1/Oh God, it's "race and IQ" again!! vox.com/policy-and-pol…
I know I really should just ignore this, but I just have to rant about what a dumb dumb counterproductive dumb discussion this is...
I know I really should just ignore this, but I just have to rant about what a dumb dumb counterproductive dumb discussion this is...
2/To start, we need to talk about how important the genetic component of average population IQ isn't.
Careful analysis shows that differences in innate cognitive skill can account for maybe 1/6 of state-to-state variations in GDP: noahpinionblog.blogspot.jp/2015/06/iq-and…
That's not much.
Careful analysis shows that differences in innate cognitive skill can account for maybe 1/6 of state-to-state variations in GDP: noahpinionblog.blogspot.jp/2015/06/iq-and…
That's not much.
3/Now we need to recognize that actually *changing* that smallish GDP factor would be really difficult. By focusing on that one piece, we're distracting from things we actually *can* change pretty easily.
4/How do you raise a population's average innate cognitive skills? Only three ways:
1. Turn your country into a nightmarish totalitarian state that breeds humans like animals,
2. Invent some kind of gene therapy, or
3. Large-scale immigration of super-smart people.
1. Turn your country into a nightmarish totalitarian state that breeds humans like animals,
2. Invent some kind of gene therapy, or
3. Large-scale immigration of super-smart people.
5/So, I think it's safe to say that #1, the nightmarish eugenics state, is a total fucking nonstarter.
Is it worth enduring decades or centuries of horror to raise the genetic component of IQ by a couple points?
If you answered "yes", please self-deport to North Korea.
Is it worth enduring decades or centuries of horror to raise the genetic component of IQ by a couple points?
If you answered "yes", please self-deport to North Korea.
6/Gene therapy to make people naturally smarter is still science fiction (though people are working on it).
That leaves very-large-scale high-skilled immigration.
That's good, right? Skilled immigration is something we should want anyway, so why not?
Well...
That leaves very-large-scale high-skilled immigration.
That's good, right? Skilled immigration is something we should want anyway, so why not?
Well...
7/Here's how that conversation goes:
Righties: "High IQ is awesome!"
Me: "You want geniuses? Operator, patch me through to India, China, Nigeria, Indonesia, Ghana..."
Righties: "WAIT, NO"
Me: "Ahh I see, you just wanted -"
Righties: "LOOK OVER THERE, A CAMPUS PROTESTER!"
Righties: "High IQ is awesome!"
Me: "You want geniuses? Operator, patch me through to India, China, Nigeria, Indonesia, Ghana..."
Righties: "WAIT, NO"
Me: "Ahh I see, you just wanted -"
Righties: "LOOK OVER THERE, A CAMPUS PROTESTER!"
8/Basically, the "race and IQ" people are all about the "race" and not really about the "IQ" to begin with, which of course tends to poison the whole conversation.
Why would you even bring race into an IQ discussion in the first place? It's usually just an excuse for bigotry.
Why would you even bring race into an IQ discussion in the first place? It's usually just an excuse for bigotry.
9/Meanwhile, there are tons of easy things we CAN do to increase IQ that have zero to do with race, genetics, or any of that stuff.
The first of these is EDUCATION.
All our research shows that education improves IQ by a huge amount! psyarxiv.com/kymhp
The first of these is EDUCATION.
All our research shows that education improves IQ by a huge amount! psyarxiv.com/kymhp
10/The second is LEAD REMOVAL.
Check this out:
Check this out:
11/In fact, lead is just one well-known toxin.
It seems likely that lots of other toxins that we haven't studied are lowering our IQ too.
ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP should be one of our top IQ-raising initiatives!!
It seems likely that lots of other toxins that we haven't studied are lowering our IQ too.
ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP should be one of our top IQ-raising initiatives!!
12/Education and environmental cleanup are the biggies, but I bet better childhood nutrition, a reduction in alcohol and heroin use, and in PTSD from childhood violence exposure, would also improve Americans' cognitive abilities.
bloomberg.com/view/articles/…
bloomberg.com/view/articles/…
13/So focusing on "race and IQ", though it probably makes for excellent clickbait, is:
A) usually just a cover for bigotry,
B) not an important issue, and
C) a distraction from really important and useful stuff like education and the environment.
A) usually just a cover for bigotry,
B) not an important issue, and
C) a distraction from really important and useful stuff like education and the environment.
14/OK, and here's a coda. In my experience, people who talk about "race and IQ" love to act as if they're oppressed Galileos, boldly speaking the scientific truth in the face of social repression.
Brah, just because society doesn't accept you doesn't make you Galileo.
Brah, just because society doesn't accept you doesn't make you Galileo.
15/There are plenty of researchers studying genetic determinants of cognitive ability: sciencenews.org/article/40-mor…
They get funded. They get published.
If there's anything there to find, they will find it.
They get funded. They get published.
If there's anything there to find, they will find it.
16/If you're out there having fun blogging about "race and IQ" and admiring yourself for being all edgy and crimethink-y, it's time to consider the possibility that what you really care about isn't science or technology or improving the world...it's pushing people's buttons.
17/If you want to just be an edgelord and push people's buttons, try something that's more beneficial to society, like dissing Rick and Morty or Firefly or Radiohead or something.
Leave the important stuff to the professionals, eh?
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Leave the important stuff to the professionals, eh?
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