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Subject: A survey of more than 2,000 people living in the UK has found that those with a higher IQ are more likely to live a longer life
Excerpt: English text from the archived bilingual edition · Chinese edition
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A survey of more than 2,000 people living in the UK has found that those with a higher IQ are more likely to live a longer life
Even when factors such as economic status and employment level were accounted for, the smarter kids ended up living longer than those with lower IQs
Researchers analysed data from the Scottish Mental Surveys - in which almost every 11-year-old in Scotland was given the same IQ test on the same day in 1932 - and tracked the participants' lives up to when they passed away. The numbers show that someone with an IQ of 115 at age 11 was 21 percent more likely to be alive at the age of 76 than someone with an IQ of 100
There are some interesting hypotheses: one is that intelligent people are more likely to strap themselves in while driving, choose to eat a healthy diet, avoid smoking, and exercise more often
Alternatively, it could be that genes are contributing to the link between IQ and longevity
It's a complicated area of science, particularly as an IQ score doesn't necessarily directly represent intelligence, and can be affected by social class, education standards, and other cultural factors
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