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by seneca 1493 days ago
This is an open debate, and claiming that there's a conclusive answer isn't really accurate. As usual, there's more nuance.

Further, the heritability of potential for high IQ isn't really in question. Put another way, it looks like environment can severely diminish the IQ of a potential high IQ child, but it can't probably can't severely raise the IQ of a child born to low IQ parents.

What is heritable is the potential. Environment determines, to an extent, how fulfilled that potential ends up being. This is why smart kids can study and increase their IQ test scores.
2 comments
astrange 1493 days ago
“Heritable” doesn’t mean innate or genetic. Shared environment is a reason something is heritable. You are created inside your mother.

Also, if you’re hanging out with people who talk about genetic IQ all the time you should really get a better hobby.

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sudosysgen 1493 days ago
It's not arguable at all that IQ has a significant environmental component.
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seneca 1493 days ago
Sorry, I should have phrased this better. I don't mean to say environment has no impact. What I intended to say is that the degree to which IQ is genetic vs environmentally influenced is unclear and the subject of debate. Calling environment "huge" and innate intelligence wrong is more an article of faith than a reflection of some scientific truth.
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hirvi74 1493 days ago
If a child was raised in complete isolation, they would have an abysmally low IQ. Studies with such disregard for human life have shown us the consequences of having one of the worst environments when growing up -- from the one I remember the children when introduced back into a normal environment never were able to learn how to communicate with another human. I would be willing to wager those children in a proper environment would be at least capable of speaking.

Perhaps my thinking is wrong or on the extreme end of the scale, but I would argue that we can extrapolate that environmental factors are a much more important factor than genetics considering various environment factors can affect genetics to certain degrees and your genes mean little to nothing in the worst environments -- only beneficial in the right environments.

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