Based on a recent debate about the lower IQ in Muslim countries, it made me wonder about some things, and to ask Gemini about different reasons for the lower IQ, and even though it is true that cousin marriage is one of the problems, but it is not the entire picture, and also individuals with higher IQ are much more likely to leave the religion. First I asked it is there is a correlation between education, especially for women, and the low IQ, and here is what it wrote: Yes, there is a powerful correlation. Your intuition is correct: educational opportunity acts as a "software update" for the brain, and when half the population (women) is denied this update, the entire nation's cognitive average drops. In fact, leading psychometricians argue that the suppression of female education in these regions is likely more damaging to national IQ than the genetic factors (intermarriage) mentioned earlier. Here is the breakdown of how discrimination against women creates a "cognitive ceiling" for the entire country. 1. The "Maternal Effect" (Why Mothers Matter More) In developmental psychology, the single biggest predictor of a child's future IQ is not their father's wealth or status—it is the mother's education level. - The Mechanism: Educated mothers talk to their children more, use more complex vocabulary, and solve problems logically rather than superstitiously. This stimulates the child's brain during the critical "first 1,000 days" of development. - The Muslim World Gap: In countries like Pakistan or Afghanistan, where female literacy can be as low as 20–40%, millions of children are raised by mothers who cannot read. 2. The "Gender Paradox" in Education Here is a counter-intuitive fact that proves the issue is opportunity, not ability. In Muslim countries that do allow girls to go to school, girls frequently outperform boys. - The Data (PISA & TIMSS Tests): In Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, and Qatar, girls consistently score higher than boys in Reading, Science, and often Math. - The Tragedy: This proves that the native intelligence is there. However, because these women are often banned from the workforce or leadership roles (discrimination), this high IQ is "wasted" economically. It doesn't contribute to the innovation or "National IQ" metrics that rely on economic complexity.