Some Interesting Articles (6)

Have We Reached Our Peak Of Intelligence? Certain of our cognitive functions have reached — or nearly reached — the upper limits of what they will ever achieve.

Unfortunately, the first paragraph of the piece somewhat reveals the author's apparent lack of understanding about the difference between intelligence and performance.

It is a common refrain, repeated in response to every new television reality show and every bumper crop of school exam results: society is dumbing down. Scientists have long argued the opposite, pointing to the now widely accepted “Flynn effect”, which shows that over the past century average IQ scores have improved across the developed world, irrespective of class or creed.

It is quite possible, for example, for the intelligence of a population to increase while its educational standards decline. Indeed, this is exaclty what we have seen happening in the west.

Drugs Policy Responsible For Murders Those corpses in the Suffolk scrub, and those tens of thousands of women still living who, as you read this newspaper, are preparing to return fearfully to their wretched kerbside pitches across Britain tonight, are not just tragic accidents, or accidents waiting to happen. They are in some measure the inevitable result of the laws we make and the way we enforce them. Matthew Parris

Wake Up: Terrorist Threat Is Serious He planned to blow up public buildings using gas cylinders in limousines, to mount a gas attack on the Heathrow Express rail shuttle, and to blow up the Tube under the Thames to rupture the walls keeping out the river. Police found in his notebooks details of how to construct a chemicals laboratory, along with recipes for poisons and plans to use radiation to spread sickness, panic, chaos and death on a vast scale. Melanie Phillips

Secret Talks Secret talks in which senior American officials came face-to-face with some of their most bitter enemies in the Iraqi insurgency broke down after two months of meetings, rebel commanders have disclosed.

Ah yes. "We will never negotiate with terrorists."

Indeed, I remember Tony Blair stating quite clearly his belief that Saddam Hussein, himself, could easily be persuaded to strike various deals in return for oil concessions. So, why did we not deal, eh?

Time To Forcibly Adopt Children? I’ve come reluctantly to think, especially after the senseless killing of Tom ap Rhys Pryce, that perhaps some babies, in the public interest and to prevent them growing up to a life of violence, should be forcibly taken from their mothers and adopted. Minnette Marrin

Civil Unions Beat Marriage Thousands of heterosexual French couples have signed up for civil unions.

French Artist 'Demeans' Minors Mr Cousseau to be charged with spreading messages ... "contrary to the dignity due to a minor".

Muslim Girl Forced Back To Druggy Scottish Mother The schoolgirl at the centre of an international custody battle broke down in tears yesterday after a judge in Pakistan ordered that she be sent back to her mother in Britain.

Molly Campbell, 12, who wants to be known as Misbah Iram Rana and to live as a Muslim in Lahore, wept as she was told that she had to go back to live with her mother while her fate was decided by a Scottish court.

Millionaire Must Maintain Ex-Lover A multi-millionaire businessman must pay out most of the lavish deal awarded to his former lover and their child.

Different Laws? Ethnic and religious courts are gaining ground in the UK. Will this lead to different justice for different people?