Re: Gene-Meme Co-evolution in Reverse?

From: Bill Spight (bspight@pacbell.net)
Date: Thu Aug 16 2001 - 20:51:11 BST

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Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2001 12:51:11 -0700
From: Bill Spight <bspight@pacbell.net>
Subject: Re: Gene-Meme Co-evolution in Reverse?
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    Dear Chris,

    Chris Taylor wrote:
    >
    > joedees@bellsouth.net wrote:
    > >
    > > On 13 Aug 2001, at 17:32, Philip Jonkers wrote:
    > >
    > > Although the average IQ of a child is found by estimating the
    > > difference between it's mother's IQ and the average and the
    > > difference between its father's IQ and the average, choosing the
    > > midpoints of these two differences and splitting the difference, IQ
    > > will still range both above and below this average on the bell curve.
    > >
    > > Progeny IQ calculating example:
    > > Average IQ being stated as 100
    > >
    > > Father's IQ: 140
    > > Mother's IQ: 160
    > >
    > > Father's midpoint: 120
    > > Mother's midpoint: 130
    > >
    > > Top of bell curve for child's likely IQ: 125
    >
    > Our hope lies in the variance then! Otherwise it's a march to the
    > middle.
    >

    Chris, that's Galton's error. Regression to the norm. There is no such
    process.

    E. g.,

    Brother's IQ: 140
    Sister's IQ: 160

    Top of bell curve for parent's likely IQ: 125.

    Smart (tall, whatever) parents are likely to have children who are not
    so smart (tall, whatever), *and vice versa*. Regression is a property of
    correlated, variable data, not a law of nature.

    Best,

    Bill

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