I have been thinking a lot since the election about what could explain the incredibly high numbers of Americans who seem incapable of critical thinking, or really any kind of high level rational thought or analysis.

Then I stumbled on this post https://old.reddit.com/r/guns/comments/16ires5/lead_exposure_from_shooting_is_a_much_more/

Which essentially explains that “Shooting lead bullets at firing ranges results in elevated BLLs at concentrations that are associated with a variety of adverse health outcome"

I looked at the pubmed abstract in that Reddit post and also this one https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5289032/

Which states, among other things, “Workers exposed to lead often show impaired performance on neurobehavioral test involving attention, processing, speed, visuospatial abilities, working memory and motor function. It has also been suggested that lead can adversely affect general intellectual performance.”

Now, given that there are well in excess of 300 million guns in the United States, is it possible lead exposure at least partially explains how brain dead many Americans seem to be?

This is a genuine question not a troll and id love to read some evidence to the contrary if any is available

  • ipkpjersi@lemmy.ml
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    17 hours ago

    I doubt that there are enough people shooting enough guns often enough for it to be more than just trace exposures, it likely must be something else.

      • Revan343@lemmy.ca
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        12 hours ago

        Don’t forget the deliberate effort by Republicans to nerf the public education system

        • MutilationWave@lemmy.world
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          12 hours ago

          Nerf is too nice a way to say it. They want to abolish the Department of Education. Their goal is that only the children of the rich will get anything close to a good education.

          • Yawweee877h444@lemmy.world
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            12 hours ago

            It’s by design. Keep people stupid, and use religion for its intended use, a tool for control.

            We the masses are the foundation for their wealth and power.

      • Wiz@midwest.social
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        16 hours ago

        Plus, Gen-X and Boomers were exposed to a lot of lead.

        Gasoline types used to be “Regular or Unleaded” and Regular, I think, and required a"special" engine.

        • SkunkWorkz@lemmy.world
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          15 hours ago

          Also fungicides/pesticides can cause dementia. One of the first signs of early onset dementia is loss of empathy. So not very surprising many old rural folks have become jaded people

        • the_crotch@sh.itjust.works
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          13 hours ago

          Leaded (“regular”) gas will destroy a catalytic converter. A car without a cat could usually run leaded or unleaded. Some may knock running unleaded if they’re super old or broken in some way. I believe leaded was usually cheaper.

          I wouldn’t try running leaded in a modern engine even if you removed the cats. God knows what else it would screw up.

    • LovableSidekick@lemmy.world
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      15 hours ago

      Yes it’s actually a pretty ignorant idea. Lead exposure is more likely from car exhaust from leaded gas, which has been severely limited since the 80s.