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from the maybe-they-only-surveyed-the-nimnobs dept.
Why can we talk about PISA results, comparing the performance of students in school, but we are not allowed to talk about differences in IQ? Bring this subject up, and you are immediately accused of racism. And yet. And yet, if there are substantial differences in intellectual capability, might this not explain some of the world's problems?
An update of a massive "study of studies" is underway; this article summarizes the work to date, and provides links to the work in progress. A quick summary of the answers to the questions no one dares ask:
- Eastern Asia (Japan, China): IQ around 105
- Europe/North America: IQ around 98
- Middle East: IQ around 85
- Africa: IQ around 70
In the first instance, it doesn't even matter why there are differences. They may be genetic, or disease related, or nutrition related, or something else. If these differences are real (and the evidence is pretty strong that they are), then we need to deal with them. Imagine if the low IQs in Africa turn out to be fixable - what would the impact be, if we could raise the IQ of an entire continent by 30 points?!
Sticking our collective heads in the sand, because the topic is not PC, is not going to solve any problems.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 02 2017, @06:12PM (8 children)
unz.com: The Unz Review: An Alternative Media Selection
A Collection of Interesting, Important, and Controversial Perspectives Largely Excluded from the American Mainstream Media
WIth such gems as "Geezers Don’t Care! Marc Faber Defies AntiRacist Moral Panic", "Libertarianism, the Alt-Right and AntiFa: A Libertarian Strategy For Social Change", "Harvey Sweinstein and Hollywood's Hos", "How I Got Fired: Exposing Jewish power in America has real consequences", and of course "Anti-Togetherness: The Virtues of Disunity".
This was a nice bit from the last one
This submission is garbage, IQ tests have been repeatedly shown to be culturally dependent and NOT a good measure of full intelligence. Gee, the countries with the most focus on education score the highest!
Take your eugenics-lite somewhere else bradley13, your comments on this site show you to be one of the most distasteful alt-righters, though you probably claim "libertarian" without the slightest hint of irony.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 02 2017, @06:35PM (7 children)
This. I'm really surprised to see such low-caliber logic make it onto Soylent News.
Submitter seems to claim objectivity by stating:
without even asking if the differences are an systemic from of the test itself? It's not as if people on this site can't objectively deal with the potential difference between people. It's that this site is good at having people who can recognize the application of a tool that works with caveats cannot always be extrapolated to any random situation. This realization isn't racism or political-correctness. It's just logic.
An explanation of the cultural bias present within IQ tests is on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligence_quotient#Test_bias_or_differential_item_functioning [wikipedia.org]
If you've ever taken an IQ test and can remember the questions, you may well be able to think of a question that someone from Africa cannot possibly get "correct."
And, even taking the submitter at face value, the answer to low IQ is always fixable: apply education. There's a difference between "sticking your head in the sand" and "knowing how powerful education is". We *know* what to do. It's the *how* that is challenging. The submitter seems to be gleefully ignoring this reality in order to claim some sort of superiority that they can validate with a veneer or objectivity and compassion.
There are plenty of places on the internet for that; I just liked that Soylent News didn't reward it so much.
(Score: 1, Disagree) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 02 2017, @07:00PM (1 child)
Apparently you don't read history, and trying to play this off as
is pretty terrible. You can have Nazi 2.0 if YOU like, I guess you'll be one of the scientists that says "well, there is something to this data" and next thing you know you're gassing millions of people. Yes that is the end-goal of eugenics, with shades of gray in between depending on the strength of the moral compass.
Don't play this off as some attempt at science, and speaking of veneers of superiority take a look in the mirror. Trying to high road with "I just liked that SN didn't reward it so much" is the stupidest thing I've read today. Nice attempt at being "rational" though.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 02 2017, @08:57PM
Different AC. You seem to have thoroughly misread the comment.
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Friday November 03 2017, @12:51AM (4 children)
Select two children of equal IQs. Give just one of them an enriched education such as I had as a result of qualifying for California's Mentally Gifted Minor's program.
When they are adults, this latter child will have an IQ 20 points hire than the child whose education was not enriched.
I can't supply a citation. One of my shrinks told me this.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 03 2017, @01:40AM (3 children)
So which one will know the difference between 'hire' and 'higher'?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 03 2017, @02:57AM
That's easy, if you want the first spelling, best to avoid the second spelling.
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Friday November 03 2017, @06:25AM (1 child)
yhgiuyfgvkhghv
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 03 2017, @05:40PM
No kidding, it couldn't even get your prayer to Cthulu right!