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11/24/2007: "Genetics and intelligence reconsidered in mainstream"

But when you boil down the studies, they suggest three patterns. One, better environments produce better results. Two, moms appear to make a difference, environmentally and biologically. (Their biological influence could be hormonal or nutritional rather than genetic.) Three, underneath those factors, a racial gap persists. One problem with most of the adoption studies is that as a general rule, genetic differences in IQ tend to firm up in adolescence. And in the only study that persisted to that point (the one in Minnesota), kids scored on average according to how many of their biological parents were black.

When I look at all the data, studies, and arguments, I see a prima facie case for partial genetic influence. I don't see conclusive evidence either way in the adoption studies. I don't see closure of the racial IQ gap to single digits. And I see too much data that can't be reconciled with the surge or explained by current environmental theories.

[ Intelligence differences exist within races as well. The question of nationalism is one of whether or not multiculturalism works, and clearly multiculturalism doesn't. With that out of the way, the question of IQ can be resolved, which is that we're too easily impressed by someone being "human" and not cynical enough about the need for greater amounts of higher intelligence. ]

http://www.slate.com/id/2178122/