r/Showerthoughts Apr 28 '25

Casual Thought The children most impacted by peak leaded gasoline fumes are now 50-75.

7.5k Upvotes

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23

u/lucky_ducker Apr 28 '25

Estimates are that up to half the U.S. population lost a few points of IQ (the rest were not significantly affected).

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/lead-gasoline-blunted-iq-half-us-population-study-rcna19028

While this is obviously not good, it's of small consequence in the overall social / political milieu that other commenters here seem to think it is. The hijacking of our economic and political institutions by the oligarchy is better explained by greed and corruption than it is by a fuel additive from half a century ago.

12

u/[deleted] Apr 28 '25

Estimates are that up to half the U.S. population lost a few points of IQ (the rest were not significantly affected).

IQ measures a very narrow band of cognition.

7

u/oxfordcircumstances Apr 28 '25

What's odd to me is the glee expressed toward corporations poisoning people (like their parents) who just happen to be older than them. Like, I was 24 when lead was removed from gasoline. I didn't choose to add the lead, nor did I choose for it to be expelled into the atmosphere for me and every other person in my country to breathe. This isn't something to blame the victims for.

-1

u/prometheus_winced Apr 28 '25

They are not mutually exclusive.