Comments on The Daily (Maybe): More pointless propaganda for genetic determinism

Interesting post. It is incredible what drivel pas...

2008-03-15T17:57:00.000Z

Interesting post. It is incredible what drivel passes as science as soon as you use the word genetic. And then from the "science" to the press release to the sensational story it just gets further from any sense of rational analysis.

The idea that you can categorize humour easily into two or three categories is pretty weird in itself.

I have a theory that Australians are genetically programmed to run over kangaroos with their cars, because it never happens in the Lake District.

I am of the view that those on the “left” are biol...

2008-03-11T22:20:00.000Z

I am of the view that those on the “left” are biologically programmed to that position. I therefore forgive you for this post.

lol - don't panic chris that was clear from your p...

2008-03-11T21:40:00.000Z

lol - don't panic chris that was clear from your previous post

Just to be clear I'm talking about the article not...

2008-03-11T20:43:00.000Z

Just to be clear I'm talking about the article not your post.

Surely what they'd really need to do this study is...

2008-03-11T17:13:00.000Z

Surely what they'd really need to do this study is sets of twins one of whom grew up in England and one of whom grew up in America, then see if they can predict which country the parents came from.

A lot of biologists tend to refer to this kind of pointless speculation as Just So Stories.

Yes, there's selection - but that doesn't make it ...

2008-03-11T15:40:00.000Z

Yes, there's selection - but that doesn't make it genetic though.

If American society was partially founded by religious fanatics then you'd expect that country to have a strong political-religious current.

That's the path US society found itself on but seeing as, by today's standards, large numbers of people who stayed in England were also religious fanatics it tends to undermine the idea there was a genetic predisposition at work, rather the different political situations.

As an example: If Blair could have got away with American style christian right politics he would have - it's the culture that made that impossible, not his genetic makeup.

Conversely Obama is constantly banging on about how christian he is - but that's because he *has* to in the american political system - but it doesn't seem to me to be the way he prefers to do things.

I hope that's not quite as rambling as I fear it might be.

Hang on a second. There has been some selection he...

2008-03-11T15:25:00.000Z

Hang on a second. There has been some selection here between those who went to America and those who stayed. The Plymouth Brethren left England for America because they were religious fanatics, as did a lot of other people. Maybe this is why Americans are among the most religious in the world and the Brits are among the least.
A lot of others left England for America because they were criminals - transported or on the run. Maybe that explains the differential crime rate. (I wouldn't consider Australia here, because by the time we were deporting people there it was a time of extreme poverty so they weren't people who were inherently criminal, and there were a lot of political prisoners sent to Australia too).
The sense of humour stuff is nonsense though.