The intersection of Race, IQ and Evolution is a difficult topic. The very definition of race is hotly debated. Nobel laureate Thomas Watson was one of the discoverers of DNA’s structure. Recently he had to sell his medal because he dared to say out loud there is evidence that Africans have a lower IQ than Europeans. He lost most of his funding and is/was broke.
Most people don’t understand evolution. Darwinian evolution is about the diversity of species. Darwin postulated that in a given environment, a certain mix of traits will give you a better or worse chance to survive long enough to pass on your genes. These traits, such as skin color or the ability to do math are the expression of a certain genetic makeup. Whether a certain trait helps you survive and reproduce is constrained or enhanced by a selector.
Darwin described evolution by natural selection. Consider sunlight, sunlight can cause skin cancer, so in a sunny environment the ability to produce melanin, as expressed by having dark skin gives an overall benefit. Sunlight is also important in the production of Vitamin D. In environments with low sunlight, having lighter skin gives an advantage because you absorb more sunlight and produce more Vitamin D. Which is better ? It all depends on how much sunlight is in your environment.
I recently had a discussion with a friend. She was focused on breeding, and the whole “Black athletes are ‘better’ because of slave breeding” meme. Breeding is a form of selection. It’s not natural selection, it’s human selection. Whether it’s the dog breeder or the slave master a human is selecting for certain traits. The problem is that we’re not smart enough to figure out the right traits in the long term. Take Labrador retrievers, amazing dogs, smart, good language ability, fast, good swimmers etc. But when over-bred they have hip trouble or cancer and die young.
Consider 3 traits, IQ score as measured by the ability to do math and logic. Fertility as measured by the ability to breed, and survivability as measured by the effectiveness of your immune system. Which is better ? It all depends. Let’s assume the following. Europeans score higher on IQ tests, but low on fertility, Asians score higher than Europeans on IQ tests and fertility but are more susceptible to disease. Africans score lower on IQ tests but higher on survivabilty and fertility. Which trait is better ? It all depends. Look at Europe, those countries have negative population growth and in the long term could “die out”.
The most successful populations have a mix, because shit happens. Being good at math or being fertile might not help you survive a global pandemic, having a good immune system might not help you succeed in a capitalist economic system.
I believe that the key to the long term survival of the human race is hybrids. If you’ve known me a while you remember Theo the wonderdog. All kinds of great traits and he lived to 17 without hip trouble or cancer. He was a Lab/Shepard mix. There is emerging evidence that ‘mixed race’ kids are bigger, smarter and healthier than ‘pure race’ kids. I predict that the next big change in our environment could make the ability to do math and science less important. I think the emergence of global pandemics, the loss of fertility or the emergence of Artificial intelligence could all radically change which traits are most useful.
Think about it.
00daddy 