13 Comments
User's avatar
James Weitz's avatar

Any polygenic score for intellectual courage or curiosity, yet? Cowardly population can be modern cancel culture cultists, compare genomes of researchers and writers on IQ and genetics.

Delia's avatar

And he also said, lying through his teeth, that one thing we can be sure is these differences will not correspond to stereotypes. So we can totally expect that genetics will show Africans are genetically more intelligent, Chinese genetically short-lived, Tibetans genetically ill-equipped to living at altitude etc etc

Peter Frost's avatar

I can't defend everything he does. But keep in mind the current "intellectual" environment.

If I had been more cunning, I might be enjoying a nice university position now (instead of the precarious contracts I actually have). On the other hand, I would have been deathly afraid of saying what I think and believe. Life is a trade-off.

Realist's avatar
3hEdited

Great article. I'm saddened that the current situation requires such maneuvering.

Peter Frost's avatar

It's like that exchange of words in West Side Story between Doc and the Jets:

"What does it take to get through to you? When do you stop? You make this world lousy!"

"That's the way we found it, Doc."

Citizen Penrose's avatar

So has this not lowered your credence in cold winter theory then?

Peter Frost's avatar

I only half-believed in that theory.

Cold environments selected for intelligence only when humans were hunter-gatherers. We see this selection in studies of recent hunter-gatherer populations.

In summary:

- Tools become more diverse and complex as effective temperature decreases because food has to be obtained during limited periods and over large areas.

- There is also more storage of food and fuel and greater use of untended traps and snares.

- Finally, shelters have to be sturdier, and clothing more cold-resistant.

The resulting cognitive demands are met primarily by women because the lack of opportunities for food gathering pushes them into more cognitively demanding tasks, like garment making, needlework, weaving, leatherworking, pottery, and kiln operation.

After hunting and gathering gave way to farming, there was a rapid rise in social complexity, i.e., larger, sedentary communities, population growth, rise of the State, literacy and numeracy, etc.

As a result, the selection pressure for increased cognitive ability shifted from the Arctic zone to the Temperate zone, where conditions were more optimal for farming and population growth.

https://www.mdpi.com/2624-8611/1/1/12

Mike Berger's avatar

Peter you're being petty and not exactly truthful. Reich at the height of denialism of possibly significant intergroup genetic differences, Reich issued a public statement to the effect they were to be expected. I'm sure you're aware off this.

Peter Frost's avatar

Yes, I am aware. And I understand David Reich's reasons. Please read my article.

He avoided citing the prior studies because he understood the importance of publicizing this finding in a highly visible journal like Nature.

Realist's avatar

"He avoided citing the prior studies because he understood the importance of publicizing this finding in a highly visible journal like Nature."

This may well be true, but the sad part is that an ideological organ such as Nature is 'highly visible'.

Mike Berger's avatar

Is that an inference or do you have evidence? Of course it may be a reason. Maybe other reasons as well. I did read your article and thought it was good. What does cooties mean? I'm not American though have lived there for 5 years and have visited many times

Peter Frost's avatar

It's an inference in the sense I would have done the same thing. I would have felt terrible about it, but I still would have done it.

The word "cooties" is used by young children. If a child is unpopular, some kids will say he has "cooties." It's an imaginary germ that infects social outcasts.