Comments on: Smart genes?

By: Nectarflowed

Nectarflowed — Sun, 03 Jul 2005 22:53:52 +0000

Race and intelligence is an established area of intelligence research, though one that can be filled with politics and can be pretty difficult to navigate. Wikipedia’s article on it has been scrutinized by scientists from opposing sides, and is quite good. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_and_intelligence

By: raj

raj — Mon, 13 Jun 2005 16:47:14 +0000

In 1999 Cochran stirred things up when the Atlantic Monthly featured a cover story on “new germ theory”–the idea that certain diseases previously thought to be non-infectious are caused by bacteria. His theory was later shown to be correct. Probably more controversial, than germ theory or intelligence, is Cochran’s thought that homosexuality is caused by infection.
The guy is an idiot.

By: tc

tc — Sun, 12 Jun 2005 14:00:38 +0000

It will be published in Journal of Biosocial Science.

By: raj

raj — Sun, 12 Jun 2005 11:01:02 +0000

Thanks TC. That is an interesting article. Has it been submitted for peer-reviewed publication?

By: tc

tc — Sun, 12 Jun 2005 07:24:21 +0000

You can read a draft of the paper here.
http://harpend.dsl.xmission.com/Documents/AshkenaziIQ.jbiosocsci.pdf

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 12 Jun 2005 01:59:43 +0000

I was unaware of a Thermstron connection to the Bell Curve tome. They are both worth a reader’s time. The sniping mentioned by philospher is only that. The scholarship of the authors of the Bell Curve are as villified by the political correctness crowd as any other scholar in that field who mentions IQ racial differences. That sort of sniping and shouting down has been a feature of “liberal thought” for at least 50 years.

By: raj

raj — Sat, 11 Jun 2005 18:41:32 +0000

philosopher at June 11, 2005 02:35 PM |
Just want to acknowledge your post regarding the Ashkenazi. Thanks.

By: raj

raj — Sat, 11 Jun 2005 18:37:37 +0000

Scof, I found a number using Google, too. The problem with Google, is that they oftentimes bring up links to lots of crap. I was hoping to get a link or two to some real history. I can do the Google stuff that brings up links between the EuroJews and the Khazars. I did that years ago. Do you have a link to concise information regarding Jewish history regarding the Ashkenazi? I really would be interested. (I have a minor personal interest in the subject matter, but won’t explain further unless someone asks me to.)
Regarding The Bell Curve, it’s true that Hernnstein died shortly after the publication, but the Thernstroms (the co-authors) have been beating on the issue for years. Particularly Abigail Thernstrom. So much so that she has become something of a caricature. I can’t figure out why Anonymous suggests that The Bell Curve was greeted by incredulous silence. I was alive at the time that the book was published, and was well aware that the book caused something of a firestorm at the time it was released. Perhaps unfairly so, but that was the case.

By: philosopher

philosopher — Sat, 11 Jun 2005 18:35:59 +0000

The problem with The Bell Curve is that it was just bad science. See, e.g.,
http://www.nyu.edu/gsas/dept/philo/faculty/block/papers/Heritability.html
among many other good scholarly treatments of it out there.
This more recent study seems to be on a much better scientific footing, not least of all because they’ve got a case they can make about the biological effects of some particular genes.
As for the Ashkenazi: no, they are indeed a semitic people, who started travelling into Europe sometime in the first millenium AD. (Note that Judaism has never been much of a proselytizing religion, and has never had much in the way of converts.)

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 11 Jun 2005 12:39:15 +0000

My impression was that the Bell Curve was greeted by incredulous silence. It could be that Hernstein (?) died around the time of its publication. The socialists of the left generally shout down ideas with which they cannot contend. While the book was not cited in the recent SC decision concerning the need for so-called affirmative action it may have been the basis for the comment (in the opinion) that 25 years hence we may have a different view-slow rolling activism?