 Glasses. Stereotypically, they are associated with being brainy. But is the stereotype true? Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, has been scientifically proven to correlate with higher intelligence. The discovery happened in 1958 and has had multiple independent studies following, with countries including the USA, Denmark, Singapore, New Zealand, Israel, and the Czech Republic being able to replicate its success. The Gutenberg Health Study in Mainz, Germany, founded by medical researchers, tested 4,658 Germans in the age range of 35 to 74 who were nearsighted. Their conclusion, higher IQ was more common in those who had myopia. In Israel, physical exams and IQ tests of 15,000 people showed that participants with the highest intelligence scores were three times as likely to have myopia as their peers. It was originally thought to be due to close-up reading, computer games, and other up-close, detailed activities that was the cause. However, research now shows otherwise. Despite genetics that do come into play, environmental factors such as light deficiency increase the risk of refractive error and are the guilty party at hand. In a myopia study done in Sydney, Australia, Catherine Rose, a leading international visual disorder researcher, evaluated 4,000 school children to see if lack of outdoor activities affected the risk of myopia. Myopia was prevented by 10 to 14 hours of the outdoors per week, although light levels and duration of exposure had to be at a certain level to be effective. Tested on mice and monkeys, animal researchers also concur with this conclusion. In Asian countries, compared to other countries, myopia was reported at a whopping 90%. Why is that? When in the UK, myopia was found in only 20 to 30% and the United States reported 40%. Retired general internists and former intensive care physician Dr. C. shared, because many East Asian children study more than other school children and spend more and more time inside, they have a lot less exposure to sunlight, which induces retinal dopamine, which inhibits the growth of the eyeball, thus inhibiting the development of myopia. Homework is being set in preschool and children starting school receive around 2 hours of homework per day. This contrasts with the much more relaxed pace of education in Australia, where homework is virtually non-existent at preschool and minimal in primary school, and where the use of coaching schools is really only a feature of the later years of high school. Dr. Ian Morgan stated, Don't forget to subscribe for more facts about figures. Do you have myopia? Do you feel smarter than everyone else? Comment below with your thoughts on the study.