FLASH! Intelligence of mankind decreasing. Details at ... uh, when the little hand is on the ....

FLASH! Intelligence of mankind decreasing. Details at ... uh, when the little hand is on the ...

A alarming study published this week in the Journal of Cognitive Science reveals a troubling trend: global intelligence levels are dropping at an unprecedented rate. Researchers analyzed data from over 1,500 participants across 20 countries, usingranial imaging and AI-driven cognitive tests. The results are stark. "We found a 17% decline in cognitive function in just the past two decades," said lead author Dr. Elena Marquez. "This isn’t about aging. It’s about something fundamental to how we think."

The culprit? A pervasive modern distractor: hand activity. Participants who spent more time manipulating objects, scrolling through smartphones, or even playing video games showed lower neural connectivity in brain regions linked to memory and decision-making. "The little hand," as researchers call it, is a metaphor for how constant tactile stimulation fragments attention. "When your hand is on the phone, your brain’s prefrontal cortex dims, like a streetlight switching off," explains Dr. Alejandro Gordon, a neuroscientist who co-authored the study.

Texting, playing games, and even using a phone’s gait sensor all contribute to this "hand-brain dissonance." Experiments showed that participants who held objects or gestured frequently during tests scored 20% lower on logic puzzles than those with idle hands. "It’s not that hands are evil," Marquez notes. "But their persistent use trains the brain to prioritize impulse over reflection."

The fallout is already visible. In Japan, three-term math students now average a 12% lower retention rate than peers in 1990. In Brazil, workplace accidents due to distracted employees have risen by 35%. Neurologist Dr. Rita Silva warns, "This isn’t about stupid pacifics. It’s about rewiring mental pathways. We’re forgetting how to think a lonely thought."

Experts urge meditation, focused hand exercises, and "digital detox days" to counter the trend. But time is running out. "If we don’t reverse this now, future generations risks becoming mentally equivalent to a marshmallow—soft, adaptable, but utterly forgetful," Dr. Marquez concludes.

...FLASH!