No one said brain size doesn’t mean anything, although there is no documented correlation between brain size and intelligence, and since we don’t use most of our brains anyway, more volume mostly equals more unused volume.
What was said is that historically brain size wasn’t determined by the size of the birth canal, because most growth happens after birth anyway, and that’s the main functional reason for the skull to still be soft and need more protection than later. Else we would come out with fully formed brains and fully formed, hardened skulls.
Which should be obvious to you if you compare the size of any infant’s head with any adult’s head.
And why are you so sensitive about being asked what’s wrong with it other than it being completely factually wrong?
Here’s your correlation.
And you might want to double check that “don’t use most of our brains” part
Also, I never mentioned intelligence, that was all you.
I’ll break it down:
Before c-sections:
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Head size is genetic
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Some babies have heads too large for birth
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Those babies die, and don’t pass on their genes
Add c-section technology:
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Head size is genetic
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Some babies have heads too large for birth
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Those babies get c-sections and live
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Big head babies pass on their big head genes to the next generation
Whales and dolphins have larger brains than humans. Correlation rejected.
Musk mentioned intelligence. That’s the current topic of conversation.
Your add-on breakdown wasn’t necessary, you’re not informing me of anything, I already provided the relevant info in other replies.
You didn’t mention intelligence, but that’s the only logical conclusion to draw from suggesting larger brains in our current population is an advantage or important, or “means nothing”/anything.
If you want to get on the eugenics train, Elon is available for discussion.
You’re putting words in my mouth, I’m only talking about the Homo genus’s increase in brain size due to evolution, and how c-sections will affect that over time
I’m not commenting on intelligence variation in Homo sapiens
Correlation within the current human species only, there was development other than just size from ancient history that you aren’t accounting for.
If you’re talking about the 10% myth, I wasn’t referring to that, but there are documented cases including at least one person missing most of their brain from a long-term condition where the brain filled with fluid, leaving a thin perimeter of brain matter, and they were otherwise still fully functional except for weakness in one leg. A total mystery, and provided proof that the brain can rewire itself and doesn’t need most of its volume to function correctly, and suggested evidence that the brain uses what’s needed, but that most of it isn’t required.
edit:
Note that while it does say he was of below average intelligence but not mentally disabled, that’s not the point. The point in me providing this here is that losing most of his brain over time didn’t affect the intelligence he naturally had, or affect other brain function, so he was fully functioning and normal as far as anyone was concerned until he went to check what was going on with his leg. Providing proof that most of the brain probably isn’t needed, and possibly redundant to compensate for loss.
A single case is not proof and you should know this. It’s an outlier. A substantial majority of people with brain damage have affected function in some form or another. If you can show a statistically significant number of cases I may consider your evidence.
More specifically to your example, they showed an impact to their functioning. In addition a neurosurgeon commented: “The patient was not missing brain, but because the skull is a fixed volume, it cannot expand to accommodate increased pressures so the brain instead gets pushed outwards by the fluid and compressed.”
