Andrew SmithProfessor KarelsBiology 1407March 2, 2014Idiocracy: the future of society? It seems that parents and grandparents always tell their children, “back in my day, we worked harder, studied harder, were more grateful” and so on. Believe what you want about your peers, but what if your parents were right? What would happen to the world if each generation continually became lazier and less intelligent, but continued to procreate? This is the basis of the plot of Idiocracy, a futuristic film where this degradation of society has already occurred in 2505. Of course, the scientific concept throughout this film would be that of the evolution of population. One of the film's early sequences is a fictional video that suggests that poorer, less educated people reproduce faster and more often than their wealthier, smarter counterparts, thus leading to the film's new society. Could this actually happen in today's world? Let's first look at real-world studies on the relationship between socioeconomic status and number of children. The table here was constructed using data provided by the UN, which actually supports the theory that as income increases, the number of children decreases (Jones & Tertilt). , 2006). While there are certainly many other factors that factor into the number of children born, this data certainly raises an interesting question: Could economic factors cause a population to change? The makers of this film would like you to think so, but I don't believe it. The problem I have with this concept is that just because you come from a disadvantaged family and potentially less intelligent parents doesn't mean the child will end up in the same situation. I'm sure... middle of paper ... are today more the result of our society than of genetic change. It also reminds us not to water our plants with our favorite sports drink! Overall, this movie makes you think more about science and the future of our world and I enjoyed it. Works Cited Jones, Larry E. and Michelle Tertilt. AN ECONOMIC HISTORY OF FERTILITY IN THE UNITED STATES: 1826-1960. The National Bureau of Economic Research. December 2006. Web. http://www.nber.org/papers/w12796. Dugdale, David C. “Electrolytes.” MedlinePlus medical encyclopedia. US National Library of Medicine, September 20, 2011. Web. March 2, 2014. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002350.htm. Davis, JG, RM Waskom, and TA Bauder. Sodic soil management. Colorado State Extension. Colorado State University, January 8, 2014. Web. March 2, 2014. http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/crops/00504.html.