Intelligence genes found

[Meshugger]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/12061787/Intelligence-genes-discovered-by-scientists.html

 

 

Genes which make people intelligent have been discovered and scientists believe they could be manipulated to boost brain power.

 

Researchers have believed for some time that intellect is inherited with studies suggesting that up to 75 per cent of IQ is genetic, and the rest down to environmental factors such as schooling and friendship groups.

 

I wonder what countries with little moral scrouples, like China, will do with this discovery....discuss!

[Darkpriest]

What do you mean little morals? If they can help the evolution why not. I do not see nothing less moral about it than for example altering a gender.

[Sarex]

I wonder what countries with little moral scrouples, like China, will do with this discovery....discuss!

 

The US?

[Elerond]

75% of IQ probably comes from this study that says that  Genetic research has shown that intelligence makes a major contribution to the heritability of educational achievement. However, we show that other broad domains of behavior such as personality and psychopathology also account for genetic influence on GCSE scores beyond that predicted by intelligence. Together with intelligence, these domains account for 75% of the heritability of GCSE scores.

 

http://www.pnas.org/content/111/42/15273

[Meshugger]

What do you mean little morals? If they can help the evolution why not. I do not see nothing less moral about it than for example altering a gender.

 

In many countries, messing around with the genetical structure of your future unborn is a big taboo. In places like China however, i wouldn't be surprised if they instiutionalized the practice of maximising the potential IQ via several medical procedures during pregnancy.

 

(Anyone else daydreaming about a cyperpunk future?)

Edited December 22, 2015 by Meshugger

[Humanoid]

Maybe you're just thinking of Chairman Yang.

[Darkpriest]

Well if there will be a gene therapy for it, this will only stgnate the positions of wealth and power. Rich will make sure tha their kids will be "smart" well educated and with a lot of financial assets. It will only limit the movement between the poor, the middle class and the rich. Today you can move up from poor to at least high middle class if you are smart and hard working. If the genetical advantage will be secured by the rich, you will not be able to make such a jump in your own lifetime you will need your lifetime and then your kids will have a shot at it if you will invest in that.

 

I do not object any gene therapies as long as we wont move towards very uniform society. I'd rather have a world with humans enjoying healthy long life who are also smart and push civilization forward. That however is daydreaming for now. People will make a lot of money on this and it will be mostly for fairly wealthy people same as many today's medical practices

[Namutree]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/12061787/Intelligence-genes-discovered-by-scientists.html

 

 

Genes which make people intelligent have been discovered and scientists believe they could be manipulated to boost brain power.

 

Researchers have believed for some time that intellect is inherited with studies suggesting that up to 75 per cent of IQ is genetic, and the rest down to environmental factors such as schooling and friendship groups.

 

I wonder what countries with little moral scrouples, like China, will do with this discovery....discuss!

If we can create better humans; I say we do it.

[Fenixp]

(Anyone else daydreaming about a cyperpunk future?)

[Elerond]

 

(Anyone else daydreaming about a cyperpunk future?)

 

 

Hugh Herr: The new bionics that let us run, climb and dance

Edited December 22, 2015 by Elerond

[Hiro Protagonist]

I like this idea. Limitless is becoming a reality.

[Rosbjerg]

Genes can only push us so far and hardly beyond an average of "very bright". Computer/Brain melding is gonna develop faster than gene mapping can.

[ManifestedISO]

How smart is smart. I mean, what does it mean to be intelligent. What if you have a vocabulary of two-hundred thousand words, locked down in form and function, until and when speaking publicly ... whereupon it evaporates ... are you smart in quantity but stupid in quality? Asking for a friend. 

[Meshugger]

The point i am trying to make is that intelligence alone will not cut it. Wisdom is required for the correct action, no matter how intelligent you are.

 

Vonnegot's "Cat's Cradle" illustrates this dilemma quite well.

[Namutree]

How smart is smart. I mean, what does it mean to be intelligent. What if you have a vocabulary of two-hundred thousand words, locked down in form and function, until and when speaking publicly ... whereupon it evaporates ... are you smart in quantity but stupid in quality? Asking for a friend. 

I would consider intelligence to be a combination of the rate at which you learn, and of how complicated the concepts you can fathom.

[Gorth]

In the US, they leave the thinking to the government... they even have a Federal Bureau of Intelligence

[Malcador]

Thought it was Investigation. Although the FBI is the domestic intelligence service (CIA/NSA overreach not withstanding). After reading some cyberpunk material, I don't dream of that future

[Nonek]

From what I understand of the genetic structure of humanity it is a spiderweb, scientists expected a great many more genes to be present each controlling one thing and found far fewer, and our makeup was spread amongst an intricate web where tweaking one thing has a ripple effecting producing unusual side effects. Thus it is not quite as simple as isolating one gene, one must tweak an entire pattern and hope the side effects are not so detrimental.

 

I may be wrong however, this is just from reading an authors submitted summary of his work.

 

Edit: I want more life ******!

Edited December 22, 2015 by Nonek

[Barothmuk]

Well if there will be a gene therapy for it, this will only stgnate the positions of wealth and power. Rich will make sure tha their kids will be "smart" well educated and with a lot of financial assets. It will only limit the movement between the poor, the middle class and the rich.

That's how it always is.

 

That'd be great! Shame it'll be used to **** the most of us over

 

The point i am trying to make is that intelligence alone will not cut it. Wisdom is required for the correct action, no matter how intelligent you are.

Although true I hardly see this as an argument against. I'd rather live in a society of intelligent unwise people than a society of unintelligent unwise people.

[Gorgon]

So... the eugenics people were right all along. The world will be ruled by whoever starts gassing the stupid first. 

 

I bet you could raise the national IQ by quite a bit by making a cut off point in the scoring under which you would be made into lampshades. 

[Fenixp]

I bet you could raise the national IQ by quite a bit by making a cut off point in the scoring under which you would be made into lampshades.

Which will be useful as soon as IQ test are actually accurate at measuring individual's intelligence, which, as it turned out, is not really something you can compress into a single number

 

"I'm okay guys, I'm 145 intelligent!"

Edited December 22, 2015 by Fenixp

[Gorgon]

Yeah those objections are valid. They have gotten better at making the tests though.

[Gorgon]

75% of IQ probably comes from this study that says that  Genetic research has shown that intelligence makes a major contribution to the heritability of educational achievement. However, we show that other broad domains of behavior such as personality and psychopathology also account for genetic influence on GCSE scores beyond that predicted by intelligence. Together with intelligence, these domains account for 75% of the heritability of GCSE scores.

 

http://www.pnas.org/content/111/42/15273

I don't think it's reasonable to equate academic achievement to intelligence either, considering how many are without those opportunities.

[Rosbjerg]

"I'm okay guys, I'm 145 intelligent!"

Hey, well just add more decimals, we all know that's an indication of precision.

[Nonek]

Is it worth noting that the most successful lifeforms don't really need intelligence, and in fact would probably regard it as a hindrance?

 

Edit: Though it could be argued that we are approaching these simple lifeforms adaptability from another direction.

Edited December 22, 2015 by Nonek