Yeah, I’m aware about the variance thing. The “geniuses” side of the graph stands out to me more, but probably only because of personal relevance. (I never took an IQ test but I’d guess I’m more likely top half than bottom half.) But you’re right, if there were higher variance among men, and if IQ mattered, then I’d believe we were also obligated to do something about low-IQ males.
Richard Whitmire (see http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/whyboysfail/) convinced me that there’s a serious educational problem among US and European boys. He examines the education system, not IQ, but if some of it turns out to be biological then we should be working on that too.
I think the problems with the education system in the US and Europe are more fundamental than just that it is failing boys. The real problem is that we have an educational system adapted for early 20th century industrial societies that for institutional reasons has been unable to adapt to a completely transformed economic and social landscape. The most obvious victims are certain groups of boys but the whole system is completely unsuited to the modern world and is structured in a way that makes it largely incapable of correctly diagnosing or doing anything to fix the problems.
Yes, but usually, when a grad student in mathematics believes she has above median intelligence with respect to the general population, she will turn out to be right.
Yeah, I’m aware about the variance thing. The “geniuses” side of the graph stands out to me more, but probably only because of personal relevance. (I never took an IQ test but I’d guess I’m more likely top half than bottom half.) But you’re right, if there were higher variance among men, and if IQ mattered, then I’d believe we were also obligated to do something about low-IQ males.
Richard Whitmire (see http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/whyboysfail/) convinced me that there’s a serious educational problem among US and European boys. He examines the education system, not IQ, but if some of it turns out to be biological then we should be working on that too.
I think the problems with the education system in the US and Europe are more fundamental than just that it is failing boys. The real problem is that we have an educational system adapted for early 20th century industrial societies that for institutional reasons has been unable to adapt to a completely transformed economic and social landscape. The most obvious victims are certain groups of boys but the whole system is completely unsuited to the modern world and is structured in a way that makes it largely incapable of correctly diagnosing or doing anything to fix the problems.
You and everybody else
Yes, but usually, when a grad student in mathematics believes she has above median intelligence with respect to the general population, she will turn out to be right.