What is the smartest country in the world?

[al77]

If somebody ask you this question you would probably ask him back "In what sense the smartest?"
Lets talk about creativity and world wide importantce of it:
in term sof Nobel prize laureates (per capita).

According to this source:
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph-T/peo_nob_pri_lau_cap&b_map=1

First six countries with the higher number of Nobel prize laureates per capita are:
Iceland
Sweden
Switzerland
Denmark
Norway
United Kingdom

If you look at the map, you might notice something these countries have in common.

 

[Bible_Belt]

Iceland, Sweden, and Norway owe much of their wealth to oil and natural gas resources. Unlike opec countries, they don't have dictators to hoard all their wealth. Everyone has a chance to go to college, and healthcare is nearly free, but on the down side, tax rates are 50% for new small businesses in Norway, and that is the bottom bracket. Also, these countries are starting to have zero tolerance dui. They require jail time for any person caught driving with any alcohol in them at all.

 

[al77]

Originally posted by Bible_Belt
Iceland, Sweden, and Norway owe much of their wealth to oil and natural gas resources. Unlike opec countries, they don't have dictators to hoard all their wealth. Everyone has a chance to go to college, and healthcare is nearly free, but on the down side, tax rates are 50% for new small businesses in Norway, and that is the bottom bracket. Also, these countries are starting to have zero tolerance dui. They require jail time for any person caught driving with any alcohol in them at all.

Free college and healthcare is not a big deal as it seems. Many european countries have it, most of eastern european countries have had free education for almost a century.
It is nice, but by itself doesn't help much.

DUI. In many middle eastern muslim countries DUI is unthinkable.
They are not allowed to drink due to their religion and many do not drink at all. By itself it is not much.

My guess is that it is due to the combination of high independence (most of those countries were in the middle of WWII and managed not to take any sides in it), climate (most of them are quite nothern european countries) and wealth (sure, natural resources).

From the other side... take Canadian Quebec, triple their salaries, made education free and eliminate dui - they are not going to produce anything special. My guess they would just shop more LOL
Those European countries have some sort of "soul", something that drive people to invent thing and something that helps them to do so. My guess is they are not involved in consumerism so much.

 

[mahon83050]

Here we go, all these countries are Germanic in origin. Are they still claiming to be superior?

 

[al77]

Originally posted by mahon83050
Here we go, all these countries are Germanic in origin. Are they still claiming to be superior?

True. Although note that neither Germany nor Austria is there.
They are very developed but are inferior in terms of density of
Nobel prize laureates.

My guess it has to do with WII and climate.
For example Germany, France and Austria were under the occupation in WWII and lost a lot in it.
UK has never been as well as the other 5 countries from the list.
Somehow they managed to have minimal loses.

Most of them have relatively cold climate. So people at least have some incentive to think in long winder days when they don't have much to do.
This cannot happen down South: lets say in Greece or Italy.
People enjoy warm weather, they are busy having fun and do not care about anything else including inventions. It seems simplistic, but warm climate countries tend to be not very developed in general.

 

[mahon83050]

Originally posted by al77
True. Although note that neither Germany nor Austria is there.
They are very developed but are inferior in terms of density of
Nobel prize laureates.

My guess it has to do with WII and climate.
For example Germany, France and Austria were under the occupation in WWII and lost a lot in it.
UK has never been as well as the other 5 countries from the list.
Somehow they managed to have minimal loses.

Most of them have relatively cold climate. So people at least have some incentive to think in long winder days when they don't have much to do.
This cannot happen down South: lets say in Greece or Italy.
People enjoy warm weather, they are busy having fun and do not care about anything else including inventions. It seems simplistic, but warm climate countries tend to be not very developed in general.

I think the weather may have something to do with it. Although I find the Germans are not the most warm and personable people, I do admire them for their superior transportation, engineering, map making and overall organization.

Those Latin countries (esp. Italy) piss me off with their Siesta closings for 2-3 hours a day...bunch of lazy bastards!! Italians are more friendly than the Germans, but alot less organized and NON-punctual.

 

[Ricky]

The Nobel Prize is a subjective prize which is named after someone from Sweden (no bias on the part of the nationality of who they award it to, or maybe?). There are also so few people that actually have them, that to use this as a method to determine the relative intelligence of a much larger population is ridiculous.

The educational system in the US is in shambles, but the work ethic and productivity remains very high. No intelligent discourse can be made in this area without considering countries like the U.S., Japan, India and China.

 

[Adone]

Originally posted by mahon83050
I think the weather may have something to do with it. Although I find the Germans are not the most warm and personable people, I do admire them for their superior transportation, engineering, map making and overall organization.

Those Latin countries (esp. Italy) piss me off with their Siesta closings for 2-3 hours a day...bunch of lazy bastards!! Italians are more friendly than the Germans, but alot less organized and NON-punctual.

The "siesta" is a spanish term, there's no such thing in italy. Some small italian shops are closed from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., but just the ones that are managed by the owner alone, who obviously has the right to have lunch.

 

[mahon83050]

Originally posted by Adone
The "siesta" is a spanish term, there's no such thing in italy. Some small italian shops are closed from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., but just the ones that are managed by the owner alone, who obviously has the right to have lunch.

Are you sure about that? I am almost positive it is a regularly practiced custom in Italy as well. 1:30 to 3:30....a 2 hour lunch?That is a bit absurd anyway.

 

[diplomatic_lies]

I don't think the Nobel Prize is a good way to measure how "smart" a country is.

First of all, poor countries may have smart people, but those smart people are too busy doing more important things (ie. trying not to starve) than winning some science prize. For example, some guy in Ethiopia could be smarter than Einstein, but because he's starving to death, he has to work at the local copper mine instead of inventing hovercars.


By the way, NONE of those countries (except the UK) have built great empires. I guess they're too busy winning science prizes to do anything important

 

[Mr. Unique]

Originally posted by mahon83050
Here we go, all these countries are Germanic in origin. Are they still claiming to be superior?

correct me if Im wrong, but arent all northern european countries of irish origin?

 

[mahon83050]

Originally posted by Mr. Unique
correct me if Im wrong but arent all northern european countries of irish origin.

Yes, you are incorrect. The only country in Northern Europe that is predominantly Irish is of course, Ireland and Northern Ireland.

I guess one can say the Irish and Scottish are very,very, similiar. However, I would not say that to an Irishman or Scotsmans face.

The Irish are actually a bunch of mongrels. They are a combination of Celts, Anglo-Saxons, Normans (who were actually Vikings), other Vikings and some Spanish.

 

[diplomatic_lies]

Originally posted by mahon83050
The Irish are actually a bunch of mongrels. They are a combination of Celts, Anglo-Saxons, Normans (who were actually Vikings), other Vikings and some Spanish.

Aren't we all mongrels? The Anglo-Saxon are a mixture of Viking, Norman, Roman, and Celtic folk. The Spanish have Muslim blood. Most North Africans are partial Arabic.

In fact, to bring our heritage back further, didn't our amoeba ancestors come from pieces of bacteria found in space? We don't even belong to this planet!

 

[al77]

Originally posted by Ricky
The Nobel Prize is a subjective prize which is named after someone from Sweden (no bias on the part of the nationality of who they award it to, or maybe?). There are also so few people that actually have them, that to use this as a method to determine the relative intelligence of a much larger population is ridiculous.

The educational system in the US is in shambles, but the work ethic and productivity remains very high. No intelligent discourse can be made in this area without considering countries like the U.S., Japan, India and China.

Good point Ricky!
I missed that they can be biased.

And sure it is not a good method to measure intelligence. It is just one of them, not the most correct at all. But this method at least measure a) ability of teh country to come up with innovation b) ability to actually have the people who can come up with innnovation that are recognized around the world.
It says something about creativity and ability to apply it and develop to obtain some substantial results.

Now lets look at the US, I am sure you will enjoy this statistics:
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph-T/peo_nob_pri_lau&b_map=1

The US has so many Nobel prizes that it is very hard to say those guys in Sweden are very biased. They are bised but not much.

 

[al77]

Originally posted by diplomatic_lies

First of all, poor countries may have smart people, but those smart people are too busy doing more important things (ie. trying not to starve) than winning some science prize. For example, some guy in Ethiopia could be smarter than Einstein, but because he's starving to death, he has to work at the local copper mine instead of inventing hovercars.

By the way, NONE of those countries (except the UK) have built great empires. I guess they're too busy winning science prizes to do anything important

Then Nobel prizes measure implemented creativity. Somebody smart in Ethiopia simply do not have means to implement or invent anything. And this sure say something about the country.
I.e. it not only measure how creative people are, but how well they, i.e. their own country can handle their own creativity.

I have seen many talented guys who never even try to use their talent and end up doing somehting that anyone can do. Were they talented smart and creative? I think so. Were they really smart and creative? Not really.

By the way, Sweden was a very powerful empire along with Denmark at some point of time.

 

[Porky]

the united states is smarter than sweden.

proof:

http://www.googlebattle.com/index.php?domain=united+states&domain2=iceland&submit=Go!

 

[seanchai]

Originally posted by mahon83050
The Irish are actually a bunch of mongrels. They are a combination of Celts, Anglo-Saxons, Normans (who were actually Vikings), other Vikings and some Spanish.

"Mongrels"... can't think of a better word to describe them.

I don't know that there's any evidence that Spanish blood figured into the Irish genotype. I've heard the story that the "black Irish" came from survivors of the Armada's destruction washing up on shore, but that's an awful long way to swim.

 

[Mr. Unique]

what happen to the other replies in this thread?

 

[seanchai]

Mods must have something against Weber and the cultural school of development. Hey, I do too.

 

[Julian]

Actually humans evolved from reptilians. Thats why the theory of evolution from apes is BS because it cant be proven and they cant find the missing link.