not necessarily those of Scientific American.

Caleb A. Scharf is director of astrobiology at Columbia University. He is author and co-author of more than scientific research articles in astronomy and astrophysics. For many years he wrote the Life, Unbounded blog for Scientific American. Follow Caleb A. Scharf on Twitter. Already a subscriber? Sign in. Thanks for reading Scientific American. Create your free account or Sign in to continue. See Subscription Options.

Go Paperless with Digital. And yet. Not really. Load comments. Get smart.