Frankendarwin

A new study by Gregory Cochran claims IQ among Ashkenazi Jews is genetic. The Economist also ran a recent article, Natural Genius. Gregory is described as a freelance, independent physicist from Albuquerque, New Mexico, although he has worked as a consultant for aerospace companies and now an "unpaid" faculty member at University of Utah. I suppose the "independent" is assurance that he works for no man, group, foundation, creed, or color. He made news with the theory that homosexuality is/could be/might be caused by a virus or germ. Known as an evo-bio (evolutionary-biological) genius in some circles. His theories are widely quoted in racial-genetic-profiling rightwing circles.

Gregory theorizes that the Ashkenazic Jews (those from Eastern Europe, France, Germany) kept to a small gene pool, which reduces genetic diversity, but in this case through mutation created a intellectually master race. Gregory's thesis has not proved anything but it might according to several reviewers of the study. A reverse Bell Curve for Jewish folks.

Stated in the Economist, what can "be shown from the historical records is that European Jews at the top of their professions in the Middle Ages raised more children to adulthood than those at the bottom. Of course, that was true of successful gentiles as well. But in the Middle Ages, success in Christian society tended to be violently aristocratic (warfare and land), rather than peacefully meritocratic (banking and trade)." Well, duh. Then, as now, banking/trade funded the wars for land/power. That would suggest that successful, wealthier aristocratic folks economically favor and wage wars. What an unusual idea, huh?

Gregory is pulling ideas out of his ass to make a name for himself. Doing nothing more than using pretentious language, disguised as science, to support racist stereotypes.