January 14, 2011
by peter.taylor
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In advising on the most effective measures to be taken to improve the health of a population, epidemiologists may focus on different determinants of the disease than a doctor would when faced with sick or high-risk individuals. This contrast is … Continue reading
January 13, 2011
by peter.taylor
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I have heard some argue that prenatal diagnosis and selective abortion would reduce society’s burden in having to give special care for very disabled people and that this would free up funds for general health care, education, etc. for the … Continue reading
January 12, 2011
by peter.taylor
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In 1977 independent scholar Allan Chase (1914-93) published The Legacy of Malthus: The Social Costs of the New Scientific Racism, a lengthy, critical historical account of scientific–Chase would say “pseudoscientific”–rationales to support the division of humanity into two “races”–a small, … Continue reading
January 9, 2011
by peter.taylor
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My previous conceptual starter kit for thinking about genes, race, and IQ test scores jumped in too quickly. It might be better as a sequel to the new starter kit here (designed for a high school audience at a museum … Continue reading
January 3, 2011
by peter.taylor
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OK readers. Keep in mind your answers to the questions raised in the previous post about patterns in data that link parents and offspring. In this post I describe what usually emerges when I ask these questions in my classes … Continue reading
January 2, 2011
by peter.taylor
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I want to ask you, the reader, to be a scientist and try to make sense of data that link parents and offspring. Consider one plot (of your own choosing) from figures 1-4 depicting heights of 63 undergraduate college students … Continue reading
December 25, 2010
by peter.taylor
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Biology says human life does not begin at conception. The sperm and the egg are already living, functioning, human entities. They are certainly not dead; nor are they non-human. Yuval Levin (“A Middle Ground for Stem Cells“) could, therefore, extend … Continue reading
December 24, 2010
by peter.taylor
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Taylor [T]: Why are you so concerned about genetic determination of mental ability? Eysenck [E]: If abilities are determined by birth and society can predict who will be naturally talented, then it can allocate its resources more efficiently, for example, … Continue reading
November 22, 2010
by peter.taylor
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I want more people to think in terms of intersecting processes, which means being able to read the diagrams I present, appreciate the theoretical implications of the concept, start to make their own accounts and diagrammatic depictions, and teach others … Continue reading
November 13, 2010
by peter.taylor
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Heterogeneous construction is a variant of the idea of intersecting processes, which, in turn, is an attempt to discipline without suppressing the unruliness of complexity. The concept of heterogeneous construction can be illustrated by reference to the previous post on … Continue reading