Re: Race and IQ

[dlv@bwalk.dm.com (Dr.Dimitri Vulis KOTM)]

proff@suburbia.net writes:
> Just as there are differences in physical attributes between races,
> so to are there are differences in the brain between races, and even
> for genetic enclaves within races (and sexes which genetically,
> contain greater differences than between races).  However, it has
> been my experience that individual differences exceed racial
> differences making the whole race vs. anything discussion a waste of time.
> i.e people should be judged as individuals not as members of one
> race or another, because that is where the most useful discrimination
> lays.

That's a very good point, Julian, but sometimes the circumstances force us to
used "appled epistemology" in less than the ideal conditions, or sometimes
we just make up cutesy hypotheticals, complete with ASCII art:

1. Suppose that you have to consider two individuals, Al and Bob, and all
you're allowed to know is that Al is white and Bob is black. You must make a
bet as to a) which one is smarter, b) which one is physically stronger. You
can't learn any additional information about them other than the color of their
skin. How do you bet?

2. Suppose that you're walking in the middle of a deserted street in the
    TRUCK      middle of the night in an industrial neighborhood. You see a
S    \ /    S  truck coming from the other side. You also notice that there
i     S     i  are only two people around, standing on the opposite
d     t     d  sidewalks. You'll have to pass close to one of the two
e P1  r  P2 e  people to avoid being hit by the truck. P1 and P2 look the
w     e     w  same, moderately menacing, are dressed the same, have no
a     e     a  obivious business standing here in the middle of the night,
l     t     l  but P1 is white and P2 is black. Are you going to step right
k    / \    k  or left to yield to the truck? (Disregard the reasonable
     YOU       assumption that P1 and P2 are working together. :-)

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<a href="mailto:dlv@bwalk.dm.com">Dr.Dimitri Vulis KOTM</a>
Brighton Beach Boardwalk BBS, Forest Hills, N.Y.: +1-718-261-2013, 14.4Kbps