Re: Crank Science? [was White male discrimination (well sortof..)]

From: Olga Bourlin (fauxever@sprynet.com)
Date: Tue Aug 14 2001 - 19:00:06 MDT


From: "Peter C. McCluskey" <pcm@rahul.net>
>
> The Bell Curve has pretty strong arguments that IQ tests impartially
> measure something that is important in our society.
> The Rising Curve (a book which is partly a response to The Bell Curve),
> has some plausible claims that what IQ measures is something whose
> importance varies from culture to culture.
> Many cultures in Africa seem to have use a definition of intelligence
that
> emphasizes things such as slowness (i.e. deliberation) and respect for
> society's ways.
> Part of the explanation for the Flynn effect in our culture seems to be a
> shift in achievement from things that the verbal part of the SAT measures
> to things that IQ tests and the math part of the SAT measure. The Rising
> Curve hypothesizes that this is due to increased availability of things
> such as video games. I think they underestimate the importance of
increased
> rewards to professions that require analytical skills.

I keep hearing The Bell Curve being brought up. The Human Genome Project
has denounced it. Everything I've read about it makes me think it's "crank"
science. Does anyone know of a disinterested organization that has given
The Bell Curve a good report card?

 http://www.huppi.com/kangaroo/L-bellcurvescience.htm

Olga



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