正文
This stunning change is known as the “Flynn effect” after James Flynn, the scientist who first noticed it. Flynn was initially baffled by his discovery. It took millions of years for the brain to evolve. How could it improve so rapidly over just a few decades?
这一非凡的现象被冠以“弗林效应”之名，以纪念首位洞悉此趋势的科学家詹姆斯·弗林。弗林教授初时亦感困惑不已，毕竟大脑进化的历程动辄以百万年计，何以在如此短暂的几十年间实现如此迅猛的跃升？
The answer is largely that people were
becoming better nourished and mentally stimulated. Just as muscles need food
and exercise to grow strong, so the brain needs the right nutrients and
activity to develop. Kids today are much less likely to be malnourished than
they were in past decades, and more likely to go to school. Yet there is no
room for complacency.
究其根源，这一变革很大程度上归功于人类饮食结构的优化与精神世界的日益丰富。正如强健的肌肉离不开均衡的饮食与锻炼，大脑的发育同样需要恰当的营养与刺激作为基石。当下，儿童遭遇营养不良的风险远低于过往数十年，且教育普及率显著提升，为他们的大脑发育铺设了更为坚实的道路。然而，这一成就并非终点，而是持续进步的新起点。
This week
we look at two ways in which young minds are being
squandered
. In rich
countries, the Flynn effect has largely
run its course
. Our special report and
leader examine why educational attainment there has levelled off, and what can
be done about it.
本周，我们聚焦于年轻人大脑潜能被忽视的两大领域。弗林效应虽在多数发达国家显现其积极影响，但我们的特别报告与社论专栏深刻剖析了为何这些国家的教育水平开始趋于平稳，并探讨了潜在的改进策略。
In a separate briefing, we examine an even graver problem. In poor and middle-income countries, many children are still too ill-fed to reach their cognitive potential.
同时，另一份简报则触及了一个更为严峻的问题：在贫困与中等收入国家，众多儿童仍因营养不良而难以释放其认知潜能。
Globally, 22% of under-fives—roughly 150m
children—are malnourished to the point of stunting. That means their brains are
likely to be stunted, too. Half the world’s children suffer micronutrient
deficiency, which can also impede brain development.
全球范围内，约有22%的五岁以下儿童（即1.5亿名幼童）正遭受营养不良之苦，他们的成长因此受阻，其中不乏大脑发育不全的案例。更令人忧虑的是，全球半数儿童正遭受微量营养素缺乏的困扰，这一状况同样构成了大脑发育的障碍。
Poor nutrition and a lack of stimulation can translate into a loss of as many as 15 IQ points. This has woeful consequences: one study found stunting led to incomes being 25% lower. Damage incurred during the “golden window” of the first 1,000 days after conception is likely to be permanent.
