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by subroutine 3315 days ago
First, an anecdote about knowing someone smart related to a physicist means hardly anything. I happen to personally know two prestigious scientists (NAS, HHMI fellows) who both have children you'd consider very mediocre (one in his 4th year of community college).

I am not taking the position that genetics does not contribute to intelligence. Of course it does. Like you pointed out, humans are smarter than other species, like apes. What we are trying to determine here the degree to which systematic genetic variation within our own species contributes to intelligence. One thing we know for sure is that this claim...

> There is no doubt that intelligence is purely genetic.

...is certainly wrong. Oddly enough, you've already conceded that, twice:

> Yes, environment counts but if you give everyone their own personal most ideal environment,

> given an ideal environment, intelligence is purely genetic.

That's equivalent to saying both genetics and environments affect intelligence; which is equivalent to saying intelligence is not purely genetic.