This week's science stories reveal disturbing trends in human intelligence and technology that could reshape society in uncomfortable ways. The Flynn Effect, which saw global IQ scores steadily rising for over a century, has suddenly plateaued and may be reversing - meaning our species might have hit peak intelligence and is now sliding backwards. Meanwhile, AI companies are capitalising on human loneliness by selling virtual girlfriends that promise "non-judgmental love" for a monthly subscription fee, raising serious questions about whether we're filling genuine connection needs or creating a generation incapable of real relationships.

The intersection of technology and inequality takes a dark turn with Russian immortality research that could extend human lifespans indefinitely - but likely only for those who can afford it. This prospect of immortal billionaires ruling over mortal peasants represents the ultimate dystopian future, where death becomes a luxury only poor people experience. Adding to the apocalyptic themes, climate change could potentially trigger a fungal pandemic similar to "The Last of Us," where parasitic fungi hijack human brains and turn people into spore-spreading zombies.

Perhaps most bizarrely, nature continues to defy our understanding of basic biology with animals that can survive decapitation and keep functioning mostly normally. Cockroaches, praying mantises and even chickens have proven that losing your head isn't necessarily fatal, treating decapitation as merely an inconvenience rather than a death sentence. These stories collectively paint a picture of a world where human intelligence is declining, artificial relationships are replacing real ones, death is becoming optional for the wealthy, fungal apocalypses loom on the horizon, and some creatures have evolved beyond the need for heads - making 2025 feel like the opening chapter of several dystopian novels rolled into one.

 

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Introduction

02:56 AI Love Affairs: A New Era of Relationships

11:00 China's Military Parade and Global Politics

13:36 Russia’s Pursuit of Immortality Technology

16:40 The Flynn Effect Explained

26:01 The Plateau of Human Intelligence

26:11 Studies on IQ Trends

29:22 Fungal Zombie Apocalypse

35:47 Headless Survivors in the Animal Kingdom

44:22 Conclusion





SOURCES:

Most Men Would Marry Their AI Girlfriends If It Were Legal

'Mike the Headless Chicken': who was he and how long did he live without a head?

Discover 10 animals that can survive without their heads

Hot mic catches Putin and Xi discussing organ transplants and immortality

Who wants to live forever? Inside the Russian authorities’ plan to develop anti-aging technology

One Century of Global IQ Gains: A Formal Meta-Analysis of the Flynn Effect (1909–2013)

Google Scholar Is Doomed

This week's science stories reveal disturbing trends in human intelligence and technology that could reshape society in uncomfortable ways. The Flynn Effect, which saw global IQ scores steadily rising for over a century, has suddenly plateaued and may be reversing - meaning our species might have hit peak intelligence and is now sliding backwards. Meanwhile, AI companies are capitalising on human loneliness by selling virtual girlfriends that promise "non-judgmental love" for a monthly subscription fee, raising serious questions about whether we're filling genuine connection needs or creating a generation incapable of real relationships.
The intersection of technology and inequality takes a dark turn with Russian immortality research that could extend human lifespans indefinitely - but likely only for those who can afford it. This prospect of immortal billionaires ruling over mortal peasants represents the ultimate dystopian future, where death becomes a luxury only poor people experience. Adding to the apocalyptic themes, climate change could potentially trigger a fungal pandemic similar to "The Last of Us," where parasitic fungi hijack human brains and turn people into spore-spreading zombies.
Perhaps most bizarrely, nature continues to defy our understanding of basic biology with animals that can survive decapitation and keep functioning mostly normally. Cockroaches, praying mantises and even chickens have proven that losing your head isn't necessarily fatal, treating decapitation as merely an inconvenience rather than a death sentence. These stories collectively paint a picture of a world where human intelligence is declining, artificial relationships are replacing real ones, death is becoming optional for the wealthy, fungal apocalypses loom on the horizon, and some creatures have evolved beyond the need for heads - making 2025 feel like the opening chapter of several dystopian novels rolled into one.
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CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction
02:56 AI Love Affairs: A New Era of Relationships
11:00 China's Military Parade and Global Politics
13:36 Russia&rsquo;s Pursuit of Immortality Technology
16:40 The Flynn Effect Explained
26:01 The Plateau of Human Intelligence
26:11 Studies on IQ Trends
29:22 Fungal Zombie Apocalypse
35:47 Headless Survivors in the Animal Kingdom
44:22 Conclusion
 
SOURCES:
<a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/most-men-would-marry-their-ai-girlfriends-if-it-were-legal/">Most Men Would Marry Their AI Girlfriends If It Were Legal</a>
<a href="https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/birds/how-long-did-mike-the-headless-chicken-live">'Mike the Headless Chicken': who was he and how long did he live without a head?</a>
<a href="https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/can-animals-survive-without-their-heads">Discover 10 animals that can survive without their heads</a>
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/03/hot-mic-catches-vladimir-putin-xi-jinping-discussing-organ-transplants-immortality">Hot mic catches Putin and Xi discussing organ transplants and immortality</a>
<a href="https://meduza.io/en/feature/2024/09/03/who-wants-to-live-forever">Who wants to live forever? Inside the Russian authorities&rsquo; plan to develop anti-aging technology</a>
<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1745691615577701">One Century of Global IQ Gains: A Formal Meta-Analysis of the Flynn Effect (1909&ndash;2013)</a>
<a href="https://hannahshelley.neocities.org/blog/2025_08_13_GoogleScholar">Google Scholar Is Doomed</a>

From tales of historical idiocracy and scientific genius to weird and wacky cultural phenomena, Dr Rod Lamberts and Dr Will Grant are here to take you on a wild conversational journey, deep diving into the crevices of science, history and culture that you never knew existed. 

From tales of historical idiocracy and scientific genius to weird and wacky cultural phenomena, Dr Rod Lamberts and Dr Will Grant are here to take you on a wild conversational journey, deep diving into the crevices of science, history and culture that you never knew existed.

Bizarre science history from academics with beers

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