The Wisdom of the Ancients

Debunks Woodley et al.'s claim that slower modern reaction times prove a dysgenic IQ decline since the Victorians. Scott shows the "decline" is selection bias: Victorian reaction-time data came from wealthy science-museum patrons and elite students (top ~20%), while modern studies deliberately sample representative and disadvantaged populations; the paper also ignores race and London-vs-Glasgow regional IQ gaps that together account for the effect. A decisive, witty teardown.

Quality 74 · Strong. A rigorous, lucid, entertaining model of critical study-reading; the selection-bias diagnosis is decisive and well taught. Held below Excellent because it is a single-study debunk - narrow in scope and lasting significance. Top of Strong.

Claude’s paradigm shift 22 · Slight. Selection bias is an old idea; this is a sharp application to a topical paper, not a new concept or frame for informed readers. Slight.

Real-world impact 2 · Minor. A rigorous, lucid model of critical study-reading: the 'Victorians were smarter' dysgenics claim is decisively diagnosed as selection bias (elite Victorian samples vs representative modern ones, plus ignored race/region gaps). Conceptual/methodological influence within intellectual discourse, a single-study debunk, no material change — low RWI.