When your GP measures the circumference of your baby’s head, it’s not to determine brain power–but to make sure everything–including the head–is growing according to schedule. But is there a link between those noggin numbers and intelligence? Here’s what the studies say.
While preliminary research does draw a relationship between brain size, head size, and IQ, there isn’t a direct correlation between head circumference and your child’s potential for genius.
Bigger heads, even considering the possibility of thicker bone and muscular tissue, do tend to hold bigger brains. Think of an elephant’s or whale’s brain size compared to the human equivalent–significantly larger. Yet does greater size endow greater intelligence? Given the above examples from the animal kingdom, not at all.
But what about the study of one year olds with bigger than average heads who scored higher in later IQ tests?
The important question is whether IQ accurately measures intelligence; and scientists are becoming steadily uncertain. Even the way in which brain size is measured is a point of contention in the neuroscience field.
And most MRI studies have found only vitreous links between brain volume and intelligence–largely based on a single study showing a weak connection between taller height and higher IQ.
In any case? Einstein himself was of average height—and his brain of only average weight (around three pounds—smack bang in the 50th percentile). And that certainly didn’t get in the way of discovering relativity.
Via fatherly