Hive Mind, by Garett Jones.
As far as I can tell, he and Joseph Henrich are unaware of one another’s work. Jones emphasizes what he calls the paradox of IQ. That is, although the correlation between IQ and income is only modest for individuals, it is strong for nations. Henrich, while not discussing this observation, offers an explanation, which is that intelligence is imparted by culture.
Interestingly, both Jones and Henrich make use of the correlation between test of reaction time and IQ tests. Jones says that this suggests that IQ must be an indicator, at least to some degree, of physiological differences among individuals, not just some specific test-taking ability. Henrich says that the comparable performance of chimpanzees and humans on reaction-time tests shows that superior human intelligence is probably more cultural than physiological.
It’s very odd indeed to use reaction times as a proxy for inter-species comparisons of ‘intelligence’. Many animals, some much more rudimentary than humans or chimps, have much faster reaction times – including for complex tasks like flying and pouncing on hunted prey – that put us to shame.
For instance, even the lowly star-nosed mole has some of the fastest reflexes (which are like reaction times) in the animal kingdom.
Better to compare individuals within the same species. And then the question is what accounts for the dramatic variances one observes in cognitive abilities, not just within a culture or ethnic group, but even within the same family. Those variances are hard to blame on ‘culture’.
Insects react faster than humans. We have much to learn from insect culture, which imparts to all an equal ration. (Henrich, this willful idiot, as told by Kling, is nobody I’ve heard of). I see “Handle” has made the same point more seriously.
What a stark counterpoint to the usual equalist emphasis on intra-group variation – they’re so desperate to wave the “culture explains everything” wand that they’re now willing to admit meaningful inter-group differences? If they were only a little more self aware, they would say less.
All of us have only learned to be smart in connection with a functioning hive. We didn’t build that. We’re all an unfortunate time-travel-machine breakdown away from being stranded, useless and shivering, in an incapable past.
Jones is talking about a 30% pay cut for someone with an IQ of 135. If she drops two standard deviations she loses 30% of her salary. That’s not a modest pay cut. Compared to 700%, it’s relatively modest. But it’s real money.