Winter babies are dumber because... well we don't really know

USA today features a story regarding why babies born in winter show less education, and earnings and generally are losers. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-12-22-winter-babies_N.htm

A large body of research suggests that, on average, winter babies grow up to be less educated, less intelligent, less healthy and lower paid than people born in the spring, summer or fall. Scientists have blamed the winter babies' woes on everything from the weather to age cutoffs for school.

And now, a pair of University of Notre Dame economists have come up with an explanation they say could account for half of the discrepancy observed between winter babies and babies born during the rest of the year: Mom.

Then they go on to try to guess why... and guess and guess. Prom babies. Sperm counts. Poor peple don't have air conditioning, that's what it is!

Studies like this give me fits. I guess social researchers have to do something to earn their pay, but I just call bullshit on this. Get your story straight before coming out in public, OK?

Oh, in case you were wondering. I'm a winter baby. And a number of other people I know are winter babies too, and only one of them is really somewhat questionable. The rest are smart, upscale and "normal" people.