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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: 4, Informative) by krishnoid on Thursday December 15 2016, @09:59PM
While it can lead to gas chambers, such an outcome is not at all inevitable.
Correct! One day, one of those people with low intelligence and poor impulse control could grow up to be president!
Hmm ... that could still lead to gas chambers. Never mind.
(Score: 2) by Thexalon on Thursday December 15 2016, @11:56PM
I should mention that there's no evidence that Adolf Hitler was stupid. Nor much evidence that he was impulsive either: His political machinations, e.g. the Night of the Long Knives, were very carefully planned.
Stupid and impulsive leaders tend to cause different kinds of problems than gas chambers, like invading a country halfway around the world for no reason.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 3, Touché) by krishnoid on Friday December 16 2016, @05:42AM
Stupid and impulsive leaders tend to cause different kinds of problems than gas chambers, like invading a country halfway around the world for no reason.
But this is America, the land of plenty. Why can't we have both?
(Score: 2) by tisI on Friday December 16 2016, @02:53AM
But such a president need not build gas chambers but to save money, just build a wall.
New prisons and gas chambers can always come later ..
"Suppose you were an idiot...and suppose you were a member of Congress...but I repeat myself."