Comments on: The Consequences of Brain Drains in Developing Countries http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2007/07/04/the-consequences-of-brain-drains-in-developing-countries.html High-minded, fanatically malthusian perspectives Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:18:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Dan tdaxp http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2007/07/04/the-consequences-of-brain-drains-in-developing-countries.html/comment-page-1#comment-105758 Dan tdaxp Tue, 22 Jul 2008 02:41:15 +0000 http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2007/07/04/the-consequences-of-brain-drains-in-developing-countries.html#comment-105758 Agreed. It would be interesting to see historic emigration rates for immigrants and their descendants, after regime change in the old country. I'm guessing it's quite low. Agreed.

It would be interesting to see historic emigration rates for immigrants and their descendants, after regime change in the old country.

I’m guessing it’s quite low.

]]> By: Michael http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2007/07/04/the-consequences-of-brain-drains-in-developing-countries.html/comment-page-1#comment-103854 Michael Fri, 18 Jul 2008 01:27:45 +0000 http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2007/07/04/the-consequences-of-brain-drains-in-developing-countries.html#comment-103854 Much of it will depend on the duration of the brain drain. The sooner Iran's economic situation improves, the sooner the drain ends, the greater the number of drained brains that will return. Much of it will depend on the duration of the brain drain. The sooner Iran’s economic situation improves, the sooner the drain ends, the greater the number of drained brains that will return.

]]> By: tdaxp » Blog Archive » Iranian-American Normalization? http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2007/07/04/the-consequences-of-brain-drains-in-developing-countries.html/comment-page-1#comment-103695 tdaxp » Blog Archive » Iranian-American Normalization? Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:46:10 +0000 http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2007/07/04/the-consequences-of-brain-drains-in-developing-countries.html#comment-103695 [...] if true. The real attack on Iran is coming from our decapitation of Persian society, where around a 10th of the Iranian population (typically the most ambitious and education) has left the Islamic R.... The Weekly Standard The sourcing on the story is thin, but it feels like a trial balloon. The [...] [...] if true. The real attack on Iran is coming from our decapitation of Persian society, where around a 10th of the Iranian population (typically the most ambitious and education) has left the Islamic R…. The Weekly Standard The sourcing on the story is thin, but it feels like a trial balloon. The [...]

]]> By: a517dogg http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2007/07/04/the-consequences-of-brain-drains-in-developing-countries.html/comment-page-1#comment-17235 a517dogg Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2007/07/04/the-consequences-of-brain-drains-in-developing-countries.html#comment-17235 <p>"When living standards are relatively close, about 50% of variation in intelligence is explained by genetics, about 10% by home environment, and about 40% by "individual differences" (in statistical jargon, the error term)."<br /> <br /> So, when comparing similar home environments, home environment doesn't change intelligence? I remain unconvinced of the premise of this post.</p> “When living standards are relatively close, about 50% of variation in intelligence is explained by genetics, about 10% by home environment, and about 40% by “individual differences” (in statistical jargon, the error term).”

So, when comparing similar home environments, home environment doesn't change intelligence? I remain unconvinced of the premise of this post.

]]> By: Dan tdaxp http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2007/07/04/the-consequences-of-brain-drains-in-developing-countries.html/comment-page-1#comment-17236 Dan tdaxp Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2007/07/04/the-consequences-of-brain-drains-in-developing-countries.html#comment-17236 <p>a517d0gg,<br /> <br /> "So, when comparing similar home environments, home environment doesn't change intelligence? I remain unconvinced of the premise of this post."<br /> <br /> An insightful criticism. The .5 figure comes from nationwide studies in developed countries (that is, half of variation in intelligence among Americans is explainable by genetics, half of the variation in intelligence among Swedes is explainable by genetics, etc.). <br /> <br /> Within a developed country, there aren't giant differences in nutrition, diseases, etc. Even when comparing intercontinentally, home environments are considered to be similar (American Japanese score similarly to native Japanese, American Germans score similarly to native Germans) except when nutrition or disease rates are very different (African-Americas score a full standard deviation above native Africans).<br /> <br /> Raising the .5 figure even farther is "genetics expressed through the environment." For instance, children with books in the home read more, and children with intelligent parents read more. However, intelligent parents are more likely to have books in the home. If I recall correctly, adding in "genetics expressed through the environment" to the genetics quotient raises the explainable power of genetics to .7.</p> a517d0gg,

“So, when comparing similar home environments, home environment doesn't change intelligence? I remain unconvinced of the premise of this post.”

An insightful criticism. The .5 figure comes from nationwide studies in developed countries (that is, half of variation in intelligence among Americans is explainable by genetics, half of the variation in intelligence among Swedes is explainable by genetics, etc.).

Within a developed country, there aren't giant differences in nutrition, diseases, etc. Even when comparing intercontinentally, home environments are considered to be similar (American Japanese score similarly to native Japanese, American Germans score similarly to native Germans) except when nutrition or disease rates are very different (African-Americas score a full standard deviation above native Africans).

Raising the .5 figure even farther is “genetics expressed through the environment.” For instance, children with books in the home read more, and children with intelligent parents read more. However, intelligent parents are more likely to have books in the home. If I recall correctly, adding in “genetics expressed through the environment” to the genetics quotient raises the explainable power of genetics to .7.

]]> By: TDL http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2007/07/04/the-consequences-of-brain-drains-in-developing-countries.html/comment-page-1#comment-17237 TDL Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2007/07/04/the-consequences-of-brain-drains-in-developing-countries.html#comment-17237 <p>Dan,<br /> This is some fascinating insight. I am curious if you have any links handy for the studies you are referring to.<br /> <br /> Regards,<br /> TDL</p> Dan,
This is some fascinating insight. I am curious if you have any links handy for the studies you are referring to.

Regards,
TDL

]]> By: Dan tdaxp http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2007/07/04/the-consequences-of-brain-drains-in-developing-countries.html/comment-page-1#comment-17238 Dan tdaxp Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2007/07/04/the-consequences-of-brain-drains-in-developing-countries.html#comment-17238 <p>a517d0gg,<br /> <br /> The finding that intelligence is largely heritable is relatively new -- as of "A Candle in the Dark," Sagan argued against it and had consensus on his side. <br /> <br /> Some older references (meaning 1990s) are available from madsci.org and the New York Times [2]<br /> <br /> An overview of the controversy with some nice graphs is available from wilderdom [3]<br /> <br /> More recent citations can be found from gnxp [4,5,6,7,8]<br /> <br /> A longer treatment of the subject, with an exhausting list of references, is in Steven Pinker's "The Blank Slate" [9]<br /> <br /> Some of the current links up the heritability estimate to .8, but my suspicion is that they are counting genes expressed through the environment, which is kind of flaky. Also note some findings indicating that genetic influences counts for more in higher class families, which makes sense, as these would be the least likely to be exposed to toxins, under-nutrition, etc.<br /> <br /> [1] <a href="http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/may98/896289080.Ge.r.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/may98/896289080.Ge.r.html</a><br /> [2] <a href="http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9C0CE6DA1431F931A25753C1A966958260" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9C0CE6DA1431F931A25753C1A966958260</a><br /> [3] <a href="http://www.wilderdom.com/personality/L4-1IntelligenceNatureVsNurture.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.wilderdom.com/personality/L4-1IntelligenceNatureVsNurture.html</a><br /> [4] <a href="http://www.gnxp.com/MT2/archives/001304.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.gnxp.com/MT2/archives/001304.html</a><br /> [5] <a href="http://www.gnxp.com/MT2/archives/001463.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.gnxp.com/MT2/archives/001463.html</a><br /> [6] <a href="http://www.gnxp.com/MT2/archives/000970.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.gnxp.com/MT2/archives/000970.html</a><br /> [7] <a href="http://www.gnxp.com/MT2/archives/000973.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.gnxp.com/MT2/archives/000973.html</a><br /> [8] <a href="http://www.gnxp.com/MT2/archives/001524.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.gnxp.com/MT2/archives/001524.html</a><br /> [9] <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blank-Slate-Modern-Denial-Nature/dp/0670031518" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/Blank-Slate-Modern-Denial-Nature/dp/0670031518</a></p> a517d0gg,

The finding that intelligence is largely heritable is relatively new — as of “A Candle in the Dark,” Sagan argued against it and had consensus on his side.

Some older references (meaning 1990s) are available from madsci.org and the New York Times [2]

An overview of the controversy with some nice graphs is available from wilderdom [3]

More recent citations can be found from gnxp [4,5,6,7,8]

A longer treatment of the subject, with an exhausting list of references, is in Steven Pinker's “The Blank Slate” [9]

Some of the current links up the heritability estimate to .8, but my suspicion is that they are counting genes expressed through the environment, which is kind of flaky. Also note some findings indicating that genetic influences counts for more in higher class families, which makes sense, as these would be the least likely to be exposed to toxins, under-nutrition, etc.

[1] http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/may98/896289080.Ge.r.html
[2] http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9C0CE6DA1431F931A25753C1A966958260
[3] http://www.wilderdom.com/personality/L4-1IntelligenceNatureVsNurture.html
[4] http://www.gnxp.com/MT2/archives/001304.html
[5] http://www.gnxp.com/MT2/archives/001463.html
[6] http://www.gnxp.com/MT2/archives/000970.html
[7] http://www.gnxp.com/MT2/archives/000973.html
[8] http://www.gnxp.com/MT2/archives/001524.html
[9] http://www.amazon.com/Blank-Slate-Modern-Denial-Nature/dp/0670031518

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