In previous 10 Questions, Razib has asked: If you could have your full genome sequenced for $1000, would you do it? (assume privacy concerns are obviated) By genotyping ~500,000 tag SNPs, it’s actually possible to approximate a full genome sequence for $1000 using current technologies. So my question(s) is (are): if you could have your […]

(This is the latest in GNXP’s semi-regular “10 questions” feature; links to previous editions can be found along the sidebar or by searching the blog.) The geneticist J.B.S. Haldane famously remarked that important theories went through four stages of acceptance: “i) this is worthless nonsense; ii) this is an interesting, but perverse, point of view; […]

As you can see above, I added links to stuff like Reddit. I don’t use those services, so I would have to register to make sure that the template changes worked, so can users please submit the Charles Murray interview and tell me if there is a bug? Thanks ahead!

It’s not really surprising to see that some stereotypes are in fact based on reality. If you’re seeking to confirm the stereotype of the all-empathy feminist who spouts Leftist dogma and does so in a fashion that garbles the rules of logic, then look no further than this essay from the law-student blogger who publishes […]

Robert Skipper has an enormous post on R.A. Fisher & Sewall Wright’s theories of dominance. I think Wright was more in the right on this issue, remember, it is easier to break (lose function) than make (gain function).

Today’s UK Sunday Times has an interesting article following up this week’s news story about the Anglo-Saxon conquest of England. It includes comments by some of those involved in the research.

Here is another interesting new paper in PNAS. The abstract: The most consistent biodemographic correlate of sexual orientation in men is the number of older brothers (fraternal birth order). The mechanism underlying this effect remains unknown. In this article, I provide a direct test pitting prenatal against postnatal (e.g., social/rearing) mechanisms. Four samples of homosexual […]

I have an mild interest in ethics, and I came up with something I haven’t read yet. I’m assuming some philosopher has thought this through. Soliciting opinions or pointers where to pursue this line of thought: Any ethical system that requires more of its adherents than they are capable of is nonsensical. Therefore, we are […]

I’m finally shutting down the old website, but I thought it might be nice to have some of these older posts to link to. Plus I’m moving to NYC and writing up a thing for my actual work, so not as much time for original writing for a month or so. This was my first […]

I have previously written on the subject of creativity apparently running in families, like the Darwins and the Huxleys, so I was intrigued to see in the UK Times book reviews this morning a rave review of a first novel by Emma Darwin. I wondered if this was indeed an addition to the illustrious lineage […]

Wow, Snake-spotting may have helped us evolve-study, serious bullshit. No “study” really, just story telling. This kind of crap makes evolutionary biology look bad. Update: The full paper is up in the forum as “snakes” (PDF). Update by Darth Quixote: John Hawks, while critical, does have some nice things to say about this paper.

Is up.

What was going on in Germany in April of 2001 that so distracted people that many of them forgot to get busy making babies that month? And when the sudden forgetfulness was likely noted shortly after January of 2002, did the Germans feel guilty and make a concerted effort to get back on track by […]

Most of you probably know this, but the race is on to sequence the Neandertal genome. Nick Wade has a decent story on it. Important point: The chimp and human genomes differ at just 1 percent of the sites on their DNA. At this 1 percent, Neanderthals resemble humans at 96 percent of the sites […]

A review of Highly parallel genomic assays Recent developments in highly parallel genome-wide assays are transforming the study of human health and disease. High-resolution whole-genome association studies of complex diseases are finally being undertaken after much hypothesizing about their merit for finding disease loci. The availability of inexpensive high-density SNP-genotyping arrays has made this feasible. […]

National differences in intelligence and educational attainment We examine the correlations between the national IQs of Lynn and Vanhanen (Lynn, R. and Vanhanen, T. (2002). IQ and the wealth of nations. Westport, CT: Praeger. Westport, CT: Praeger, Lynn, R. and Vanhanen, T. (2006). IQ and global inequality. Athens, GA: Washington Summit Books.) and educational attainment […]

Predicting academic achievement with cognitive ability The purpose of the present study is to explain variation in academic achievement with general cognitive ability and specific cognitive abilities. Grade point average, Wide Range Achievement Test III scores, and SAT scores represented academic achievement. The specific cognitive abilities of interest were: working memory, processing speed, and spatial […]

It is well known that people in the lower social classes on average die earlier than those in higher social classes. Obviously this could be due to factors of nature, nurture, or any combination thereof. A new study by a reputable twin research unit in England casts some light on this. As reported by the […]

Clearly I will have to get up very early in the morning to beat Razib to the punch! (see his post below). On reading the UK Times this morning I was pleased to see that a new study claims to show that (and how) a relatively small number of Anglo-Saxon invaders in the early middle […]

Ramesh Ponnuru has an article in NRO on the embryonic stem cell (ESC) vote. I can’t comment on Ponnuru’s arguments about Reagan, but I can speak to the science. Ramesh critizes the claims of ESC research advocates. Although these advocates do often stretch the truth on the promise of ESCs, Ramesh’s corrections snap back way […]