Genes, Brains, and Intelligence: What’s New?

 Emil O. W. Kirkegaard March 2, 2021

In the second half of the 20th century, Marxist intellectuals such as Stephen Jay Gould and Richard Lewontin stigmatized research into the study of intelligence, especially of individual and group differences. Although still a taboo topic, over the last few years there has been a constant stream of new research on genetics and intelligence, so much so that most people have a hard time keeping up. This is all the more impressive in light of the cultural revolution on college campuses and the revival of blank slate ideology by cultural elites.

One can attribute much of the progress of research on the genetics of intelligence to the decades-long work of Robert Plomin and Ian Deary. This power duo (both head prominent research labs) steered clear of ethnic and racial differences research, resolutely focusing on individual differences. The result was the establishment of increasingly large datasets, many of which include family members, especially twins (TEDS is an example). These have in turn produced a torrent of findings showing the powerful effects of genetics on human psychology and life outcomes ranging from educational attainment to marital stability ........... To Read More.....