Listen now (63 min) | Alexander Young is a researcher at the UCLA Anderson School of Management Genomics Department and School of Medicine’s Human Genetics Department, working with the Social Science Genetic Association Consortium (SSGAC). He studies the genetics of cognitive ability and educational attainment, with a particular focus on developing methods to uncover true measures of heritability for important traits.
Studies of genetics and cognitive ability point toward the fact that schooling isn’t going to be used to create equality. There will always be a portion of the population that reads at a 4th grade level unless we’re all maximally enhanced.
It also suggests that schooling is often very wasteful in my view.
Finally, we need to understand the genetic architecture of cognitive ability to genetically enhance for intelligence. If gaps are because of genes, hiding the fact to avoid stigmatization delays actually improving people. Delaying enhancement for cognitive ability means delaying tons of the beneficial downstream effects.
Studies of genetics and cognitive ability point toward the fact that schooling isn’t going to be used to create equality. There will always be a portion of the population that reads at a 4th grade level unless we’re all maximally enhanced.
It also suggests that schooling is often very wasteful in my view.
Finally, we need to understand the genetic architecture of cognitive ability to genetically enhance for intelligence. If gaps are because of genes, hiding the fact to avoid stigmatization delays actually improving people. Delaying enhancement for cognitive ability means delaying tons of the beneficial downstream effects.
Great podcast! I enjoy this type of talk