Back in legal writing class, I remember being taught to raise my eyebrow and question a writer whenever he/she uses an adverb, rather than evidence, to back up a claim. (i.e.: "clearly," "obviously", "universally," etc.). So, Francois, I can't help but raise my eyebrow when you dismiss the "obvious stupidity of assuming intelligence is somehow tied to the white man’s Y chromosome."

Now, I would agree it would be stupid for us to ASSUME anything about something so mysterious as the origin of intelligence. So at least insofar as I take your statement literally, I agree. But from the context it appears you're trying to say a bit more--not just that we shouldn't make stupid assumptions, but that we should, for some reason, assume the opposite--that genetics can have nothing to do with intelligence. Is that what your trying to say? Because that assumption, although politically correct, seems no better supported than its opposite.

Now the obligatory disclaimer: I'm NOT trying to say that any racial or ethnic group is inherently, genetically, superior or inferior to any other--just that the nature/nurture debate has hardly been resolved in favor of nurture, and that it's highly unlikely that a factor influencing every aspect of our physical makeup (namely, our genes) would have no effect whatsoever on genetics.

--Z