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from the better-than-growing-up-to-be-a-sink dept.
Scientists at Kings College London performed a longitudinal study to test the 'Pareto principle' and found that adults who were greater users of public services were most likely to have had a low score on the intelligence and impulsivity test administered at age three.
"About 20 per cent of population is using the lion's share of a wide array of public services," said Prof Terrie Moffitt, of King's College and Duke University in North Carolina. "The same people use most of the NHS, the criminal courts, insurance claims, for disabling injury, pharmaceutical prescriptions and special welfare benefits.
"If we stopped there it might be fair to think these are lazy bums who are freeloading off the taxpayer and exploiting the public purse.
"But we also went further back into their childhood and found that 20 per cent begin their lives with mild problems with brain function and brain health when they were very small children.
"Looking at health examinations really changed the whole picture. It gives you a feeling of compassion for these people as opposed to a feeling of blame.
"Being able to predict which children will struggle is an opportunity to intervene in their lives very early to attempt to change their trajectories, for everyone's benefit and could bring big returns on investment for government."
Full Paper: Childhood forecasting of a small segment of the population with large economic burden DOI: 10.1038/s41562-016-0005
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 15 2016, @05:23PM
Unrestrained capitalism is a wildfire and it will consume everything until there is nothing left. Capitalism must be shackled and controlled; it is a fine slave but a brutish master.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 15 2016, @05:29PM
You may be shocked to learn that capitalism doesn't equal anarchism. By necessity it requires regulation to operate.
(Score: 1) by Scruffy Beard 2 on Thursday December 15 2016, @07:18PM
Which is why you got called on calling it a "free market".
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 15 2016, @08:28PM
Oh dear, you can't buy and sell slaves.
"That's not a free market then!!!!111!!!"
Piss off.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 15 2016, @08:30PM
You can't murder people because you dislike the prices they have.
"That's not a free market."