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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: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Thursday November 02 2017, @09:33PM (8 children)
They also have the highest percentage of neanderthal DNA on average of any race while sub-saharan africans mostly have zero percent. I'm thinking it might be time to quit thinking of the neanderthals as dumbasses who cro magnon out-performed by mental superiority and start wondering why a possibly more intelligent species of hominid died out in favor of a less intelligent one.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by coolgopher on Thursday November 02 2017, @11:10PM (1 child)
My guess would be that the smarter guys weren't as ready to opt for the brute force method, hoping instead to resolve things in a more sophisticated way.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Friday November 03 2017, @01:55AM
And there lies the stark difference between intelligence and wisdom.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 03 2017, @05:09AM (5 children)
Neanderthals had shoulder joints that sucked for throwing spears.
Neanderthals were sort of autistic, with good visual processing ability but poor verbal ability. This affected cooperation.
Neanderthals got big brains by continued post-birth growth, while others depended on a large pelvis to pass a large head that wouldn't grow that much afterward. Hybrids babies would kill the mother during childbirth; Neanderthal mitochondrial DNA is extinct.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Friday November 03 2017, @09:53AM (4 children)
You're doing science wrong. Most of those are assumptions and you're presenting them as facts. You may very well be entirely correct but I can't take you seriously if you're going to take the climate change alarmist approach to science.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 03 2017, @02:47PM (3 children)
Oh sweet irony...
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Friday November 03 2017, @03:14PM (2 children)
Do please point out what facts I presented so that the community may also see the irony. Or come up with a zinger that actually makes some semblance of sense.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 03 2017, @05:36PM (1 child)
You state opinion as fact all the time, like ALL. THE. TIME.
As for the climate change alarmist bit, well I'm not too sure. However, climate change is real and it is very alarming, so I guess the irony could be you using a terrible example that just highlights your own ignorance?
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Friday November 03 2017, @10:11PM
Do you have actual proof or "scientific consensus"? Because that second one is by its very nature an opinion.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.