On 10/29/07, David B. Shemano <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > While I would prefer the answer be that there is no variation, I have no > ideological committment to the answer to these questions. Therefore, I can't > rule out a priori that there may be a genetic component of brain power that > means that there is variation, on average, between identifiable sub-groups > with respect to identifiable components of brain power. While Raghu would > rather we not try and answer these questions, answers may be coming and we > should be prepared for those answers.
David, We are clearly talking past each other but I have to clarify a couple of things for the record. 1) I suggested not asking certain questions not because answers may be coming, but precisely because answers are *not* coming - and indeed the questions don't even make any sense. This is not a scientific debate and nothing good can possibly come of it. 2) Your assertion that "brain power is, in significant part, shaped by heredity/genetics" is imprecise and unscientific but perhaps not so dangerous just by itself. The really bad part is the unstated assumption that there is a correlation between this thing called "brain power" and skin color. In making these assumptions are you not being just as ideological as those you accuse of "an incredible commitment to ideology"? -raghu. PS: as a sidenote, even "heredity" and "genetics" are not the same thing. We are only just beginning to explore the different forms of epigenetic inheritance mechanisms. This should give you some idea of just how ill-defined these categories are. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epigenetics
