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marjaerwinSome people periodically announce that "stupid" people are having more children than "smart" people, so human intelligence must gradually decline. Apparently a certain movie-- involving Brawndo-- repopularized this a while back.
*sigh*
Eugenicists have been saying that, one way or another, since the 19th century.
In practice eugenicists often used social status as a proxy for intelligence, leading to mass sterilizations of minority communities. And also worthless data.
That idea inspired forced sterilization campaigns here in the united states, it inspired anti-immigrant laws which tried to exclude groups they considered inferior, it inspired Aktion-T4, and it continues to shape transplant eligibility rules, safety standards, social security policies which cut off certain payments if people marry, and and policies which sterilize prisoners and detainees, or force iuds on people under guardianship.
So it's ethically wrong.
And it's factually wrong too.
Birth rates vary with social circumstances, tend to decline with increasing wealth, and tend to decline for all classes with increasing wealth in the demographic transition. Brain development varies with childhood nutrition, alcohol exposure, lead exposure, etc. as much as genetics.
*sigh*
Eugenicists have been saying that, one way or another, since the 19th century.
In practice eugenicists often used social status as a proxy for intelligence, leading to mass sterilizations of minority communities. And also worthless data.
That idea inspired forced sterilization campaigns here in the united states, it inspired anti-immigrant laws which tried to exclude groups they considered inferior, it inspired Aktion-T4, and it continues to shape transplant eligibility rules, safety standards, social security policies which cut off certain payments if people marry, and and policies which sterilize prisoners and detainees, or force iuds on people under guardianship.
So it's ethically wrong.
And it's factually wrong too.
Birth rates vary with social circumstances, tend to decline with increasing wealth, and tend to decline for all classes with increasing wealth in the demographic transition. Brain development varies with childhood nutrition, alcohol exposure, lead exposure, etc. as much as genetics.
