Spirit Gym with Paul Chek 393 — Your Kid’s Dropping IQ Is Not An Accident — Here’s the Proof With Dr. Jared Horvath
Apr 14, 2026
Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath, neuroscientist and author focused on the science of learning. He argues kids’ cognition is declining as education treats brains like computers. Short segments cover why the brain is not a computer, creativity as problem solving, how tech and schooling decisions harm deep learning, and practical steps parents can take to reverse the trend.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Teachers Lack Voice In Curriculum Design
- Curriculum decisions are often made by politicians, lawyers, and researchers, not practicing teachers, which disconnects policy from classroom reality.
- Jared describes leaving a government curriculum meeting because teachers were <50% absent.
Personalized Tech Fragments School Purpose
- Personalized tech in classrooms fragments collective education goals and undermines unified civic values.
- Jared warns hyper-individualized AI-driven learning lets students diverge into incompatible curricula rather than fostering shared knowledge.
Farm Childhood Taught Practical Mastery
- Paul Chek shares a farm upbringing that taught practical problem solving and mastery beyond memorization.
- He contrasts being raised to fix tools and manage weather with students who only memorize theory and fail to apply skills.
