Emil O W Kirkegaard

Please can you all read this Tweetorial from one of our best geneticists? Heritability doesn't mean what you think it means. It's admirable that you achieved so much, but it doesn't mean "genius always finds a way".https://twitter.com/ProfSimonFisher/status/986923915481178113?s=19 …

My tweet didn't have "always". I don't know why you link me to that. None of this is new to me.

Because you cite heritability estimates as evidence for lack of environmental effect on an individual's behaviour. The tweetorial explains why its a category error. Great if you already know this - most people don't. Sorry if I misunderstood your point ;)

Sounds like more word games.

No. Crucial to grasp & communicate the key difference. Otherwise some will (and do) use high HEs as excuse not to spend money on education & public health. We scientists have to be mindful of how our work can be misinterpreted by policy makers.

High H means that whatever E variation there is, it is not important to outcome variation. Obviously, trying to adjust further on that same E variation is unlikely to produce a big change. E sets a broad prior on expected gains from interventions.

... not important to outcome variation *in the population studied*, surely? E.g if population incl kids with library down the road *and* kids from societies where access to books involves a 3 mile daily walk, effect of access to books (E) on reading ability would be higher, no?

Implied in my "that same E variation" I think. In any case, I think people vastly overestimate importance of trying to increase opportunity. The internet has made everything available for years, yet we see little change bc opportunity isn't the limiting factor, people are.