Re: to PC, or not to PC (was Re: Genius and Y chromosomes).

Michael Lorrey (retroman@tpk.net)
Tue, 07 Jan 1997 22:46:09 -0500


Lee Daniel Crocker wrote:
>
>
> As Eli points out, the fact that the extra Y chromosome gives males
> a 2% advantage in genetic diversity is suggestive--but only that. To
> use this as a post-hoc justification for the historical dominance
> of men in the face of clear evidence of social causes rather than
> biological ones is a disgraceful misapplication of science, and it is
> quite proper to call him on it.

IF that is his argument, I would suppose that he would also use the fact
that the genetic difference between humans and chimpanzees is only 2%.
By his reasoning then, women would be halfway between the two.

Flame away.....

>
> The question for extropians is what is the nature of genius. The
> fact that by some particular measure (say SATs), men dominate in
> large numbers tells us interesting things that deserve study. What
> is it about the different ways boys and girls are raised, the ways
> they are treated in society, the ideas about sex propogated by the
> popular media, and yes, even their biology and social evolution,
> that may have led to this state of affairs, and how can we apply
> these conditions to more potential geniuses? What is it about the
> nature of our measurement that might be biased?
>
> Let us strive to find more facts not to justify prior conclusions,
> but to suggest, criticize, and realize new possibilities.

Very true, I think the big crime is the waste of genius of any kind no
matter what its gender or other origins. Keeping ones political head in
the sand at the expense of getting to the bottom of the problem is just
as criminal as racism or sexism, possibly even more so.

-- 
TANSTAAFL!!!

Michael Lorrey ------------------------------------------------------------ President retroman@tpk.net Northstar Technologies Agent Lorrey@ThePentagon.com Inventor of the Lorrey Drive Silo_1013@ThePentagon.com

Website: http://www.tpk.net/~retroman/ Now Featuring: My Own Nuclear Espionage Agency (MONEA) http://www.tpk.net/~retroman/MONEA1.htm MIKEYMAS(tm): The New Internet Holiday http://www.tpk.net/~retroman/mikymas1.htm Transhumans of New Hampshire (>HNH) http://www.tpk.net/~retroman/TRANSHNH.htm ------------------------------------------------------------ Transhumanist, Inventor, Webmaster, Ski Guide, Entrepreneur, Artist, Outdoorsman, Libertarian, Certified Genius. ------------------------------------------------------------ If I saw further than others, it is because I had an unjoggled view from standing on my own two feet. - Mike Lorrey