[extropy-chat] Slashdot submission: Study links genetic diseases to intelligence

[Neil Halelamien]

(I'm planning on submitting the following story to slashdot soon, but
considering the extreme sensitivity of the topic and slashdotters'
propensity for going completely nutzoid, I'd appreciate suggestions on
possible rewordings/additions. Also, what are your thoughts on the
topic itself and its implications for genetic enhancement of
intelligence?)

The Economist, Sun-Sentinel, and FuturePundit report on a
controversial study by Gregory Cochran and others which proposes a
link between certain genetic conditions and above-average intelligence
in Ashkenazi Jews. The 40-page study, published in the Journal of
Biosocial Science, analyzes data on unusual patterns of genetic
disease in the ethnic group and relates it to various measures of
intelligence, such as winning 27% of America's Nobel science prizes
and having a highly disproportionate rate of IQs over 140. Although
the intelligence data has traditionally been attributed solely to
cultural factors, Cochran proposes that due to unusual selection
pressures between 800 and 1600AD certain genes developed which promote
intelligence as single copies, but lead to particular diseases when
somebody inherits two copies. Of particular note are mutations which
seem to be involved with neuron growth and DNA repair. According to
Harvard cognitive scientist Steven Pinker, "It would be hard to
overstate how politically incorrect this paper is... [though] it's
certainly a thorough and well-argued paper, not one that can easily be
dismissed outright."

Links from submission:
http://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=4032638
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sfl-adiseases03jun03,0,3551969.story
http://www.futurepundit.com/archives/002812.html
http://harpend.dsl.xmission.com.nyud.net:8090/Documents/AshkenaziIQ.jbiosocsci.pdf