While the West stagnates, China surges ahead in IQ research

[prozak]

"The genetic basis of intelligence has been ignored for a very long time," says Mr. Zhao. "Our data will be ready in three months' time."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324162304578303992108696034.html?mod=WSJ_hps_sections_lifestyle

[random_user]

More on this:

http://www.vice.com/read/chinas-taking-over-the-world-with-a-massive-genetic-engineering-program

So they are actively pursuing a contemporary eugenics program.

It's interesting that, judging from the reactions in the comments section, people seem a lot more inclined to accept a same program in the U.S. if it gives a competitive advantage, while if you were to simply preach it, the liberals would crucify you. I'll know how to frame the discussion next time.

[crow]

Liberals are very far from liberal. That is why they are so dangerous.
They insist that any thought or word, be framed in unnatural ways, ie: ways that they determine.
This so reduces the flow of information that anything new is sufficiently different to be thought of and judged as bad.
Again, this restriction upon anything new, is known as 'progressive'.

Anyway, intelligence is only a big deal to those who don't have very much of it.
The highly intelligent rarely give it a thought.
Which is why there is such a thing as the Dunning-Kruger Effect.
It's prevalent enough to require identification.

[Tralfamadorian]

Liberals are going to be the ones who oppose genetic engineering?

I would expect your average conservative to oppose it much more vehemently, religious convictions and whatnot.

[crow]

Six of one, half a dozen of the other.
Conservatives are are governed by principles.
Liberals are governed by emotions.
I suspect liberals will go along with just about anything, as long as it is put to them in their special emo-language.

[Tralfamadorian]

Living by a set of principles is respectable, but it is possible to be principled to a fault. Particularly when those principals are based on superstition and not reality.

I suspect liberals will go along with just about anything, as long as it is put to them in their special emo-language.

If you ever want to witness the liberal in his natural habitat, visit reddit.com. Racism is usually met with scorn, but if you can make it funny, then it's OK.

[crow]

Haha. That was funny, although I'm not sure why. Irony, perhaps...

For sure, being overly-principled can be almost as dicey as having no principles at all.
But care must be taken when comparing superstition to reality.
Are you really in a position to know what reality is?
I've spent nearly a lifetime isolating it for what it is, and only recently can be reasonably sure I am in tune with it.
What is often labeled superstition is, in fact, reality, and vice-versa.
There is some truth in every myth and some myth in every truth.

There is no natural habitat for liberals, since liberals are wholly unnatural.
But I fancy I understand your manner of speech, and what you refer to.

[Tralfamadorian]

Of course there can be wisdom in superstitions, but they have to be considered on a case by case basis.

Christians believe that the reading of tarot cards is of the devil. Of course, there isn't some external spiritual entity that will cause you harm should you use tarot cards, but it is bad mental hygeine to believe the future can be foretold. So, in a way, there some truth in the superstition that tarot cards are evil.

On the other hand, some ancient peoples believed that headaches and other physical ailments were caused by evil spirits. In order to release those spirits, a hole would be drilled in the head with crude stone tools in a process called trephination. I think it is safe to say that this particular superstition is nonsense, as medical science has shown that ailments always have a physical mechanism, and that drilling a hole in one's head is, in fact, harmful.

EDIT:
As for the Christian belief that genetic engineering interferes with God's natural order, that remains yet to be seen. Obviously, the universe doesn't care if we play God. There very well could be catastrophic real world consequences: perhaps genetically engineered individuals will have decreased immunity to disease or something through genetic fluke. Perhaps they won't. But the fact of the matter is, while China is trailblazing what could potentially revolutionize the human race, the U.S. is busy infighting over morality.

[crow]

I'm glad you told me that. I was planning a bit of trepanning on my wife.

[Tralfamadorian]

I was unaware that figments of one's own imagination were capable of being trephinated.

[crow]

Shall I sit my wife down and have her chat with you?
She already knows quite a bit about you.

[Tralfamadorian]

That sounds lovely.

[crow]

Hello - Crow has asked me to chat to you in order to prove I exist! I'm not quite sure how I can do that. I can describe
our day. Crow worked on a roof while I continued tidying up the raspberry bed. I'm a very keen gardener and as we have the best part of an acre of garden, there is always plenty to do. I'm sure this is very boring for you - have you got a question for me?

[Tralfamadorian]

Hello - Crow has asked me to chat to you in order to prove I exist! I'm not quite sure how I can do that. I can describe
our day. Crow worked on a roof while I continued tidying up the raspberry bed. I'm a very keen gardener and as we have the best part of an acre of garden, there is always plenty to do. I'm sure this is very boring for you - have you got a question for me?

From what I gather the two of you live quite the idyllic countryside lifestyle, far away from the complexities of modern living. I envy that, to an extent.  I live on the outskirts of a big city, so we still have country attractions like farms but there's always big city excitement should you so choose to partake.

As for questions... hm... What is it about crow that made you marry him?

[crow]

That's all you get. Her typing is painfully slow, and she uses an Apple keyboard, anyway, so mine dumbfounds her.
But I will ask her...

She says:
"I had never ever met anyone like him in my life before. We share the same zany sense of humour and the sex was great. We've been together for 17 years and it gets better and better. Not always easy to live with him, but he would probably say the same about me. I have absolutely no regrets. We also share a great love for animals and nature."

Whoa. Nice going. When she says the sex was great, the important word is "was".
She's rolling about laughing now, and adds: "It's mind-sex now!"
End of line.