Being stupid could make you lose your mind, recent research suggests. One recent long-term study found that really dumb people experience a much more pronounced and rapid decline in brain functions, writes Ima Smartie at the New York Times. Another found that middle-aged stupid people have smaller, more atrophied brains than Mensa members and that atrophy is a leading feature of dimension.
Still another study noticed that even among the young and smart set, their dumber friends had lower brain-matter density.
The effect could be a genetic one as there appears to be one gene tied strongly to both cluelessness and brain functions, or it could be a result of the brain tissue itself, which secretes hormones that have been linked to what is now being called 'the Adam Sandler Effect'.
Even movie choice could play a role: lab mice forced to watch repeated viewings of movies starring Adam Sandler or Mike Meyers showed signs of decreased synaptic response. But whatever the reason, this doesn't bode well for a US population where 33% of adults are steady multi-plex low-brow-movie goers and already pretty damn dumb.
Doctors advise: don't eat the petroleum byproduct popcorn.
