>From: Ifrit <cp005g@mail.rochester.edu>
>
>"In mathematics, of the 1,085 recipients of Ph.D.'s in 1999 in the United
>States, only 10 were black, and only six of the black Ph.D.'s were women."
>
>means what percentage of black Ph.D. candidates in Math were
>women? Generally 60% is considered a majority not a minority...wonder
>what they were trying to get at here? The less than 1% black candidates
>strikes me as odd though. Is there any known genetic advantage caucasians
>have in mathematical/logic fields?
>
>Cory
>
To your last question, no. In fact, there's no genetic basis for race at
all. Skin color is genetically controlled obviously, but what I mean is that
there is no gross difference in the genomes between people of different
races on the same scale as the X/Y difference in gender. If you were to come
up with a genetic basis for race, you would have to come up with some very
complicated rules, like "people with Gene A but not Gene B or C are
considered this race, unless they have Gene D (but not E)". Race is
appearance based.
There are going to be cultural/economic advantages causasians might have in
these fields, but the gap is closing all the time, and I expect that before
my (natural) lifetime is over, it will be nonexistent.
I do not have exact figures but I know that largest contraction in this gap
occurred sometime in the 1980s. Keep in mind how long it takes to get a
Ph.D, you're looking that far back in the past.
---------------------------------------------------
Zeb Haradon (zebharadon@hotmail.com)
My personal webpage:
http://www.inconnect.com/~zharadon/ubunix
A movie I'm directing:
http://www.elevatormovie.com
"What is this, some Three Stooges episode where everyone is armed with pies?
Bill Gates is supposed to walk through the airport with an armful of pies
so that he can stoop to the level of his attackers?" -Chris Russo
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