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Electric brain stimulation decreases IQ scores and racial prejudice

kurzweilai.net

21–30 of 35 posts

Re: Electric brain stimulation decreases IQ scores and racial prejudice

#21
post #19

Wonderful. You just know that some wag will jump on this and twist this into "It is intelligent to be racist!". Personally, I find the idea of wiring my brain, my self , up to something which zaps it with little to no understanding of the underlying science or function scares the bejesus out of me, and strikes me as a strange at best and stupid at worst thing to do. Ah, let me just pop a leech on this, it'll get my p…

> You just know that some wag will jump on this and twist this into "It is intelligent to be racist!". Not before some wag jumps on it and makes sure anyone who tries to discuss the topic rationally and thoughtfully is already seen as racist and stupid. I dream of a community where everything is up for discussion, even if I disagree with it.

[deleted]

Re: Electric brain stimulation decreases IQ scores and racial prejudice

#22
post #19

Wonderful. You just know that some wag will jump on this and twist this into "It is intelligent to be racist!". Personally, I find the idea of wiring my brain, my self , up to something which zaps it with little to no understanding of the underlying science or function scares the bejesus out of me, and strikes me as a strange at best and stupid at worst thing to do. Ah, let me just pop a leech on this, it'll get my p…

> You just know that some wag will jump on this and twist this into "It is intelligent to be racist!". Not before some wag jumps on it and makes sure anyone who tries to discuss the topic rationally and thoughtfully is already seen as racist and stupid. I dream of a community where everything is up for discussion, even if I disagree with it.

Thank you! I was going to say the same thing.

"Hurry! Before anyone has a simple thought in their head, brand them as racist and misogynist!"

Re: Electric brain stimulation decreases IQ scores and racial prejudice

#23
post #19

Wonderful. You just know that some wag will jump on this and twist this into "It is intelligent to be racist!". Personally, I find the idea of wiring my brain, my self , up to something which zaps it with little to no understanding of the underlying science or function scares the bejesus out of me, and strikes me as a strange at best and stupid at worst thing to do. Ah, let me just pop a leech on this, it'll get my p…

> You just know that some wag will jump on this and twist this into "It is intelligent to be racist!". Not before some wag jumps on it and makes sure anyone who tries to discuss the topic rationally and thoughtfully is already seen as racist and stupid. I dream of a community where everything is up for discussion, even if I disagree with it.

Actually, the first response was from a hellbanned account espousing exactly that point of view.

I'm also not sure where you got that I'm trying to censor discussion - you commented, did you not?

"michas 3 hours ago [dead]

It has nothing to do with intelligence, it is just all about being realist. Existence of different races comes from the fact that there are genetic differences between people. It would be stupid to assume that those genetic differences have no other effect than skin color."

Re: Electric brain stimulation decreases IQ scores and racial prejudice

#24

Wonderful. You just know that some wag will jump on this and twist this into "It is intelligent to be racist!". Personally, I find the idea of wiring my brain, my self , up to something which zaps it with little to no understanding of the underlying science or function scares the bejesus out of me, and strikes me as a strange at best and stupid at worst thing to do. Ah, let me just pop a leech on this, it'll get my p…

I'm sure Eric S Raymond will try to twist this into supporting his racist preconceptions and agenda.

"In the U.S., blacks are 12% of the population but commit 50% of violent crimes; can anyone honestly think this is unconnected to the fact that they average 15 points of IQ lower than the general population? That stupid people are more violent is a fact independent of skin color." -Eric S Raymond

http://esr.ibiblio.org/index.php?p=129

Re: Electric brain stimulation decreases IQ scores and racial prejudice

#25
post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> You just know that some wag will jump on this and twist this into "It is intelligent to be racist!". Not before some wag jumps on it and makes sure anyone who tries to discuss the topic rationally and thoughtfully is already seen as racist and stupid. I dream of a community where everything is up for discussion, even if I disagree with it.

Actually, the first response was from a hellbanned account espousing exactly that point of view. I'm also not sure where you got that I'm trying to censor discussion - you commented, did you not? "michas 3 hours ago [dead] It has nothing to do with intelligence, it is just all about being realist. Existence of different races comes from the fact that there are genetic differences between people. It would be stupid to…

I don't see anything wrong with the quote you posted. It doesn't imply that people of different races are stupid or inferior. It just implies that you expect genetic differences to correlate with all manner of other measures.

Respectfully, I think you're reading into it too much.

Re: Electric brain stimulation decreases IQ scores and racial prejudice

#26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually, the first response was from a hellbanned account espousing exactly that point of view. I'm also not sure where you got that I'm trying to censor discussion - you commented, did you not? "michas 3 hours ago [dead] It has nothing to do with intelligence, it is just all about being realist. Existence of different races comes from the fact that there are genetic differences between people. It would be stupid to…

I don't see anything wrong with the quote you posted. It doesn't imply that people of different races are stupid or inferior. It just implies that you expect genetic differences to correlate with all manner of other measures. Respectfully, I think you're reading into it too much.

While there's technically nothing racist about a small variation in intelligence. But this comment leaves a bad taste in my mouth, as we know that.

1. Individual variation in intelligence dwarfs any population level measure with regard to race. 2. The evidence with regard to IQ differences by race is suspect at best, especially because it is unclear that one can accurately control for socioeconomic factors. 3. It would be ignorant to assume that transporting an entire people from one continent to another, forcing them to serve as slaves for much of our history, systemically suppressing their political representation even after granting freedom, and an extremely efficient police-prison-industrial complex that disproportionately targets that minority would leave no lasting ill effects.

It suggests to me the motive is a writer's true belief is in racial superiority, which given the hellbanned account, seems the more likely option than an honest attempt to further a scholarly discussion.

Re: Electric brain stimulation decreases IQ scores and racial prejudice

#27

Wonderful. You just know that some wag will jump on this and twist this into "It is intelligent to be racist!". Personally, I find the idea of wiring my brain, my self , up to something which zaps it with little to no understanding of the underlying science or function scares the bejesus out of me, and strikes me as a strange at best and stupid at worst thing to do. Ah, let me just pop a leech on this, it'll get my p…

I'm sure Eric S Raymond will try to twist this into supporting his racist preconceptions and agenda. "In the U.S., blacks are 12% of the population but commit 50% of violent crimes; can anyone honestly think this is unconnected to the fact that they average 15 points of IQ lower than the general population? That stupid people are more violent is a fact independent of skin color." -Eric S Raymond http://esr.ibiblio.or…

"Please avoid introducing classic flamewar topics unless you have something genuinely new to say about them."

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

Re: Electric brain stimulation decreases IQ scores and racial prejudice

#29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually, the first response was from a hellbanned account espousing exactly that point of view. I'm also not sure where you got that I'm trying to censor discussion - you commented, did you not? "michas 3 hours ago [dead] It has nothing to do with intelligence, it is just all about being realist. Existence of different races comes from the fact that there are genetic differences between people. It would be stupid to…

I don't see anything wrong with the quote you posted. It doesn't imply that people of different races are stupid or inferior. It just implies that you expect genetic differences to correlate with all manner of other measures. Respectfully, I think you're reading into it too much.

Respectfully, you've just argued a counterpoint that doesn't address my initial statement at all, and if anything throws light on what you're thinking about.

I was talking about people making a causal link between elevated intelligence and incidence of racism - not even slightly that there were cognitive differences between "races".

Re: Electric brain stimulation decreases IQ scores and racial prejudice

#30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't see anything wrong with the quote you posted. It doesn't imply that people of different races are stupid or inferior. It just implies that you expect genetic differences to correlate with all manner of other measures. Respectfully, I think you're reading into it too much.

Respectfully, you've just argued a counterpoint that doesn't address my initial statement at all, and if anything throws light on what you're thinking about. I was talking about people making a causal link between elevated intelligence and incidence of racism - not even slightly that there were cognitive differences between "races".

Apologies, I misinterpreted your statement!
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