Why Intelligent People Drink More Alcohol

[cronus]

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/th ... re-alcohol

Why Intelligent People Drink More Alcohol

Drinking alcohol is evolutionarily novel, so the Hypothesis would predict that more intelligent people drink more alcohol than less intelligent people.

The human consumption of alcohol probably originates from frugivory (consumption of fruits). Fermentation of sugars by yeast naturally present in overripe and decaying fruits produces ethanol, known to intoxicate birds and mammals. However, the amount of ethanol alcohol in such fruits ranges from trace to 5%, roughly comparable to light beer. (And you can't really get drunk on light beer.) It is nothing compared to the amount of alcohol present in regular beer (4-6%), wine (12-15%), and distilled spirits (20-95%).

Human consumption of alcohol, however, was unintentional, accidental, and haphazard until about 10,000 years ago. The intentional fermentation of fruits and grain to yield ethanol arose only recently in human history. The production of beer, which relies on a large amount of grain, and that of wine, which similarly requires a large amount of grapes, could not have taken place before the advent of agriculture around 8,000 BC and the consequent agricultural surplus. Archeological evidence dates the production of beer and wine to Mesopotamia at about 6,000 BC. The origin of distilled spirits is far more recent, and is traced to Middle East or China at about 700 AD. The word alcohol - al kohl - is Arabic in origin, like many other words that begin with "al," like algebra, algorithm, alchemy, and Al Gore.

Human experience with concentrations of ethanol higher than 5% that is attained by decaying fruits is therefore very recent. More importantly, any unintentional, accidental, and haphazard consumption of alcohol in the ancestral environment, before the advent of agriculture about 10,000 years ago, happened as a result of eating, not drinking, whereas alcohol is almost entirely consumed today by drinking, not eating. (Deep-fried beer is a very recent exception. (link is external)) The Hypothesis would therefore predict that more intelligent individuals may be more likely to prefer drinking modern alcoholic beverages (beer, wine, and distilled spirits) than less intelligent individuals, because the substance and the method of consumption are both evolutionarily novel.

(continued)

[Jason]

I do enjoy a slightly over-ripe fruit now and again, though I do try not to get drunk on my own spunk.

[cronus]

I do enjoy a slightly over-ripe fruit now and again, though I do try not to get drunk on my own spunk.

You should try it. Not lived until you've sat at a bar with a whisky and your own ruminations for company. That's what its for. Not simply a social lubricant.

[laklak]

I drink more in order to deal with stupid people. They're more understandable if I'm shitfaced.

[Jason]

I drink more in order to deal with stupid people. They're more understandable if I'm shitfaced.

I'll drink to that.

[laklak]

With yur head on my shoulders we could wreck civilization.

[JimC]

Such a delightful thread title...

[Jason]

With yur head on my shoulders we could wreck civilization.

Got any single daughters?

[cronus]

For all this talk of drink gonna go COLD TURKEY in January.

[Svartalf]

I'll try to get myself a bottle of Whild Turkey... going cold turkey is horrible.

[JimC]

For all this talk of drink gonna go COLD TURKEY in January.

Left-overs from Xmas, no doubt...

[Jason]

I have to get started on my crackers. Think we could do that group photo this year?

[laklak]

With yur head on my shoulders we could wreck civilization.

Got any single daughters?

Two. A blonde and a brunette. The brunette is into Death Metal, the blonde is a Zephead.



I'll open the bidding at a case of beer.

[JimC]

Makes a change from bidding camels...

[laklak]

I don't often bid camels, but when I do, I bid no trump.