French scientists call for stop to “fake news” about genetics and intelligence
A prestigious group of French researchers in genetics, neurobiology, and the history and sociology of science recently published a statement in Le Monde newspaper decrying the current proliferation of pseudoscientific claims linking genetics and intelligence, particularly in relation to social class, ethnicity, and gender.
The researchers assert that:
…apart from the deleterious effects of certain genetic anomalies, research has not yet been able to identify genetic variants in humans that have the undoubted effect of creating, via a strictly biological chain of causation, brain differences that translate into cognitive or behavioral differences. These misleading uses of “genetic quantifications” are serious, as they engage subjects with high political stakes. When they are the work of scientists claiming to represent the current state of knowledge in genetics or neuroscience, this constitutes, in our view, a breach of scientific ethics.
To read the statement in full, please open the link using Google Chrome, and then right click and select “Translate to English.”
It’s well worth the read!