FROM THE ARCHIVE

Author says genomes will prove race theories

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JULY 12, 2000

J Philippe Rushton said the recent advances of the Human Genome Project (HGP) will prove his controversial theories linking race to intelligence and crime rates.

The University of Western Ontario, Candada, professor is issuing an updated version of his 11-year-old publication "Race, Evolution and Behavior: A Life History Perspective." The new edition contains theories on athletic ability of Caucasians, Asians, and African-Americans.

The international consortium of researchers, scientists, educational institutions, and commercial companies recently announced the near completion of the decoding of the human genome, the basic structure of human life. Researchers hope the finds will advance improvements in disease detection, drug therapy, and other genetic related types of information.

Rushton isn't alone in this race theories. Richard J. Herrnstein and Charles Murray, authors of another controversial book, The Bell Curve, often charge that Caucasians and Asians score higher on intelligence tests than African-Americans based on race.

Their detractors say intelligence is the result of many factors including culture, poverty, and social class, not just race. American Indians have been held to be genetically related to Asian populations, yet do not perform at the same levels on standardized tests, which may indicate race-based theories of intelligence are faulty.

Get the Story:
Gene project will confirm race theories: professor (The National Post 7/12)

Related Stories:
Scientists decode human genome (Tech 06/27)

Buy the Books:
The Bell Curve : Intelligence and Class Structure in American Life (Herrnstein, Charles Murray)
The Bell Curve Wars : Race, Intelligence, and the Future of America (Fraser)
Inequality by Design : Cracking the Bell Curve Myth (Fischer, et al.)

Relevant Links:
Articles on Race and Intelligence, many of which may disturb readers - www.cycad.com/cgi-bin/Upstream/Issues/psychology/IQ/index.html The Human Genome Project at the Department of Energy: www.ornl.gov/hgmis
The National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institute of Health: www.nhgri.nih.gov
Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues (ELSI) of the Human Genome Project: www.ornl.gov/hgmis/resource/elsi.html
Declaration of Indigenous Peoples of the Western Hemisphere Regarding the Human Genome Diversity Project: www.indians.org/welker/genome.htm