From: Robert J. Bradbury (bradbury@aeiveos.com)
Date: Sat Dec 21 2002 - 04:28:34 MST
Well, in an interesting "twist" of the news media, this
article may be putting spin on the spin.
Source: Stanford University
Date: 12/20/2002
People From Distant Lands Have Strikingly Similar Genetic Traits, Study Reveals
http://www.sciencedaily.org/releases/2002/12/021220080005.htm
So I may be back in the camp that the concept of "race" is
only marginally useful. I strongly suspect that it will be
a case-by-case concept. Knowing that someone is a black
african may be useful for diagnosing sickle cell anemia
while knowing someone is a white swede might be useful
for diagnosing hemochromotosis or SAD, but "evaluating"
someone for intelligence or many other qualities may be
totally beyond the realm of "race" based diagnostics.
I doubt that survival in Sweden is significantly more
or less difficult than survival in Somalia (on a historic
basis). It just simply does not make sense that the
general environment is going to generate significant
differences in intelligence. (UV radiation resistance,
SAD, perhaps use of nutrients like iron -- yes) but I
don't believe that survival in various environments is so
significantly different that it would result in differences
in intelligence across "race". Whether it be Sweden or Somalia
the questions are always going to be "How clever are you?" or
"How strong are you?". And there are going to be two independent
survival and reproduction evolutionary vectors based on those
two principles.
So unless someone can propose why Sweden should produce more
intelligent people than Somalia I reject any ideas related
to differences between the intelligences of the various "races".
Robert
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