Wow, so the opening paragraph of this article in the New York Times is, at the very least, something that will keep my father amused for weeks:

A team of scientists at the University of Utah has proposed that the unusual pattern of genetic diseases seen among Jews of central or northern European origin, or Ashkenazim, is the result of natural selection for enhanced intellectual ability.

Steven Pinker, a cognitive scientist at Harvard, insightfully points out it "would be hard to overstate how politically incorrect this paper is." I can see why he's a professor at Harvard.

In any case, the article goes on to describe the ongoing debate between those who think the clustering of Ashkenazic diseases among the Ashkenasim are side effects of genes that promote intelligence, and those who believe the clustering is caused by something called the "founder effect." The article does an admirable job covering what appears to be a vigorous scientific debate, summarizing views of diverging researchers without descending too far into the technobable. Okay, so it doesn't explain what in the world the "founder effect" is—something to do with the Founders from "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," perhaps—but aside from that one oversight, it's excellent coverage of a fascinating debate.

I sent you an e-mail abt. this study. One of the reasons it is fascinating is because it is so speculative. We are VERY far from being able to reach the conclusions that the researchers at the U are contemplating. GUY

Posted by  Anonymous @ 3:27 PM

 

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