[galacticsurfer]

I read an interesting article about intelligence in old age over the weekend which stated that scientists have discovered that our brain makes new neurons contantly(neurogenesis) as we learn. They do not just cointantly die off until we get old with half the brain gone. So it is not true that we cannot "evolve" as individuals after birth. I bet we could increase intelligence in any particular specialty area as an individual and new neurons would grow. Racial theory is interesting scientifically but socially result in amoral behaviour(Dr. Mengele ) so I won't take it up. As I said earlier in this thread my brother has on standard IQ test 30 points less than me. Should he be gassed? Maybe if we just gas everybody who has an IQ below a certain cut off point then we would achieve instant evolution. Unfortunately for the racial theorists this would not necessarily turn out the way they want it to. IQ tests do not necessarily cover all areas of intelligence like for instance the ability to love and live in harmony with their neighbors. Touchy feely famale traits are not what show up on an IQ test. These are however what allows survival and passing on of genes. Survival is much more than one thing. 85% of human genetic diversity remains in Africa. A chinese and White and Indian are pretty much the same in comparison to the differences between African. As we all know from monocultures of wheat, rice, etc. genetic diversity is critical for survival so that if you only have 7 people ot save on Noah's boat 6 of them should come from various black African peoples. You can grow up supposed brain size with some sort of beta blocker from your local gym later, brain is all the same anyway.

[SoothSayer]

Maybe if we just gas everybody who has an IQ below a certain cut off point then we would achieve instant evolution

The Nazis did that to Germany in the 1930s and 1940s.

I have often wondered if the IQ of current Germans has been enhanced as a result.

However it's not the sort of question that you can ask easiliy ....

[Jenab6]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('galacticsurfer', 'I') read an interesting article about intelligence in old age over the weekend which stated that scientists have discovered that our brain makes new neurons contantly(neurogenesis) as we learn. They do not just cointantly die off until we get old with half the brain gone. So it is not true that we cannot "evolve" as individuals after birth. I bet we could increase intelligence in any particular specialty area as an individual and new neurons would grow.

[TommyJefferson]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Zardoz', 'M')ods?

[galacticsurfer]

No the nazis tried to get rid or people of different races not of less intelligence, otherwise Hitler would have been the first to be gassed and Einstein would have become head of government. Obviously there was a lot of "racial mixing" in Europe between Jews and non Jews over the centuries, otherwise modern Israelis would look a lot more like Arabs on average and not like European, very often blondhaired, blue eyed( I am sure somebody will get me on this last comment- so shoot me).

The concept of race is based on gut feelings, appearances, ancestry, social pressures, culture, etc. In India "racial identity" used to be distinct (after Aryan/white invasion and conquering of black dravidians) as in Rwanda and despite long tem racial sterotyping and bans there was illicit marrying/sexual activity over centuries in Rwanda and millenia in India so that essentially racial differences were replaced by cultural labeling where people in a certain area of India are similar to one another but call themselves Brahman or whatever caste or in Rwanda Hutu or Tutsi although they all look the same. The article I read at below link said similarly that Brits perceive a physical differnce between catholics and protestants in Northern Ireland whereas Americans cannot see it. Race is a concept in USA defined as one drop of blood-black ancestry- making one black.On average a black person is however 20% white in USA. They however define themselves as 100% black as the social pressure to create a caste is very strong. Percent of black blood in whites I did not find. Obviously it is higher in south where similarly pressure is much higher to maintain caste barriers. In the western states intermarriage between blacks and whites is much higher than in the south. Due to high immigration of various hispanic groups where the concept of race is more of a question of flowing colour tones (much as in any individual white or black family slightly different hair and skin tones in the children appear- one of my brothers is rosy cheeked, I am sallow and the other is almost ghostly pale- maybe due to darker british(black hair) mother and rosy cheeked Irish father mixture) the concept of race will be weakened slowly although only over generations as blacks unfortunately do not outmarry as much (maybe ca. 5%???) with other groups(hispanics and Asians to a very large extent are melting right in to white society through intermarriage). However after a few hundred years or so all Americans should look pretty similar and race will be a label just as caste is in India. Foreigners would be hard put to tell the difference upon visiting America.

See link:
http://www.webcom.com/intvoice/
Guest Editorial
Foreseeable Consequences of Recent Changes
in the One-Drop Rule
By Frank W. Sweet

Regarding Neurogenesis:

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/n ... /Wall.html
http://www.abacon.com/pinel/hot_sept.html

[TommyJefferson]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('galacticsurfer', 'H')owever after a few hundred years or so all Americans should look pretty similar and race will be a label just as caste is in India.

[Plantagenet]

Studies show western societies are getting dumber....average IQs are dropping in Europe, Australia, etc.

iq-rates-are-dropping-many-developed-countries

It really is happening......wester societies are getting dumber and dumber.

Partly this seems to be due to broad demographic trends......poor, dumb people tend to have larger families in western cultures then smart, rich people do. Also, the recent influx of immigrants in many areas has increased the number of people from groups which traditionally don't do well on IQ tests.

But something unexpected is also happening.......children from families where the parents did well on IQ tests are turning out to have lower IQ scores then their parents. Its not clear why this latter effect is occurring.

The overall trend is toward lower IQs....something that doesn't bode well for the ability of western countries to deal with all complex problems that electorates are facing these days.

CHEERS!

[EnergyUnlimited]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Plantagenet', 'B')ut something unexpected is also happening.......children from families where the parents did well on IQ tests are turning out to have lower IQ scores then their parents. Its not clear why this latter effect is occurring.