Controversial question on human intelligence?

Question

Are there any evidence to show that any one race is more intelligent than another race in general that is.

I know within each raial groups there are very smart and very dumb people, but most are average.

There are differences in physical abilities among the races, so why would intelligence be any different?

Answer 1

The Trinitarian Monks say intelligence is based upon enviroment and survival.. it is a judgment call. If you were placed in a cave most of your life , that enviroment then expected to come drive a car.. it would be difficult.. yet how many men can go to a cave and build a fire from arcing a stone! Blessing!!

Answer 2

Political correctness aside, some groups of people do extremely well on IQ tests & others do very poorly.  All attempts to tailor IQ tests to bring west Africans up to par with Asians & Europeans have failed, to date. A listing of IQ by Nation.

http://www.isteve.com/IQ_Table.htm

The Askenazi (German Jews) consistantly test highest (~112) on all IQ tests, & Equitorial Guinea consistantly tests lowest (~59).   While we have never adequately defined intelligence, we still attempt to quantify some aspects of what we consider intelligence. We still wrestle over how much poverty & nutrition has to do with measurable intelligence & although we know it has some impact, it is obvious other factors are at play here.

Verbal IQ tests, given by native speakers of the language & directed toward cultural differences seem to have little impact on the score, to date.  

On a personal note, as an Artificial Intelligence researcher, I've yet to develop a real defined concept of true intelligence.

Answer 3

i don't find this question controversial  i just find it very unintelligent. there is no different in race and intelligence. dumb comes in all colors just as smart comes in all colors. i see you need not tell us what race you are.  i gather you also think you have more magic physical abilities that others do not have. if so would  you mind telling all of us what those abilities are.

Answer 4

We're still trying to figure out a way to reliably, objectively measure intelligence at all.

That said, why would it vary between races? The physical differences in appearance are only based on the environment the people have adapted to; they're still the same species, only minor cosmetic changes.

The brain still works exactly the same, regardless of apparent race. There's no evidence whatsoever showing any specific group to be more intelligent than any other on a consistent basis.

Answer 5

I think it's impossible to know.  How can you test everyone or enough people to be sure?  How can you be sure the tests are accurate?  Of late, even IQ tests have been called into question as to how accurately they measure intelligence and mental abilities.  Beyond that, it's guesswork, usually based upon the people you see.

Answer 6

I think that Colin Powell and Condalezza Rice are intelligent people. You can't  go by race. That is too general. You have to consider the person instead.

Answer 7

There is no intelligence yardstick. The vast differences in cultures worldwide make it impossible to measure.

A drawing of an antelope was shown to some African tribesmen (unfortunately can't remember who), and they couldn't comprehend it. Once the image was transferred to cloth, they were slightly more comfortable with it, but still didn't see an antelope.

That doesn't make them stupid. Their culture is such that to their way of thinking, a piece of cloth or paper is in no way possible an antelope. How do you give a western test (or a test of any other kind, for that matter) to some one who thinks this way?

So what is one thing to western eyes is something entirely incomprehensible to others.

Furthermore, are our current measurements of intelligence biased? I personally think so. Tests, inherently, set some one up to fail.

Answer 8

As there is only one human race, your question becomes a non question. You could rephrase it by asking about the differences over black & white, or any other combination of colour, or, you could ask about the difference of people of different nationallities, say of Chinese and Eskimoes, or Canadians and the French for instance. V

Answer 9

The real problem is, how do you measure intelligence?

Consider the WAIS, "Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale" the most common IQ test given.

It has a few built in handicappers.

No surprise, speaking English helps:"The Wechsler IQ test generally assumes that your native language is English. However, if English is not your native language or you differ from others in culture, your IQ may vary considerably."

http://www.personality-and-aptitude-care...

There's this: "Culture, education, residence and life-experience strongly influence your IQ test rating. The questions originate from a particular culture"

http://www.personality-and-aptitude-care...

Today we'll give you an IQ test normed (made, developed) for Japanese...in Japanese.

Two subtests of the WAIS: picture completion and picture arrangement, have you complete a picture and tell a story. Again the pictures are normed to the American culture.

There's also examiner bias. When I gave the WAIS much depended on my relationship with the subject. I was supposed to get their "best effort." If we didn't click as people, or one of us was having an bad day, the final scores suffered.

Years ago, and politically incorrect today, I encountered an IQ test supposedly normed for the inner cities and African Americans. The teaching point was that it required an education and experience that was radically different from my own.

While some tests have been presented as culture neutral and claim to really measure intelligence, none have been fully accepted.

Which means that there's no reliable or valid way to answer your question.