[Sean]

I've thought about this idea quite a bit, and the angle I find most interesting is the evolutionary one. We're the first species that's taken direct control of the course of our evolution, and unfortunately, we seem to be catering far too much to the parts of society that simply shouldn't be thriving - specifically the dumb-ass parts of society. Every species has their dominant abilities that allow them to survive, and our dominant ability is intelligence. Instead of being super-strong like a chimpanzee or a lion, or super-fast like a cheetah or a gazelle, we managed to avoid predators and hunt prey through our smarts. But now, as we've seen in the recent US Presidential election, the word "intellectual" has come to be viewed as a negative label. It's pitiful, and it doesn't bode well for our future. But on the upside, at least we did end up electing the "intellectual" guy...

Anyone ever seen the movie "Idiocracy"? It speaks directly to this subject in a ridiculously funny way. I love that movie.