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sapinker's profile
Steven Pinker
Steven Pinker
Steven Pinker
Verified account
@sapinker

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Steven PinkerVerified account

@sapinker

Cognitive scientist at Harvard.

Boston, MA
pinker.wjh.harvard.edu
Joined January 2010

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    Steven Pinker‏Verified account @sapinker 5 Jul 2016

    The Blank Slate persists: Check out the 1st 4 words of this op-ed (though I agree with a lot of the rest).http://nyti.ms/29fPjTN 

    2:27 PM - 5 Jul 2016
    • 51 Retweets
    • 140 Likes
    • Jonathan LaTourelle fun circle David Crawford Milan R. Vuckovic Skeptic Perspective Disabled forsecurity Ryan Murphy D.J. Grothe M. Mehdi Moradi
    18 replies 51 retweets 140 likes
      1. mike efron‏ @mike___e 5 Jul 2016
        Replying to @sapinker

        How is it 'blank slate'? It's not saying all individuals are equally talented, just that distrib of talent & oppty differ.

        0 replies 0 retweets 3 likes
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      2. Paul Cassidy‏ @paulhcassidy53 5 Jul 2016
        Replying to @sapinker

        Maybe he means "equally distributed across racial, ethnic, gender, and class groups." I.e., the orthodox dogma.

        1 reply 0 retweets 3 likes
      3. 1 more reply
      1. David Lane‏ @davidlane_22 5 Jul 2016
        Replying to @sapinker

        That line looks like a failed attempt at a pithy, clever lede. It's absurd on its face. Take Michael Jordan and basketball, e.g.

        0 replies 0 retweets 2 likes
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      1. ARCHIE BUSHEE‏ @ARCHIEBUSHEE 6 Jul 2016
        Replying to @sapinker

        my internship involved a shovel.

        0 replies 0 retweets 1 like
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      1. Yariv Adam‏ @yarivadam 6 Jul 2016
        Replying to @sapinker

        'equally distributed' probably means across populations, social groups etc. not individuals.

        0 replies 1 retweet 0 likes
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      1. Soren‏ @soreneh 6 Jul 2016
        Replying to @sapinker

        I’m 5foot6. The reason I’m not a pro NBA player is strictly down to lack of opportunity 🤔

        0 replies 0 retweets 1 like
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      1. Nick Sheard‏ @NickSheard 5 Jul 2016
        Replying to @sapinker

        Doesn't anybody check this stuff? It's a big assertion to go by without being questioned.

        0 replies 1 retweet 0 likes
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      1. Brian Rusk‏ @BrianViRu 5 Jul 2016
        Replying to @sapinker

        @nytimes Could mean that there are equal normal distributions of talent between demographic groups.

        0 replies 0 retweets 1 like
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      1. Dory Owen‏ @doryowen 5 Jul 2016
        Replying to @sapinker

        I was told that early in my career any time I got "uppity" about my skill set. "You're nothing special, just lucky." #womenintech

        0 replies 0 retweets 1 like
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      1. DLed‏ @dmlled 8 Jul 2016
        Replying to @sapinker

        @nytimes the basic laws of physics seem equally distributed, but lumps of matter clearly aren't

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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      2. Jave Galt-Miller‏ @PelopsWar 7 Jul 2016
        Replying to @sapinker

        Innate talent being spread "equally" over a culture or large group of people, rather than equally among individuals. No good?

        1 reply 0 retweets 0 likes
      3. Jave Galt-Miller‏ @PelopsWar 7 Jul 2016
        Replying to @PelopsWar @sapinker

        That may have been a book of yours I failed to read.

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
      4. End of conversation
      1. M. Dafang‏ @cg_mischling 7 Jul 2016
        Replying to @sapinker

        that's like pointing out communism still persists by highlighting an op-ed in the daily worker. Not representative @razibkhan

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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      1. Ron Murphy‏ @ronmurp 7 Jul 2016
        Replying to @sapinker

        .@sapinker That first bit was a throw away intro to the main thesis. Maybe he'd agree if questioned.

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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      1. CLeeBen‏ @cleeben 5 Jul 2016
        Replying to @sapinker

        thanks!

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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      1. Jonathan Vitale‏ @JonMVitale 5 Jul 2016
        Replying to @sapinker

        I think the author means "equally-distributed" at the group level.

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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      1. Thomas Oatley‏ @thoatley 5 Jul 2016
        Replying to @sapinker

        I think he meant "randomly".

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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      1. Spooky EU Democrat spook #FPBE  🎃‏ @FreekHeavydrop 5 Jul 2016
        Replying to @sapinker

        Extreme egalitarianism.

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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      1. tangentiel‏ @tangentiel 5 Jul 2016
        Replying to @sapinker

        You are right but I wonder how would the world run if inequality of talent was flaunted conspicuously.

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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