Disease and intelligence: Intelligence tested

Economist | Jul. 8, 2010 (Research)

HUMAN intelligence is higher, on average, in some places than in others. And researchers at the University of New Mexico have come up with an explanation, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society. Comparing the average IQ in a particular country with its disease burden (based on the reduction in life expectancy caused by 28 infectious diseases) reveals a striking correlation. At the bottom of the IQ list is Equatorial Guinea, followed by St Lucia, ... Full Story »

Posted by Sirajul Islam - via Sirajul Islam (t), Peter Avalos (t), David Wardell (t), Fabrice Florin (t)

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Subjects: Health
Topics: Infectious Diseases
Member Tags: IQ, Human Biology
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# Tweets: 37 (as of 2010-07-08)
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Posted by: Posted by Sirajul Islam - Jul 8, 2010 - 12:24 AM PDT
Reviewed by: Sirajul Islam (review), Roland F. Hirsch (review), Oliver Jones (review)
Content Type: Article
Edit Lock: This story can be edited
Edited by: Kaizar Campwala - Jul 8, 2010 - 6:54 AM PDT

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Oliver Jones
4.6
 by Oliver Jones - Jul. 10, 2010

This article succinctly summarizes some eye-opening secondary-source public health research. The authors of the paper used data provided by other researchers, while carefully assessing its accuracy. The Economist story's lede is infections disease, but the paper's lede is parasite infections. Because of the potential for abusing data correlating nationality and averages of intelligence tests, I wish the Economist story was a little more modest in its claims. The underlying Royal Society paper is worth reading.

It is a challenge to review a popular-press account of a scientific paper. My review covers BOTH, not just the popular press account. If this is true ... William Shockley and his crowd can hold their peace, unless they want to go into public health.

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Sirajul Islam
4.0
 by Sirajul Islam - Jul. 8, 2010

An interesting short report based on study supported by data.

I was moved to see The Economist published a brif account of a study that acknowledges differences in IQ between nations. It was one of those things that many people know but weren't encouraged to discuss.

Sirajul posted this story.
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Roland F. Hirsch
3.3
 by Roland F. Hirsch - Jul. 8, 2010

This short news item is good journalism. The auhor(s) should have provided more background. They should have, for example, noted that Bjorn Lomborg and other economists and scientists have recommended more efforts on preventing diseases prevelant in the countries that this piece lists as having the lowest IQ levels and highest disease burdens.

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  • Parasite prevalence and the worldwide distribution of cognitive ability — Proceedings B Pending

    rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org | Jun. 29, 2010
    Posted by Oliver Jones
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