Robert Plomin, one of the biggest names in behavioral genetics, has just published a book on recent developments in genetics and heritability. It's called Blueprint and is written for a general audience. https://www.amazon.com/Blueprint-How-DNA-Makes-Press/dp/0262039168/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1537903352&sr=1-1 … Here are two early reviews:
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Quillette magazine, sometimes mistaken for a science journal, published this one. You can tell by the review's embrace of what are still emerging results from a fast developing field as proof of old prejudices.
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We ( by which I mean me) have known the basic results for decades., The detailed genetics , genetic risk scores and such, is the only new part. I follow this work. Maybe you don't.
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But why do you follow this work seeing as you do not believe that anything truly new or interesting can come out of it and you "have known the basic results for decades"? That's not how science works is it?
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I didn't say nothing new could come from it. We, which means not you, have known about the strength of genetic influences and the unimportance of family influences for many years, from adoption & twin studies, etc. Now we know something about the genetic details.
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So maybe you or the Quillette sub-editor should have titled your article: "New book tells us nothing new about whether complex human outcomes are related to genetic differences"?
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As I said, the genetic risk score stuff is new. It disproves some old criticisms of twin studies, since it shows that very different methods produce similar estimates of heritability. Of course those precious criticisms were tendentious anyhow. And it opens new doors.
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Using ancient DNA, we should eventually be able to estimate intelligence in past civs.
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THAT would be cool.
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Isn't everyone sick already of the pictures of left-handed DNA? Why is it so difficult to remember the basic fact of the common DNA structure and mirror an image if necessary?
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I did not create or choose that picture. Editors do things to you, against your will.
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Horrible things, like stepping on the punch line.
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Or even worse, editing.
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They have no shame.
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Read them both. The Nature review is far more level headed and in line with what we understand from epigenetics and natural experiments (like populations being exposed to new forms of protein etc). To believe that genes dictate everything is to ignore the history of progress.
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Epigenetic effects from incredible hardships inflicted on recent past generations, such as mass starvation and Japanese invasion, are why the Chinese score so poorly n standardized tests. It is not their fault.
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So your assumptions of epigenetic responses to particular experiences is evidence of something? Other than your bias that is of course
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A. The phenom, inheritance of acquired traits, doesn't exist in humans B. If did exist, you'd see it manifest in people that experienced far worse shit over the 20th than any American. Nobody does. C. It's bullshit. D. I should respect obvious bullshit? Why?
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Do epigenetics exist as a form of inter generational information transfer? If so, how does that information change? How would we measure the differences? What powered study would we need? To just note that we don’t know the exact answers to these qs isn’t proof of anything
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People have looked extensively. Doesn't exist. Was a popular idea in the Soviet Union,, led to the suppression of real genetics and agricultural failure. Naturally, on the comeback trail, as part of the current wave of madness.
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I’m confused, are you saying epigenetic intragenerational information transmission doesn’t exist? So Prader-Willi and Angelman syndromes as the result of imprinting don’t exist?
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Rare, random inactivation of the parental or maternal allele. Nobody says it comes from experience. Nor is it transmitted to the folowing generation - because there isn't one.
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