> > >So what effect does this have on I.Q., what effect
> > does
> > >this have on behaviour? HUGE in my opinion.

> > Brain size of todays living humans is *not* linked to the I.Q.
> > Or what would you tell Mr. Einstein, with a tremendous I.Q. and
> > a rather small brain.
> > Or what would you say that women, which have average measurable
> > smaller brains, have a smaller I.Q.? I don't think so.

BUT IN A GIVEN INDIVIDUAL an increase in adult brain size would be expected
to have a positive effect on IQ. I never thought that brain size related to
IQ on a community basis. ie if you or Einstein were better nourished such
that your brain size increased by 10% would your and his IQ go up? I think
the answer is yes. Not only would it be bigger but by being better nourished
it would be of better structural quality.
>
> Another odd paradox is the fact that IQ scores have steadily and
> substantially *risen* during the second half of the 20th century,
> despite this being the period of greatest ingestion of processed
> foods and non-foods.  Very strange.

Perhaps the massive increases in education have been helpful. I just missed
out on Sesame Street, but Big Bird and friends have a very positive
educational effect.

LEAD POISONING has had a major detrimental effect on IQ. The USA is
commendable in its efforts to combat the problem. In the early 80's, I think
around 80% of young children had elevated lead levels (over
10microgram/decilitre), now that figure would be under 5% I think (in any
case greatly reduced). Now each 10microgram/decilitre increase correlates
with a loss of IQ of 4 to 7 points (ref
Committee on Environmental Health, American Academy of Pediatrics, "Lead
Poisoning: From Screening to Primary Prevention," PEDIATRICS Vol. 92 (July
1993), pgs. 176-183.).
So a lead level of 20 equals 8 to 14 points lost and a level of 30(uncommon)
would have been 12 to 21 points.
Lead is even worse on antisocial behaviour. There is reason to suspect that
the American crime wave of the 60"s 70's 80's is partly relaed to lead. I
recently read that violent crime rates have fallen drastically in the USA
(is this true) although there are still plenty of killing sprees that the
media tell the world about. If violent crime is decreasing, part of your
answer is the massive lead clean up. I also understand that the US jail
population has gone from 500,000 in 1980 to 1.5 million which is scary, but
may have helped (reference : Rachel's H+E below)
Other lead refs on behaviour :

Needleman, Herbert L. et al, "Bone Lead Levels and Delinquent Behavior,"
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION Vol. 275, No. 5 (February 7,
1996), pgs. 363-369. Abstract:
http://www.ama-assn.org/sci-pubs/journals/archive/jama/vol_275/no_5/abstract
.htm#oc5224
link may have moved

Alan L. Mendelsohn, Benard P. Dreyer, Arthur H. Fierman, Carolyn M. Rosen,
Lori A. Legano, Hillary A. Kruger, Sylvia W. Lim, and Cheryl D. Courtlandt
"Low-Level Lead Exposure and Behavior in Early Childhood"
Pediatrics 1998; 101: e10. http://intl.pediatrics.org/content/vol101/issue3/

Rachel's Environment & Health Weekly no's 529,318,294,214,189,3
http://www.monitor.net/rachel/rehw-index.html look for toxics and behavior
or toxics and violence I think.

Ben Balzer