So there you have it! A very reliable study has shown that children born of older men have lower IQs than those born to younger ones, thus challenging the rather misogynist and, to me, disturbingly essentialist androcentric evolutionary theory that men look for younger women because of their potential fertility, and the fact that they will be able to reproduce more and healthier children than older women. Although there is indeed historical merit in this argument, it does further the notion that as society evolves, and as we begin to understand ourselves more and more, we will necessarily have to adapt. After all, we apparently don’t even know about 96% of the universe and use only very little of our brains (is there even any need to find articles here? Proof lies in… well… the world!).
When I first read this, I laughed, mostly because studies have shown the exact opposite for older women. The older the mother, the smarter the child. Perhaps we’ll now see a shift: older women being drawn to younger men like Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher. After all, women do live longer than men. Under the current system, there are more widows than widowers. Oh, and as women delay their reproductive age, they increase our longevity as well. I can’t find any links for this, but there are quite a few documentaries explaining this in connection to studies done of fruit flies. However, I cannot remember any names.
Well 3 IQ points is hardly intellectual impairment. I doubt it makes much difference. Furthermore its rather uncertain even in the article if the impairment simply is due to genetic factors or because of enviornmental factors.If they are mostly or partly enviormental and it is ascertained that the impairment does infact make a difference then the impact of those factors can possibly be minimized. But on a more personal note: time for sugar mommans Indeed!
Comment by Ali — April 24, 2009 @ 5:02 pm |
Agreed. I’ve put this up because we’re constantly being bombarded by differences between males and females, which are really nothing but 1 chromosome. Unfortunately, I do feel that although science is now being more non-biased, it still is quite a boys’ club. It’s weird, yet good, to see a shift in thinking. So many misogynists who wants to confine women to breeding use the “younger mother is better” argument, so I thought this was a refreshing change. I’m especially frustrated with these disgusting Pakistani statement that I’ve heard too often:
“Girls should be married off younger so they can healthy children.” (Like women who are more educated and empowered won’t be able to?!)
“Better to have younger wives because they can “adapt” and be “moulded” better.” (I often have to really refrain myself from losing it when I hear this.)
Anyway, I was just feeling cheeky.
Comment by Nabiha Meher — April 24, 2009 @ 5:30 pm |
ah i understand. I’ve cringed more than once myself when I’ve heard such things.
Comment by Ali — April 28, 2009 @ 1:34 am |