Posted on 06/02/2005 4:00:59 PM PDT by voletti
THE idea that some ethnic groups may, on average, be more intelligent than others is one of those hypotheses that dare not speak its name. But Gregory Cochran, a noted scientific iconoclast, is prepared to say it anyway. He is that rare bird, a scientist who works independently of any institution. Even he, however, might tremble at the thought of what he is about to do. Together with Jason Hardy and Henry Harpending, of the University of Utah, he is publishing, in a forthcoming edition of the Journal of Biosocial Science, a paper which not only suggests that one group of humanity is more intelligent than the others, but explains the process that has brought this about. The group in question are Ashkenazi Jews. The process is natural selection. Ashkenazim generally do well in IQ tests, scoring 12-15 points above the mean value of 100, and have contributed disproportionately to the intellectual and cultural life of the West, as the careers of Freud, Einstein and Mahler, pictured above, affirm. They also suffer more often than most people from a number of nasty genetic diseases, such as Tay-Sachs and breast cancer. These facts, however, have previously been thought unrelated. The former has been put down to social effects, such as a strong tradition of valuing education. The latter was seen as a consequence of genetic isolation. Even now, Ashkenazim tend to marry among themselves. In the past they did so almost exclusively.
(Excerpt) Read more at economist.com ...
Perhaps a genetic basis for the accomplishments of Ashkenazi Jews might just as much be for having genes that endow them with the opposite of attention deficit disorder.
That is, genes giving them the patience to endure long, boring hours studying dry facts and equations.
One could see how the historical repression of Jews in Europe, for example, would require the ability to postpone gratification (like slugging the peasants who hurled garbage and insults at them).
This would lead to genes enabling great discipline and a withdrawal into mental life.
And the rest would be obvious.
I think that makes more sense:
A gene or genes conferring the ability to concentrate and postpone gratification is more likely to exist than a gene or genes conferring intelligence--especially since there are many different kinds of intelligence.
Yet no matter the kind of intelligence a particular society celebrates, the ability to postpone gratification while engaged in boring study and research (90% perspiration), would confer the ability to excel by the standards of that intelligence.
So your thesis is that Jews won the Nobel Prize because of their popularity?
uh huh.
You'd be hard pressed to find anyone Jewish who thinks a grade of a 'C' is at all acceptable.
Marrying a shiksa will mean your children are not Jewish, halachically, unless she converts before she has the children. Otherwise, they will have to be converted.
Uh, exactly how do you think the NP is awarded? They send out nomination letters to thousands of scientists, etc. who then record their nominations. A small group then select from those nominations. You don't think that popularity and promotion have an effect on that process??? Uh huh...
You know, I've considered that angle as well. After all, they were one of the first peoples to fully develop the idea of a monotheistic god. From a technological perspective, that is quite a leap from a pantheon of gods for every nook & cranny.
So, on one hand we have superior intellects from the days of Egypt, and on the other (or in combination), geniuses bred through environmental conditions.
If the thesis to which your are referring is that natural selection contributed to an increase of average I.Q. among the Ashkenazim over time, Ayn's observation neither proves nor disproves it. Ayn was pointing out that the average of a set does not control the value of any member of that set.
For example:
{2, 3, 6, 9} Average: 5.0
{1, 6, 7, 8} Average: 5.5
The 2 and 9 in the first set are greater than the 1 and 8 in the second, even though the second set has the higher average.
None. I can't relate to chasing a ball. Off subject but I'm curious why you like basketball. What makes it entertaining? I'm at a loss. Most people need some connection to make an entertainment venue enjoyable. For example people who can watch golf or fishing on TV are usually golfers or fishers. Do you connect with the players, or with being a coach, or am I way off?
Bragging about intelligence or any other ability doesn't offer many benefits. To 98% of the public, the "smarter than you" and "Chosen People" stuff seems terribly vain.
"A small group then select from those nominations."
And who is that small group?
This process does not award the prize based on the number of times a particular person is nominated. It is the antithesis of a popularity contest, otherwise known as a democratic process.
Considering the history of anti-Jewish European sentiment, and historical anti-Semitism, I would be hard pressed to understand how it was Jewish popularity that gave them the prize.
How about these prizes, were they awarded based on Jewish popularity?
1922 - Otto Meyerhof
1930 - Karl Landsteiner
1931 - Otto Warburg
1936 - Otto Loewi
1944 - Joseph Erlanger
1944 - Herbert Spencer Gasser
1945 - Ernst Boris Chain
1946 - Hermann Joseph Muller
Those in the Nobel group for the specific category.
... were they awarded based on Jewish popularity
Ok, now I see where the problem is. I didn't say that the NP was awarded on "Jewish popularity". I said it was popularity of the recipients efforts in the field of work. That popularity comes from promotion, something that can be manipulated. Scientific fields are no different from others in this respect.
Hank Azaria ain't exactly a genius.
"In a culture that emphasizes education, this may be a widespread phenomenon."
Right you are.
"And the result?"
Jews voted for Gore over Bush 80%-17%.
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2000/results/index.epolls.html
As for George Soros, he is not Jewish by faith. Heck, his assimilated father changed their name and bought papers declaring them Magyars, not Jews. Soros goes around trying to destroy Israel.
The leftist who hate Jewish law and traditions are no more part of a survival strategy than the Unitarian "Priests" who are part of comintern are part of a Christian strategy.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.