IUBio

brain size and intelligence

Nick Medford nick at hermit0.demon.co.uk
Wed Feb 7 13:41:14 EST 2001


In article <ewcg6.96048$ft6.3356295 at typhoon.mw.mediaone.net>, Richard
Norman <rsnorman at mediaone.net> writes
>"MS" <marshmallow5 at yahoo.com> wrote in message
>news:5y4g6.456$WV5.59588 at news1.news.adelphia.net...
>> Since a relationship exists between brain:body ratios and intelligence
>> across species, any thoughts on why it doesn't pertain within a species
>> (i.e. humans). Or are there studies demonstrating this which I'm not aware
>> of?
>
>I believe that historically there were attempts to correlate
>brain size with "race" and thereby establish "objective
>criteria" for racial superiority theories.
>
>One major problem is defining what you mean by "intelligence"
>and demonstrating that a single indicator can measure whatever
>you mean by it.

For a learned but readable survey of both these points, Stephen Jay Gould's
book 'The Mismeasure Of Man' is still the gold standard IMHO.
-- 
Nick Medford






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