bell curves!!!1

10/27/2007 8:33:19 PM

I'm kind of curious how some of the people on this thread would account for the vastly different rates of progress and discovery in different parts of the without genetics as some sort of factor

now some will say because some races have oppressed others but what about before there was any contact?

just the way the cookie crumbles, environment, government? not stating anything but just curious of the various opinions

[Edited on October 28, 2007 at 8:13 PM. Reason : k]

10/28/2007 8:11:16 PM

^ Correlation doesn't prove causation.

Plus, there is a much stronger correlation with geography and diet that relates to development more than any aspect of genetics that we know of so far.

Also, there was a time when northern africa held the most advanced civilizations in the world.

10/28/2007 8:14:27 PM

It's much easier to account for the scientific revolution in terms of cultural and historical factors than genetic ones. Why would technological advancement be a surefire sign of intelligence, anyway? We might have been better off living more naturally. If technological advancement results in the extinction of humanity, now who is the smart branch of the species?

10/28/2007 8:26:41 PM

^^ I'm inclined to agree with that theory (I assume we're thinking of the same one).

Basically for a civilization to progress technologically, among other ways, a large enough percentage of the population needs to be able to focus on other things than farming or hunting. When examined through that model western civilization had a clear advantage in terms of domesticatable plants and animals.

10/28/2007 8:55:51 PM

Quote :

"I'm kind of curious how some of the people on this thread would account for the vastly different rates of progress and discovery in different parts of the without genetics as some sort of factor"

Read Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond. It describes how various environmental factors can give one culture an advantage over another.

http://www.amazon.com/Guns-Germs-Steel-Fates-Societies/dp/0393317552

I'd also suggest the book Collapse, also by Diamond.

http://www.amazon.com/Collapse-Societies-Choose-Fail-Succeed/dp/0143036556

[Edited on October 28, 2007 at 9:04 PM. Reason : ]

10/28/2007 9:01:43 PM

the Chinese civilisation just called me on my mobile phone

they expressed deep regret for conciously disallowing the development of gunpowder based weapons

they said, "yeah we'd probably be running shit right now"

they also guaranteed to not make the same mistake the next time around, and look forward to taking their rightful place in human history

then they invited me over for kung pao dobermain, but i told them i was a vegetarian

10/28/2007 9:09:31 PM