A jury would definitely be able to set the damages number, and have some sway on whether Google gets broken up. If a jury sets a huge number, the DOJ will be empowered to go for a breakup and the judge will be swayed toward agreeing.

Incidentally, I have been somewhat involved in a few court cases, and the general advice I have been told is to explain [extremely technical topic] at a 3rd grade level if you want a jury to understand.

By the way, for people who want to argue that people are getting stupider, apparently it was a 6th grade level 30 years ago.

In the defense of the people, there has been an explosion of useless information. Just look at the number of settings on an Android phone or Chrome browser or in your Google account. Human Brains dont grow at the same rate year on year.

Maybe today's third graders are as literate and lucid as yesterday's sixth graders?

Hope springs eternal...

This is actually true. Kids in each generation are apparently more comfortable with technology, which naturally accelerates their awareness and knowledge. I can attest to it anecdotally - my kid is more attuned to the real world than I was at a much higher grade.

To some degree, I believe this. However, if you have to use mathematical logic (or actual math), the level of reasoning to use is far more simplistic at a third grade level than a 1990s sixth grade level. The same thing goes with vocabulary and grammar.

It may be possible that cases are also getting more complex involving more esoteric subjects.

Financial instruments and technology have changed a bit over time. Previously there may have been better analogues to compare things without stretching reality too much.

And people who sell both of those things have an incentive to make the process of creating them as difficult to understand as possible by the public.

Somethings are inherently complex and hard to reduce.