Note: This answer assumes that those going to Mars have a high IQ (which I believe the OP intended), and that IQ is indeed a fairly good measure of intelligence.

Yes.

I think the question of the most important factor, though, boils down to nature versus nurture: Will these individuals be smarter because of genetics, or because they're in an environment encouraging learning?

Points in favor of intelligence through nature:

• IQ heritability - the amount attributable to genetics - can be 0.45 in children in 0.75 and in older humans. That's reasonably high, and will be important in this population (see e.g. Bouchard (2013).
• IQ heritability increase roughly linearly as a person gets older, until roughly 20 years (see the Wilson effect). In other words, genetics gets more important later on, when people are starting to take on jobs (and possibly procreating, in future years).
• There will be a relatively small population at first, leading to a sort of inbreeding. This should concentrate the genes, given that the average IQ will be higher.

Points in favor of intelligence through nurture:

• IQ is not always the best measure of intelligence. I don't want to get into that debate, though.
• Children in each generation will likely have access to a good education. They will be raised by parents who expect them to learn to be scientists, engineers, and members of other STEM fields, as well as colonial leaders.

As far as I'm aware, though, intelligence is passed mainly through genes. However, it's one thing to have potential, and another to be able to develop it. The environment will play another important role, and the combination should make for a smarter population.

The consequences

This is another matter entirely. I don't know how quickly a change like this can propagate through the population. I assume that the first generation of colonists won't be too worried with procreating in the beginning, just staying alive. However, once things are suitable and safe, they can consider raising children. The delay, though, is not insignificant.

Another important factor is what's happening on Earth. If all of the "smart" people are leaving for Mars, will that somehow reduce the mean IQ on Earth? I'm not sure; you'd have to send an awful lot of high-intelligence people away for there to be major changes through the planet.

If this is the case, you might see some resentment towards remaining intellectuals. There will be something of a class divide: Those who are allowed to go out and explore and those who are forced to stay on Earth. People will not be happy if it's implied that they are "too dumb" to go to Mars.

I recall reading Brave New World. At one point, it is revealed that

There was once a colony only of Alphas - the smartest, fittest humans - that was a complete flop.

Nobody wanted to do the dirty work, so to speak. Everyone theoretically had good leadership traits, and they could do high-level jobs, but they couldn't do grunt labor. Consider this when thinking about your story.

posted almost 8 years ago

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