Today I received my magazine, The Atlantic, a technology issue. James Fallows authored the article "The 50 Greatest Breakthroughs Since the Wheel." He incorrectly stated, ... the adoption of corrective lenses amounted to the largest onetime IQ boost in human history, by expanding the pool of potentially literate people." He wrote also, "... the invention of eyeglasses dramatically raised the collective IQ ..." I had to write a letter to the editor, included below. In my opinion the man was wrong.
The Hunter Institute in Australia discovered during their investigations during the Human Genome Project that intelligence is carried on the X chromosome. Women inherit their intelligence from both their parents while men inherit their intelligence only from their mothers. Corrective lenses have nothing to do with intelligence.
True, by reading and studying, results on IQ TESTS (not IQ's) can be raised. Please read my letter to the editor. Do let me know what you think by sending an email to me at: irenebaron@irenebaron.com.
Editorial Department
The Atlantic
600 New Hampshire Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20037
Dear Sir or Madame,
Below is my response to the James Fallows article:
Dear James Fallows,
I read with interest your article, “The 50 Greatest Breakthroughs Since the Wheel,” in the November 2013 issue of The Atlantic until I read your comments about IQ. You stated that “…the adoption of corrective lenses amounted to the largest onetime IQ boost in human history, by expanding the pool of potentially literate people.” On page 64 of that article, your number five “Optical lenses, 13th Century” again states “…the invention of eyeglasses dramatically raised the collective IQ…”
Please be advised that IQ is inherited. Results on IQ tests can be raised a few points through increased education, but intelligence of the human is carried on the X chromosome and inherited. It is hoped that with gene manipulation in the future, perhaps some inherited traits may be changed to eradicate some diseases. At this time in history, intelligence is not a changeable trait.
I first read about intelligence being carried on the X chromosome in an announcement from the Hunter Institute of Medical Research located in Australia. During the Human Genome Project they discovered that intelligence is carried on the X chromosome. I remarked upon this to my biology teaching sister who said, “You know what this means, don’t you?” I smiled, knowing she would come up with her own intelligent and often humorous analysis. She continued, “If you’re an intelligent man and want intelligent sons, you have to marry an intelligent woman. However, if you’re an intelligent woman and want intelligent sons, you just have to find a good looking stud!” I agreed. She was absolutely right.
As a male, Mr. Fallows, your intelligence was inherited only from your mother. If you had an intelligent mother, you are most likely intelligent yourself. If you look at your male friends or acquaintances who are not as intelligent as yourself and compare them to their mothers, you will most likely be able to see a correlation between their intelligence and that of their mothers. They inherited their intelligence from good ole’ mom. Those male friends and acquaintances who are brilliant most likely have equally brilliant mothers. Women, on the other hand, receive the X chromosome from both mother and father.
Therefore, when some “royal” clans ensure leadership is continued by the male in their patriarchal society, they are perhaps getting the less intelligent of the offspring as leader. If the queen was more intelligent than the king, the male offspring will most likely be intelligent and the resulting kingdom in good hands. However, if the queen had a low inherited intelligence, the future king would be a dunce and the kingdom would most likely suffer during his reign.
Please be aware that humans are currently born on Earth where there is atmospheric pressure and gravity acting upon oxygen and nutrients being supplied by the umbilical cord. Take away the pressure and gravity to allow the amount of oxygen and correct nutrients to enter the embryo/fetus and the brain will be given what it needs to grow as mother nature intended.
Therefore, children born in space without impediments of heavy atmosphere and gravity will most likely exhibit their true inherited intelligence. If they remain in space, not needing their skeleton and musculature, their body will decrease in size while the head remains large with the original brain. In the future, to travel in space, mankind will most likely inject genes for photosynthesis and inject chlorophyll into their bodies to enable instant food creation with light. That will free them from taking huge quantities of food with them or growing massive amounts in space. The skin color, of course, will become green from the chlorophyll. Therefore, future spacebound humans would be “little green men" and women with big heads, compared to their body size. Without the skeletal and musculature, they will be unable to return to Earth and would have to live in space or on a celestial body with little gravity. No matter what they look like, their inherited intelligence would not change.
I have researched this subject extensively as the premise of my fictional series is based on the human brain being given all it needs during gestation to create children with the intelligence they inherited, unimpeded by earthly constraints. In my series, they are not only brilliant, but also telepathic. I’m looking for an agent right now. When it is published, you can read all about them! Check them out at: http://www.irenebaron.com/the_joburg_project_a_paranormal_thriller/.
Of course during gestation the poor diet of the mother along with alcohol, coffee, tea, cola, tobacco, drugs, and chocolate may affect how well any part of the embryo/fetus develops. But the inheritance doesn’t change. If a child is born with a damaged brain from birth, the mothers’ diet, stress or physical care, that child’s later offspring will have the normal inherited intelligence.
There are several sites which discuss this issue included below. I suggest you read them and perhaps look up other references to learn more about intelligence. It has nothing to do with corrective lenses.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1016917/: This site is from the Journal of Medical Genetics, 1992 January;29(1):71 giving explanatory replies to comments by G. Turner) and M.W. Partington concerning the work by N.E. Morton who wrote Genes for intelligence on the X chromosome. Dr. Gillian Turner works in the Department of Medical Genetics, Prince of Wales Children’s Hospital, Sydney, Australia. Dr. MichaelW. Partington works in the Regional Medical Genetics Unit, Western Suburbs Hospital, Newcastle NSW Australia.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1016917/: This site from the same journal is another page (429) prints additional comments.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201109/the-incredible-expanding-adventures-the-x-chromosome : This site from Psychology Today contains the article “The X Factor in IQ” by Christopher Badcock, Ph.D. discussing the verbal IQ link to the X chromosome.
http://hmg.oxfordjournals.org/content/14/suppl_1/R27.long : This site has an article by David Skuse titled “X-Linked Genes and Mental Functioning.” He relates the X chromosome to social-cognition and emotional regulation.
And it continues with many other articles, none of which mentions corrective lenses.
Sincerely,
Irene Baron