3 ms·
> Intelligence is heritable I believe parent is getting downvotes because of this, but this isn't a matter of opinion or social science. It's hard quantitative
by User23 8y ago
> Intelligence is heritable
I believe parent is getting downvotes because of this, but this isn't a matter of opinion or social science. It's hard quantitative genetics: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heritability_of_IQ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heritability_of_IQ
This is the crux of any inter-generational change in average intelligence in a population. Human assortative mating patterns and the inverse relationship between intelligence and fertility account for some of the effect and some is due to shifts in the gene pool. While we can't and shouldn't discount environmental effects (goodbye lead paint!), the latest genetics research tells us that only 15-25% of variation in intelligence can be attributed to the environment.
- buboard 8y agoBut how does assortative mating account for it? One would then expect at least neutral relationship between fertility and intelligence.
- User23 8y agoSmart people tend to reproduce with other smart people, but they reproduce an awful lot less. Interestingly, smart people having low fertility is a rather recent phenomenon. Lots of famous scientists came from huge broods.
- buboard 8y agofamous scientists are probably exceptional enough to not be accounted into statistics. The questions is why they breed less.
- everybodyknows 8y ago>15-25% Citation, please?
- User23 8y agoClick the wikipedia link I shared in the post you're replying to.
- tptacek 8y agoHeritability and genetic determinism aren't the same thing, at all, despite what you and the grandparent comment wrote.
- User23 8y agoWe’re not talking about individuals, we’re talking about large groups.