So much has already been written and i doubt whether what anyone says could convince either side of this clearly two side argument that they are wrong and the othe rside is right. So here is an anacdote:
I remember Wogan interviewing the actor Richard Harris. He told a tale about himself as a young man in Ireland. He was working for his father driving a truck/lorry had been given a route looked at the route and desided he new a short cut and decided if he took the short cut he would be able to set off later, and thus had time for a few alchoholic drinks. Several sheets to the wind he set off on the short cut. Unfortunately there was a reason why his father had sent him on a different route - a low bridge. Harris put his foot down, closed his eyes and prayed the bridge would dissapear...The Left has made its mind up, race is a social construct. They will act like Harris and deny the undenyable. Occam's razor 'the simplest explanation tends to be the right one'
Thank you for thinking.

John, Stoke on Trent,

The IQ issue is nothing compared to the reactions posted here. The racial issues still divide us and the responses to the IQ article only further illustrates what we all know to be the tip of the iceberg. As an east asian, I will continue to observe quietly while you guys battle it out... good luck.

mea, Reno, USA/NV

This Marxist idea that "race is a mere social construct" is just Orwellian mind-manipulation for political purposes. ALL human concepts used to describe reality can be called mental constructs in the same way but it doesn't make reality any less real in daily human experience. Take for instance our concept of "the earth". Where does "the earth" end and "space" begin? Different people might give different answers (some may strictly include only the atmosphere, some may include the magnetic field - neither is "right" or "wrong") - but the earth still exists. This becomes even more apparent when we examine generic concepts like "cats". Straight away some might include lions and tigers in that concept and others may be more strict and put them in a separate mental category called "big cats". But the differences between lions, tigers and domestic tabbies all still exist. In the same way, we all know that race exists - but the multiculturalists want us to doubt our own minds.

R Walker, Birmingham, UK

I'm astonished at the ignorance demonstrated by so many posts here in relation to I.Q. To argue that I.Q is nothing more than a measure of an individuals background and education is absurd and shows an ignorance of the scientic literature.

I.Q test scores are correlated to so many important life outcomes and accurately predict educational performance, future income and job performance. They also correlate with welfare dependancy, criminality and a host of other important life outcomes.

I.Q differences between blacks and whites can be identified as early as age three, long before education or so called racism has had a chance to impact.

Poor whites in the united states score slightly better than upper middle class blacks who attend predominantly black middle class schools. This should not happen according to the environmental hypothesis.

The article is interesting and I am astonished to see something like this in politically correct Britain.

Leon Martin, London,

Some make the decidedly Orwellian claim that race is a mere "social construct" - in other words, it exists only "in the imagination" and that "shades of skin colour" are the only racial differences. This reveals the ignorance that is created by the Marxist dumbing down in the field of physical anthropology in particular since the 1960s. It is a fact that a physical anthropologist of moderate training can tell the difference between a purely Negroid skull and a purely Caucasoid skull in a few seconds. Skull size is a major factor - whether this is related to IQ or not is disputed. It is also a fact that organ donations are generally not performed if the donor is of a different race to the patient. If we wished to claim that such differences (and there are many) are merely superficial then we have to explain the vast gulf between the civilised achievements of the Caucasoids and those of other races. The real agenda is exposed when they tell us it is down to the supposed evils of whites.

J Mathers, Bristol, England

The environmental argument has been buried and reburied, but Syed digs it up, acting as if he's presenting us with something new. But for Syed, none of this history and none of the evidence exists that contradict his incompetent analysis and the irrelevant Flynn Effect doesn’t save him. Syed even ventures this:

“Allied with evidence of how IQ differences disappear when black children are brought up in residential nurseries with white children, the environmental hypothesis becomes convincing. “

This is false, as shown by the Scarr-Weinberg adoption study, in which black children adopted in infancy by white middle-class families showed no significant improvement in IQ over other black children.

Frank, North Augusta, SC, USA

" It would have been astonishing if the diverse peoples who happen to share darker skin all had a genetic IQ inferiority."

There are certainly lighter-skinned populations with lower measuredIQs than other darker-skinned populations. There does appear to be some positive correlation, Lynn/Varhannen think this is because cold weather environments select more for both higher IQ and lighter skin, but there are plenty of contrary examples.

SN, London,

Only an ignorant ego-manic would think that there is only ONE kind of intelligence and that they, and only they, have the ability to measure this with 'their" particulr IQ test! Which just about sums up the history of the world!
There must have been, and still are, a multitude of different kinds, and forms, of intelligence.
What a pity that Humans don't look to see what these are, instead of trying to classify everything according what they think they already know, thus governing themselves down to only themselves.

T. Bishop, London, UK

There are many comments here that are just plain wrong. The intentions seem well meaning (i.e., anti-racist), but please people, get you facts straight before just opining or parroting Stephen J. Gould.
If you doubt IQ is more than just a social construct, check out these papers discussing the underlying neurobiology:
http://www.loni.ucla.edu/~thompson/PDF/nrn0604-GrayThompson.pdf

http://www.wjh.harvard.edu/~cfc/Chabris2006a.pdf

Are there any genetic differences between groups in IQ? I don't think we can definitively say given the current state of knowledge. However, there clearly has been a lot of recent genetic divergence between populations through natural selection and intellectual differences are at least plausible. See e.g.:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/26/science/26human.html?ex=1340510400&en=0f5be7d7ceab0ad7&ei=5088&part

If you want the argument for group genetic differences, here it is, but it could be wrong:
http://psychology.uwo.ca/faculty/rushtonpdfs/PPPL

RT, Philadelphia, PA, USA

"This demonstrates that even in a hypothetical society with genetically based racial differences in IQ it is sensible to treat people as individuals rather than as group members."

This about sums it up. There will always be those who are desperate to find 'evidence' of 'racial' differences in order to support and defend their own prejudicial thoughts and behaviour. (Note the cries of 'seperation' to protect culture')
This and the other recent article of Syed's highlight's 'race' for what it is - nothing more than a mere social construct. It is about as influential in a person's, behaviour, charateristics and personality as their eye colour or shoe size. Thankfully as those of mixed 'race' a re the fastest growing ethnic group in Britain it shows many are rejecting the archaic notion of race and the belief that we must remain seperate.
Brilliant article.

Natalie Thompson, London, UK

If we Africans have been disadvantaged by poverty and enslavement, what explains the great achievements of the Jews, who have suffered far worse and for far longer than we Blacks, through millenia of enslavement and pogroms?

What accounts for the genius of the ancient Greeks in 450 B.C., if the lack of running piped water and electricity is supposed to be an impediment to advanced, abstract thought by Africans today?

I find the current IQ tests quite limited and wish there was a broader test that would one day replace them.

To me, the major difference between Blacks and Whites lies not in IQ but in temperament.

The fascination with ideas; the high mental concentration essential to think long-term and in-depth; the child-like curiosity about things; and somewhat eccentric personalities of the whites, is what made them conquer the world --- and makes them such dangerous people.

Hence Shakespeare, Plato, Newton, Archimedes, Da Vinci, long before modern electrical appliances.

Timothy Kalyegira, Kampala, Uganda

jm, what are you talking about? if we say africans aren't as bright as clever white folk, is there no place for the dim in our country (and, if so, to what homeland would you like to be despatched with immediate effect)?

anyone, and I mean anyone, can be taught respect and consideration or the benefits of hard work and honesty, etc. it is not necessary to be clever to be kind, funny or just reliable. and even a dog can be trained to be useful. who will shine your shoes (assuming we let you stay)? there's no two tiers of smart and dumb anyway.

there are many very "clever" scientists who have a concept of morality that is far more dangerous than the alleged simplicity of the average black man.

instead of repatriation, what about education? could black crime, for example, merely be a result of estates being abandoned instead of nurtured by their "betters"?

your comments are beneath contempt. when the lines are drawn by a different elite, you will be on the wrong side.

jem, london, uk

In reply to JM, what on earth does IQ have to do with social assimilability? Society is, after all, not a given, something that exists a priori, but an artificial construct characterised always and only by the sum of its parts. If your statement were to be extended by its own logic, also, we ought to 'repatriate' everyone according to their IQ score, and have, say, Country A for those with an IQ of between 150 and 180, Country B for those with an IQ of between 130 and 150, and so on. I suggest you give this matter a little more thought.

And where on earth, once again, lies the relationship between our more or less arbitrary national borders and ethnic or racial groups? 'Different countries' are 'there for' the maintenance of land and law (or at least, the attempt to do so), not for the separation of people of a different ethnic/racial constitution.

GBI, London,

The real problem with this article is not that black people score lower in IQ tests than white people but the idea that white people still think that that their IQ test is the only real way of measuring peoples intelligence. And much crazier still is that white people also believe that the intelligence that resides in the human brain can be measured by some poxy test at the lower ego level of human consciousness....What about the intelligence that makes our organs work - can that be measured? The post second world war education system that we subscribe to as a way of preping people for working in the industrial world, is fortunately not the only way that a human being can acquire degrees of knowledge about the universe that our planet resides in. Indigenous peoples alll over the world had degree systems that were comparable or even better than those that exist in today's modern world - that is why it was the intelligence quotient of black African peoples who built the pyramids of egypt

Queen Saazu, Kounsala, Ghana

"Different countries" are arbitarily defined pieces of territory that are (increasingly less) administered by autonomous governments. The fact that people migrate from one to another is natural and has always happened throughout history.

If you can't get over that JM then perhaps you are a good argument for some people being less developed than others. Mind you don't scrape those knuckles on the floor now...

James Clegg, New Cross, UK

Paul Heyes of Sheffield, Jews are white people. Anyway we need to stop talking about 'white people' as a race. There are 3 racial groups: negroid, mongoloid, and caucasoid, the latter includes white, semitic, latin, Indian etc.

Ashkinazim Jews have become a unique case, with an average IQ of 113, ten points higher than Caucasoid, hence all the great Jewish brains (Einstein, Freud etc.) from a single minority group. The reason for this is not clear but is probably connected to profession plus natural selection through persecution over 1000 years.

I'm curious as to why you think people should be subservient based on IQ? Personally I value the contribution Jews have made over the last 1000 years, their loyalty to their European countries, their peaceful behaviour, and their amazing contributions in Science, Philosophy, Art etc. I believe Jews are our greatest asset and will keep us technologically ahead of all our enemies. No, I'm not Jewish, nor do I feel inferior.

Lawrence, Liverpool, England

"Allied with evidence of how IQ differences disappear when black children are brought up in residential nurseries with white children"

This isn't true; according to Murray/Hernstein when adopted children are brought up in identical upper-middle-class white households median IQs are black 94, white 104. This is 2/3 of the typical 15 point gap (black 85 white 100) recorded in thousands of US IQ surveys, and 1/3 of the 30-point gap between IQs measured in Europe (ca 100) and Africa (ca 70), where environmental factors are clearly a major factor.

" The fear of the Left over possible natural differences between the so-called races is understandable but exaggerated. It is founded upon the idea that political equality is derived from some actual equality that we all share. The truth is that political equality is a moral abstraction, not an empirical discovery".
This however is entirely correct.

SN, London,

In an othewise well written analysis, Syed (based on the work of Flynn) mistakenly attributes IQ variation between generations to purely environmental factors. This assumes that members of each generation reproduce at similar rates (probably true for the example of plant seedling growth), and that the population is significantly not affected by uneven paterns of migration.
There is good eveidence in many human populations of differential rates of reproduction, both between different social classes and different ehtnic groups.
If one accepts differences within a generation are largely heritable, in then follows that the variation in reproduction rates within a population can carry through some of this difference between generations. Both environmental and genetic influences will contribute to variance within a generation.

Paul Langton, Perth, Australia

This is for Tim in London - East Asians (and I am thinking mainly of China, Korea nad Japan) have a much greater committment to education and striving to succeed at education. Of course this observation is a generalisation and you can find people and families who don't really care about the educational achievements of their children. But in the main doing the best you possibly can by studying hard and cramming in as much schooling (both proper school, after hours instruction and your own private study) is expected and considered normal. Sadly (because I happen to believe that educational achievement is a goal worthy of effort) the West has lost this and is now more indulgent of themselves and their children - and of course wanting everyone to be happy. That is the environmental difference that could explain some of the variation between whites and East Asians. Having said all that can anyone really define intelligence? If not how can we measure it?

Tom, London,

It would be interesting to see if a) cultural values within racial groups made any difference to the scores, and b) whether the scores, and the implications from those scores, made any impact on the cultural values within racial groups. Like a roundabout really. If, for instance, intellectual rigour and insight was seen as a low priority within certain racial cultural groups, might that not imply (to some) that that racial group was less intellectual, and by inference, less intelligent? Then, with that implication passed on to the racial minority in question, there is a further shift away from intellectual rigour, as being seen as less than 'cool'. And so it goes on. I'm not convinced that intellectual ability is that influenced by race, but more by cultural values and racial perception on both sides of the divide. Martin Luther King, as well as being a clergyman, was recognised as an outstanding scholar in his day. Perhaps time for a rethink.

Bob, Gloucester, UK

It seems to me that countries that boast a high level of IQ in it’s ethnic population are by and large, the most successful and wealthy. However the real measure of intelligence of the different races must surely rest by the sheer quantity of outstanding geniuses produced by that nation that had a definitive impact and actually progressed human development on our planet. Off the top of my head, England has given birth to: Faraday, Rutherford, Davy, Boyle, Priestly, Lister, Arkwright, Newcomen, Trevithick and many more I was taught about at school many years ago (not these days) but whose names unfortunately I’ve forgotten. That’s apart of course from such figures in different areas of life like Shakespeare, Drake and Nelson. I’d be hard pressed to name one African I could even begin to compare with those splendid individuals.

sean dunne, Louth,

Synopsis: low black IQ is not the cause of black underachievement but environmental factors are. What environmental factors are they then? Who's responsible for them? Would you Adam & Eve it? White oppression is responsible! It's kept blacks living in the 1950s! Anybody who disagrees is a "far right" retard. Well, I've never heard that one before! Hey Matthew, why don't you ignore the massive body of evidence against your claim and simply single out 'research' which fits your case? Whoops - you already did!

By the way, your seed analogy presupposes that the seeds start off equal - which is exactly what you were supposed to prove here. What, a circular argument to support more egalitarian orthodoxy? Never!

Tony Rogers, Plymouth, England

I like the idea of those with a higher iq bossing about those with a lower iq. however, there is a lot more to management than mere intelligence (however you measure it), as with everything else in life. it is people who lack charm, consideration for others and a work ethic who should be consigned to a lower category.

jem, london, uk

The really weak link in the argument here is the 'sack of seeds' analogy. It assumes that, whilst there is a major environmental difference (amount of sunlight) between field A and field B, the conditions within each field are completely uniform - which is precisely not the case where human populations are concerned.

So we're left with the point which the analogy is meant to dispose of. Either IQ is significantly influenced by environmental factors or it isn't. If it is, we'd expect to find substantial environmentally-conditioned differences within racial groups. If it isn't we can't appeal to environment to explain differences between races.

None of which affects the validity of Matthew's arguments in the last four paragraphs. We're all individuals!

Alan, Berlin, Germany

I am a white American and went to school with all whites who were avarage to high on the IQ tests, however I was shocked when I came to this country and spoke with other white people who had little common knowledge of basic history, arts, current events and had even less interst in learning it. However the non-whites I have met wanted nothing more then a chance to learn as much as they could about everything. I hope a study will done in 20 years to study the IQ of all the children of the people I have met and the affects of growing up with parents who dont want to learn and those that do no matter what colour they are!

Heather McSwain, York, UK

Brilliant article, touching at the same time the IQ issue, the political correctness one, and the ideas behind discrimination by race and/or skin colour. I particularly appreciated the final paragraph on the apartheid and differences.

""it is sensible to treat people as individuals rather than as group members" basically means stop sticking labels and judging people - a generally applicable truth.
And indeed, I for one am sick and tired of political correctness, its supposed benefits and the real harm it did on the long term to our society.

Valentin , Paris, France

Clever idea: "Moral abstraction, not empirical disovery." But even in the moral realm "political equality" is derived from "actual equality:" Politically equal are those able to be guided in their actions by common moral abstractions.

Hermann Burchard, Stillwater, OK , U.S.A.

Ability or intelligence cannot be directly measured because it cannot be accessed, only performance can. As performance is the result of ability, motivation and education these three cannot be clearly separated out. Thus, whether or not intelligence is inherited is unimportant. A parent, teacher or employer deals with whoever is before them as an individual and what they can do. Where their ability came from is of no consequence.

R Mason, London, UK

"it is sensible to treat people as individuals rather than as group members."

But is there any country whose immigration control operates on this principle?

Dan Baynes, Barton Seagrave,

"I suspect that if the writer's name had been Smith, rather than Syed, it would not have been printed!"

Why would that be? Asians score higher than whites in IQ tests, so it's not like anyone would say 'Because someone named 'Syed' is saying it, THAT's OK'. If anything, that would make it even MORE of a hot potato, if the ethnicity of the author made a difference (which it doesn't anyway).

Andrew Ryan, london, UK

The matter of IQ is full of ambivalence and, to some extent, I view it in much the same way as fortune-telling or astrology. Even if it has a sound predictive quality, I would rather not know. I have taken IQ tests, not by choice, and I have never wished to know the result. As your article points out and illustrates, it is environmental factors that play a considerable part in, shall we say, effective IQ - ie the success in acquiring and retaining wealth and/or power. The commercial and administrative concerns that may now be keen to use IQ tests in selecting employees are frequently helmed by people with indifferent IQs who, when it comes to collateral preferences, don’t necessarily put IQ very high on the list.

Henry Percy, London, UK

Very interesting Mr Syed and how refreshing to see phrases like "the so called races" and "racial categories are social constructs".

This notion of "races" of human beings having some basis in genetics and not being merely a blunt social description of shades of humans' skin is all too pervasive.

Congratulations sir for an excellent article.

JC, London,

Mr. Syed asks..."Would this sanction the kind of policies favoured by the far Right, such as segregationist schooling or a bar on blacks entering university?"

No, but it would mean that Africans are un-assimilable in the long term into our societies. Therefore, their presence on our continent is a permanent threat to our culture, economy, safety and stability, and their steady repatriation is essential. There are clear public policy implications, particularly involving immigration, that Syed deliberately ignores.

No 2-tier society is stable in the long run. These are groups separated by 40,000 years of evolution. Different. That's what having different countries is for!!

JM, Brixton, UK,

Why the reference to the 'far right' ? they're a small minority. Why the fear ?

Tobias, London, England

IQ tests provide accurate measures of one's ability at performing in such tests and little else. Only the pompous and prejudiced see more in the results than they are entitled to. Proof of this is that one can train oneself to improve on one's results which means that those that perform badly will be highly correlated with lack of familiarity with taking such tests.Psychologists and academics still read far too much into the results of IQ tests. Differences between measurements can be explained in large part by education and motivation, both of which in turn rub shoulders with perceptions of class.The academically gifted would most likely score badly when judged on survival capabilities at the street level, which also requires intelligence. Motivation and capability play a dominant role in determining the outcome of IQ tests, with skin colour being purely incidental. Nevertheless, it's a healthy exercise to discuss the subject openly and without deference to political correctness

Edward Willhoft, Epsom, UK

I have green eyes and blonde hair. One of my sisters has brown eyes and dark hair. There are, therefore, genetic differences between us, just as there are between me and an educated Chinese woman, between me and an educated Zulu woman. Living in the US, with our groups of poor blacks and poor Hispanics (almost all the last of Native American descent), let me say that social and cultural distance from a tribal society seems to me to have a lot to do with (apparent) differences in IQ and achievement. The farther one gets from that kind of primitive social organization, the better he/she does in modern society. Think about it.

Judith M Shimkus, St Louis, USA MO

A fascinatinating topic but unfortunately this article contains some serious flaws.

Matthew Syed seems way too eager to discount the possibility of at least some genetic influence. And in any case it is not sufficient merely to show his hypothesis is plausible: he must somehow show it is better than the alternatives.

There is problem with the argument about in group diversity. Imagine a population of 200 eggs half from hens and half from geese. If I create 2 groups at RANDOM the variation within each group will be greater. But suppose I separate the eggs according to egg size or colour...then the between group differences will be greater.

Syed says that 'It would have been astonishing if the diverse peoples who happen to share darker skin all had a genetic IQ inferiority'. Yes, surprising but no one was ever saying this. Syed himself explains it 's a game of averages.

Another error is the suggestion that inhertited qualities are always geneteic rather than environmental...

Axel Jencks, Toronoto, Canada

This is exactly the pointless thinking that underlies the racism in education, mental health and the prison service.

I am black. I have always scored highly on IQ tests which I find to be quite stupid so I do not rate them. And, I might add, have always outperformed white contemporaries in standardised examinations both here and in the USA (including one of that country's hardest Bar examinations which I passed at the first attempt whilst working).

Why, oh why are people so desperate to perpetuate the racial science used to justify slavery, Jim Crow practices and the holocaust?

Maureen, London,

The biggest victim of political correctness is the truth.

John Salkeld, Sheffield, England

Here's a good question. If widespread IQ testing showed that some particular ethnic group - let's say, for example, the Jews - had an average IQ higher than the others, should that group be given special privileges? Should white people have to be subservient to them?

Ask that question of any person who claims that, if blacks are generally lower in IQ, they should be treated as lower-class citizens. I can tell you in advance what sort of answer you'll get.

Paul Heyes, Sheffield, United Kingdom

What Mr Syed seems to be saying is that there is a racial difference in IQ but it's because the environment blacks grow up in is detrimental to their development. Does he think black people live in Dickensian times?

Europe has always produced great brains, geniuses in art, literature, science, philosophy, engineering and design. Many of these great people who are responsible for our incredibly high living standards today, grew up in poverty (there is no comparison between 19th cenury poverty and 21st century poverty), suffered from prevalent diseases of the time and died young. Yet, their genius still shines today.

Poverty didn't dull the genius of Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins and the other jazz geniuses. It didn't stunt the growth of Jesse Owens, Cassius Clay and all the other black athletes.

Lets face facts: different races, different talents. It's a natural consequence of genetic separation. Otherwise we might as well say all dogs are the same.

Eugene, Chester, England

Factors other that genetic origins are important, yet invisible because they are not quantifiable. If a whatever genetic group learns during generation to react physically to survive it is not comparable to the group that reacts verbally, or has done it a thousand years. Similarly the language has a great role from the moment it begins forming the child´s brains. The Asians may be "more intelligent" than Europeans because they must learn at least 10-20 letters more to read, maybe thousand of signs. Similarly a child who speaks two or more languages, specificly very different ones, has automatically a "better brain." An IQ test do not always cover these factors. Yet they are of a real and meaningful learned intelligence.

Penttijuhani, Copenhagen, Denmark

Numerous studies have already demonstrated that the differences in IQ among the races is primarily genetic, yet Matthew Syed, like many before him, ignore these powerful studies. Instead he makes vague reference to studies that only indicate environmental factors.
Unless we can honestly confront the truth, Western man, and the culture he created, will pass into the sunset.
It is articles such as this that help expedite this demise by discounting true racial differences.
By wrongly believing that race is merely a social construct, we delude ourselves into believing that we are really all the same, and therefore assume that once non-whites have demographically, culturally, and politically taken over our lands, that they will sustain the same culture we have created.
If we could accept the truth, however, that race creates culture, then we could honestly rethink our immigration policies before it is too late.
My. Syed has now done his small part to aid in our eventual demise.

Steve, Los Angeles,

I am, and always have been in favor of treating everyone as individuals. Also, I am offended by your statements that right wing policies are in favor of segregation and other raciest tendencies. I think a fair argument can be made that right policies are in favor of desegregating the the new forms of segregation the left supports.

Acx, Sedalia,

Before we dismiss actual difference in races as total nonsense I would like to have the names of a couple of leading physicists and mathematicians (both disciplines requiring high levels of abstract reasoning) whose ancestors are from sub-Sarahan Africa. That region of the world did not develop a number system or a written language. They never invented the wheel. Some differences in natural intelligence is certainly one explanation.

Anthony Back, Wellington, Telford, England

were all indviduals i wounder how manny journilists and mp's would be in a job if they couldnt hide behind cliches and stereotypes which they so often do that is the weaker members of the proffesion

Raman , Birmingham, west midlands

Clever idea: "Moral abstraction, not empirical disovery."
But even in the moral realm "political equality" is derived
from "actual equality:" Politically equal are those able to
be guided in their actions by common moral abstractions.

Hermann Burchard, Stillwater, OK , U.S.A.

I very much praise your intellectual courage in dealing with this issue.

I would like to respond, but 1000 characters cannot support a meaningful response to this complex subject.

Any way we could have a forum for longer, thoughtful responses?

JOHN CHUCKMAN, Toronto, Canada

More articles like this please. The truth is being suppressed in this country by a strong underlying racist attitude in the uneducated majority and a ludicrous idea of political correctness from the educated minority.
Let us fight for equality for all in this country and not special treatment for some which leads to negative treatment by others.
No more excuses from the left, no more lies from the right.

V, London,

How dare you speak the truth.

Dare we be enlightened further and talk also about the difference in DNA between human groups. There are differences in the human genome as well as difference between humans and other species.

Is destroying habitats of monkeys and putting them in cages and experimenting on them, murder? After all their DNA is only a small amount different to humans.

Birds of the same "DNA" flock togethor.

A good article and one that will have the Big Brother Corp (BBC) foaming at the mouth.

Andy, Chesterfield, England

I wish I could find it, but there was some research that showed that the Burakumin, members of a sort of Japanese untouchables caste, showed reliably lower IQ test scores than their genetically identical countrymen. Reliable, that is, as long as they remain in Japan: once they emigrate to the US, where we thankfully have not a clue about the Edo-era Japanese caste system, the difference completely disappears. Sometimes our ignorance of other cultures comes in handy.

Mitch, Chicago, Illinois USA

This argument cuts both ways. Whilst it is clearly ludicrous to bar people from University and the professions based on their race, surely it is equally ludicrous to set quotas for university and the professions based on race?

Or does illogicality become acceptable where liberal policies are being criticised?

Paul Holden, northants,

IQ "test" are only so good who made them.

Helena Mathys, Hameenlinna, Finland

Who cares about IQ?. It is what you do with your life that matters.

Kim Righetti, Upland, Calif. USA

The plant analogy was absolutely brillant. The difference in IQ scores between blacks and whites (at least here in the US) is a direct result of the segregation (both de jure and de facto) that blacks have faced, and continue to face, in society. Only one generation ago, blacks were not allowed to get any where near the same levels of education as whites. Even today, schools that are predominantly black are underfunded and neglected. Until these societal issues are resolved, blacks will continue to have lower IQ scores as a result of a 'lightless' enviroment.

Solo, Columbus, USA / Ohio

Mr. Deller makes some good points. The left has long misused the line from the Declaration of Independence about all men being created equal. The line meant that in the new country you could no longer be to the manor born (unless you were a Kennedy). Everybody equal in station only.
All men are not created equal in any other way. Some are smart, some not. Some tall others short etc. look around.
Here in the US, school tests are ever changing if they do not produce equal results for all. WHAT ROT!!

Ray Reddick, glasgow, Illinois

It is a well know fact that blacks perform much less in IQ tests and examinations at school, throughout the world. Scientists must not shy way from the 'pc brigade' and do more scientific study in order to fully understand why.

However, IQ tests do not prove that blacks are less intelligent.

Stanzler, NY, USA

A very interesting article, thank you.
I was both surprised and pleased to see that many of the posted comments were thoughtful, rather than just the Politically Correct abuse that experience has led me to expect.
Keep up the good work.

Mike Bibby, St Albans, England -not EU

I am annoyed at the fact that the terms

'blacks'

and '

'whites'

is used to describe a section of humanity.

How is it that in today's multicultural society, where civilised beings (i hope) have developed to know that all mankind is equal that there is still such boundary when describing race.

I myself have never met a black a person, however i have met many people of afro-carribean descent equally never a white person however many from european descent.

Plainly speaking all of mankind is on level pegging and i believe that we are all endowed with the same potential to achieve great things.
Whether we do or not is a question for our selves to ask.
Are we doing the best we can? can we push ourselves more?

Mr. Singh, London,

If we were to conduct an IQ Test at the time of say when Islamic Spain was the epicenter of learning in Europe (around the so called dark ages of Europe). I bet my bottom dollar Arabs were considered the holders of knowledge and therefore would also concur that success in an IQ test then would have favoured Arabs. To this end I would state IQ tests are correlated to environmental, economic and other demographic factors. Considering that most whites now in US, Europe, SA etc all live far more affluent lives than those of the minority. They have more opportunity to channel and develop their sons/daughters educational output. Majority of the blacks in US, Europe & SA live in ghetto-ised areas with far poorer facilities than their white compatriots.
Boujettif, UK

Boujettif, London, UK

Blacks also have on average 20% higher Testosterone than whites.
It is known that high Testosterone correlates with lower IQ as measured by standardized tests.
The correlation if any between these two facts has NEVER been studied.
Someone, get to work.

(BTW, The Bell Curve cites controls for environment.)

Ted Schiothal, Rockford, IL (USA)

IQ may be just a number but it is a measure of many other things.

People with a higher IQ tend to be richer than those with a lower one.. THey tend to be healthier and less likely to get into prison. Their children also benefit from this - tending to be better read more inquisitive and so on.

In fact the Times once showed a serious of graphs showing the wealth of the world' s nations is correlated to the the nation IQ.

george Enock, tunbridge Wells,

Good to see a member of the media in the UK actually discussing a non politically correct subject. However, in support of the premise that there are no real differences, the article is evidence based, but when it comes to right wing bashing it only requires 'anecdotal evidence', which is, of course, not evidence at all.

Neil, Glos,

The Binet test was originally developed to identify Frech schoolchildren who needed extra tuition and help. It has grown into a tool far outside it's original remit.

I read the Bell Curve and it was full of statistical correlations that my stats lecturer would have laughed out of the lecture theatre.

John Walsh, Harrogate, UK

Is it only the far right that wants the races treated differently? For equality to work both the far left and far right need to treat people as individuals and abandon practices that separate us by race, for any reason.

Steve C, Tampa, Florida USA

Well said, Mr Ballard -- you could add to that a range of different weaknesses. S-B is not rigorous.
Mr Syed, every time you divide people by race, you enforce the importance of race and treat those people as members of a group rather than individuals. This practise is a problem in society and the defining problem of your article, which is learned and pragmatic-sounding but actually racist. Political correctness is also racist.

Ivo, London,

In 1948 when the Afrikaaner Nationalist Government was elected to power in South Africa, average Afrikaaner IQs were 17 points lower than those of English speaking South Africans. Four decades of intensive investment in Afrikaaner education levelled the average IQ of both groups.

Arnold Ward, Weybridge, Surrey, UK

Personally I believe that upbringing by parents is a critical factor in development of intellectual capacity in children. Social conditions are a much more complex factor than simply the general standard of living. It is quite possible for a population to live in very deprived circumstances without it affecting general IQ. Post war Germany and Japan are good examples. These countries are renowned for parental discipline and ambition. The same is true of East Asia generally.

The generational differences can be explained by the increasing sophistication of parents and their effect on their children.

It seems to me that the best way of ameliorating the differences in IQ is to teach children in schools how they should bring up their own children in due course.

Marek, London,

Well done Matthew Syed for clearing this issue up in a few paragraphs. A bit more detail:

East Asian IQ (ie Chinese, Japanese) averages 106(Caucasoid, 103 ) however, this higher score is thought to represent greater visual-spacial IQ. East Asians are more image oriented, love cameras, computers, comics. Their verbal sequential IQ is thought to be lower and the reason they didn't invent everything from the biro to the space shuttle is because they are thought to be too conformist.

The article ignores 'g' factor and reaction times.

It also ignores other differences: co-operation, forward planning, aggression, impulsivity and empathy, levels of which vary greatly between races depending on whether your ancestors had to survive through long cold winters or not.

If Jensen and Rushton are right, where is the morality in telling youngsters they can be the best when they can't? Who do you want on your jury? Can you have complete faith in your GP's diagnosis?

Lawrence, Liverpool, England

If IQ test accurately measured IQ the score for everybody taking them would be the same each time they took them. This is not the case. IQ tests have two flaws:
-People get better at IQ tests if they take them more often.
-IQ tests assume a certain level of pre-knowledge (like at a minimum being able to read and count) which might be lacking in certain subjects taking the test.

If IQ tests really accurately measured IQ and IQ is genetically defined then the scores of ethnic groups in America would remain static over time. This is not the case.
In his writing "Intelligence and Ethnicity" Thomas Sowell demonstrates how IQ scores have risen among many groups, and notes that a number of white ethnic groups tallied poor scores as they began entry into the American urban economy. Jews for example scored dismally on Army intelligence tests during WWI leading to some disparaging commentary. However Jewish IQ scores rose steadily until they currently rank near the top.

Peter , New York, USA

Sensitive yet interesting subject. However, one thing that should be discussed is the concept that persons of mixed origin have a far higher IQ than all others - (particularly the more opposite, the higher the average IQ e.g. offspring of black and white persons).

I think that this theory is true; however, this article does not indicate that it was taken into any consideration during research which should definitely be expanded to cover this area - if proven true, then apartheid and neo-nazism have no arguments at all to support not mixing with others and no place on earth.

As the world has gotten 'flatter', and where some countries no longer have 'pure' blood, what's the point in just covering pure races only - it makes far more sense to include mixed peoples - this research has ignored the people of large cosmopolitan places like Rio, Amsterdam, New York and many others.

Linda, Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago

Want more info on the current state of IQ and race research, and what we can predict using that info? Here are some links.

http://www.gnxp.com/blog/2007/06/race-tnr-debate.php
http://www.gnxp.com/blog/2007/01/race-current-consensus.php
http://www.gnxp.com/blog/2007/06/diversity-trust.php

http://www.vdare.com/sailer/060423_lynn.htm

http://www.lagriffedulion.f2s.com/

Cheers.

Pwyll, SF Bay Area, USA, California

Given the year we're in, the continued use of such simplistic race categories as 'black' and 'white', no longer strengthens any argument.

As a UK Black with Caribbean heritage I am very aware of the immense difference in IQ levels between recently migrated 'blacks' (predominantly African) and early arrivals from the Caribbean.

Even from my position of ignorance I can see that environment will impact on IQ if education and the ability to take and pass tests is not seen as essential to survival, especially in a society that requires manual workers but does not value their contribution.

MJ, London,

It is excellent that this subject is coming up - the more the problem is in the open, the easier it is to fix. Unfortunately, the comforting arguments the author uses to attempt to show that different races don't have different average IQs are mostly wrong. The seed growth example may hold for blacks in Britain vs. Blacks in Africa, but Blacks in Britain do not differ materially from Whites in Britain as far as things like childhood nutrition are concerned. The assertion that the IQ gap disappears when Black children are brought up in White environments is contradicted by numerous studies. However, the comment that there's significant overlap in the distributions - i.e. even if Blacks *average* lower IQ than Whites, some Blacks will be above the White average - is true.

Those arguing that race and IQ are meaningless terms are totally wrong - the meaningfulness, validity, and predictive power of both terms have gained tons of evidence as genetic analysis has advanced.

Pwyll, SF Bay Area, USA, California

Syed argues that the fact that within-group white IQ and within-group black IQ scores are highly hereditable does not *logically* mean that the between-group differences are. Of course it doesn't *logically* necessitate this. Nor does it *logically* deny this. Other sorts of empirical evidence are required.

Finally, Syed's claim that racial categories are mere social constructs (a belief claimed by Syed, but held by exceedingly few geneticists) is too silly to analyze here. Interested readers might take a look at my: http://www.vdare.com/misc/060221_goldberg.htm

Steven Goldberg , New York , NY

The simili of plant A & plant B is all you need to demonstrate the advantages of good or bad environment.

The present Asian phenomenon, surely is due to parents aiming high, they automatically talk about being , 'a doctor ' or ' accountant' which is aspirational from the outset.

Take one White baby , one black baby & one Asian baby, bring them up identically in the same environment, with good nutrition, housing , education, all the neccessary needs of love, good parenting & I would bet there will be very little difference between their IQ by the time they are 18.

Why should this be a sensitive issue when we are trying to correct it , could it be guilt left over from colonial days ? when slaves were denied education, in fact it was absolutely forbidden [ by their white masters ] for slaves to learn reading & writing.
Where I personally think some of the problem may lie with black IQ at present, apart from environment, is lack of confidence, & is it any wonder.

Maggie Millington, Brittany , France

Mathew Syad's piece on IQ is incorrect on a number of levels:

[1] He implies that the "culture bias" criticism of IQ tests may be correct. It can not.

For "culture bias" to be a legitimate criticism, one or both of two things must occur: (1) The test underpredicts the performance of the group allegedly victimized by bias. It does not underpredict black performance. (2) The victimized group must find the "biased" questions relatively more difficult than the other questions (as measured by the percent of the groups test-takers who answer the question incorrectly). This would be the case is, for example, for recent immigrants taking a test that included arcane questions about baseball. (Such questions would be the most often missed by the immigrants.) On actual IQ tests the array of questions--from the most to the least answered correctly--is identical for blacks and whites.

Steven Goldberg , New York , NY

I agree with FA. While the Indians are often thrown in with the blacks (there’s nothing wrong with this), when it comes to the question of academic performance when the Indians do better than whites, there’s no analysis of why the Indians do better. In these instances they are thrown in with the whites. The whole thing is nonsensical.

GK, Saint Paul, MN, USA

lt is all very well having a high IQ but unable to survive!! Aboriginies of Australia are able to be successful when it comes down to survival like finding food and water. The average European's idea of survival is to go to the supermarket. This applies to the African and other indigenous people. The introduction of drugs and alcohol to the native Australian did nothing but stipped them of their natural abilities and talents. High IQ means to be able to survive successfully. By looking at the average person's health, weight and well being, l reckon the average IQ of the human race is well below that of an animal. So much for evolution !!

mia, Brisbane, Australia

You don't mention how we melanin-deficient chaps compare with other ethnic groups. The Septics are, naturally, obsessed with the question whether blacks and whites are 'different'. What about the remaining 80% of the world's population?

Frank Upton, Soliuhll,

An interesting article, and it reinforces my premise that non-whites do not need any privileges as far as schooling and work advancement is concerned. But it does not really explain why after 50 yeas of such privilege in the USA, Blacks are still way behind as a group in the economic and scientific world. With just 13% of the US population, some prisons have 80% Black inmates. And in Africa, Blacks who have been educated in European, Soviet and/or US universities are unable to do little to improve their countries where they have one way or another managed to gain top political power. Robert Mugabe is a prime example and there are and have been many others.

Any answers, please?

B J Deller, Marbella, Spain

Thanks, Mat. I too was going to say that IQ tests reveal ability to pass IQ tests much more strongly than any other ability. Intelligence is subject-dependent (and made of ideas, not genes): it is the ability to solve problems of a particular type in some particular subject area, and IQ test problems belong to a weird and stupid subject area all of their own.

I could have a go at the "heritable" thing instead. Since one's ideas are massively influenced by one's parents, only studies on children adopted very early in life would have any meaning. Trends for certain families to be bad at IQ tests can easily be caused by a family's ideas. Since IQ tests are meaningless in the first place, the whole business reminds me of reading entrails and nodding sagely - spotting meaningless patterns.

(PS - solidarity to Felix from Mountain View for this stupid first name we share.)

Felix, Nottingham,

Secondary school there where a lot more puils of mixed race or black heritage. The problem I directly saw from the majority of black peers was the simple fact you were seen to be sucking up to the man if you tried to hard. I know this isn't the same the country over as yes we are all individuals and like most people of colour hate being sterotyped. i.e we all love dancing and sport

My school was a complete mixture of races and classs and the middle class kids (mostly white)had the experience of talking to adults and being taught how to address adults is extremley important when your trying to learn from teachers.

I can't blame black parents but for reasons that are maybe justified figures of authority are not trusted e.g the police. I belive this can extend to teachers at school.

I wonder if other black or mixed race people have experienced the same situation in education which can be a reason why IQ isn't as good on average??

Matt, Reading,

Kudos, Matthew for tackling difficult subjects. I agree with the sentiment and your conclusions. Your journey from being the 'eminence grise' of table tennis to the 'enfant terrible' of sports journalism seems to be complete!

Sabremesh, London,

Does anyone know of a far right group that advocates policies such as segregationist schooling or a bar on blacks entering university?

J. Donaldson, Uxbridge,

Too often we create measures that suit us and then use then often in appropriately. IQ tests are designed to identify certain characteristics and background and upbringing impacts these things. Syed has done well otherwise my IQ of 177 for a black person would be treated as a mistake,

We need to talk to about these sensitive issues but too often we view them from a monoscope and jaundiced approach.

Brown, Brum,

Interesting article, but what about this: "black Britons face comparable conditions to whites in the mid1950s, something that chimes with common sense and social data"?

You mean little or no TV, walking to school, a simple diet of home-made food, married parents both living at home as part of an extended local family, links with the church including Sunday School for the kids, corporal punishment at every level in school, adults who expected to be obeyed, rote learning, no playstations or calculators, no gangs of kids on the streets, few or no drugs, etc, etc,etc?

John Richardson, Elsenham, Essex

Thanks to Mat Ballard for beating me to it in explaining what IQ tests do.

Others seem to be confusing 'equal' with 'thesame'. A Five pound note is equal to five one pound coins, but not the same. It may be more or less useful in different circumstances.

It is high time society recognised the limitations of IQ tests.

P R, Cornwall,

This is a very wrong-headed article - here's why:

What is "white"?

What is "black"?

What is "IQ"?

None of these terms have any scientific meaning, so its pointless to present it as scientific to say "whites have higher IQ than blacks". So what if one so-called group have better results in an arbitrary test than another so-called group. I put far more store in results in traditional qualifications than "IQ tests" and even more store in someone's ability to practically do a job. "IQ" test results don't matter - what you do in the unforgiving minute does.

The focus on so-called intellectual ability as opposed to practical ability, and the associated snobbery about vocational training has held this country back for decades.

FA, London,

Matthew,
Another brilliant article. I love your laser-sharp approach to analysis. Many of the other readers' comments are equally incisive. For any reader who likes this kind of good sense, may I also recommend the writings of Thomas Sowell, a (black) sociologist from the University of Chicago. I suspect Matthew is already acquainted with his work.

Pat O'Donnell, Ascot,

Mat needs to get up-to-date - modern IQ test still give the results discussed even though they have been changed to remove as much "knowledge" as possible. The problem with this column is that it doesn't explain why East Asians score better than whites (Mat note that fact before you criticise IQ tests) - what is the environmental advantage that they have? Moreover, the environment in relation to IQ is predominantly health and nutrition, and it is difficult to argue that even poor blacks have significantly poorer health and nutrition than whites (yes whites have much "better" provision but actually the differences in intelligence terms are marginal because nobody gets rickets or scarlet fever any more in the West). Do blacks really have 1950s health care and food? Of coures not, because there was rationing in the 1950s and health acre provision was poor and patchy. These scores are averages and tell you nothing about an individual, nor do they justify discrimination in any way.

Tim, London,

Matthew writes with great clarity and logic, and is not afraid to discuss difficult subjects. He should be given a much higher profile by The Times.

Tim, Cambridge, England

Until the Left ceases obtain their livelihood and the Right their selfgratification from all kinds of p.c. the matter will be with us, ever.

Felix, Mountain View,

Such a sensitive subject. Yet all the left-wing censorship ('political correctness') in the world, can't hide the truth. It's too obvious.

Deja Vu, Brisbane, Australia

If I can make an off-the-subject comment ...

This is an interesting article highlighting the lack of freedom of speech in this country. Just the style of the article leaves a ringing in my ears of the shouts from the politically correct police. Just the mention of a comparison between racial groups is taboo, regardless of the conclusion.

I am interested that The Times is publishing it - perhaps it shows a shifting tide, that we are sick of political corrrectness.

However, I suspect that if the writer's name had been Smith, rather than Syed, it would not have been printed! (Our freedom of speech is not that free!)

Interesting article though.

Toby, UK,

This is a great article. " Treat people as individuals ". Brilliant idea - been doing it for years.

James , Canberra, Australia.

"it is sensible to treat people as individuals rather than as group members."

This says it all.

Mohammad, San Francisco, USA

Whilst IQ tests may be an imperfect measure (though a useful one) of some cognitive skills, when the concepts of political correctness, interpersonal relations and inclusiveness over-ride meaningful selective criteria in any field, nonsense may be perpetrated.

There is a curious view in some scholastic establishments that excellence and its opposite, (as well as all mediocrity in between) in what used to be thought to be competitive athletics should merit no specific recognition, save the concept of every one a winner.

One may wonder what the founders of the Olympics and their successors would have made of that.

dr venables preller, Warminster, UK

Political and moral equality are different from actual equality. All humans are morally equal, We have concluded, correctly, that society works best if we choose to make them politically equal. However, individuals are not, in fact, identical-one to another-and therefore are not, in fact, equal.

bill, carbondale, USA

IQ is a number that represents how good a person is at doing IQ tests. It is only loosely correlated with any notion of "intelligence".

Just look at some of the questions in the Standford-Binet: "Spot the missing country on this map of North America" (answer: Cuba, which is worthy of another letter all by itself). Or just look at Muhammad Ali, who, with an IQ of 78, just above the legal definition of mentally disabled in many countries, could run rings around the average journalist with a university degree.

Where "IQ", or rather the results of a full Standford-Binet instrument, are of benefit is in identifying areas of strength and weakness, such as reasoning, knowledge, visual skills, and so on. In a full test the oft-quoted "IQ" is actually an average over five areas - and the scores in each individual area may be very different.

Mat Ballard, Melbourne, Australia

I don't understand how "IQ variation between generations is exclusively environmental". Surely there must be some genetic variation, if only because of mutation?

JL, liverpool,

A similar conclusion was reached by Harvard professors Hernstein and Murray in their controversial 1994 book "The Bell Curve". Around the same time, though, the medical world established that there was no genetic difference between human races. So, in theory, they should do equally well in IQ tests. Except that they don't.

But if the results do add up, that should point to a fallacy in the other part of the equation: the IQ tests themselves. No one seems to question them. Herrnstein and Murray didn't and clearly you don't, either, but could it be that these tests are biased towards whites? Don't misunderstand me: I am white. I don't have an agenda, but too many careers (and lives) are broken as a result of these tests every year. I think it is time for a serious reappraisal of IQ tests.

Ed van Akkeren, Delft, Netherlands

Wonder why this Matthew Syed finds this so important.
What would be the difference in IQ scores between the Egypitians and native Europeans 3-4,000 years ago.
Unless you can test at birth with some universally accepted method all theories (enviromental,genetic, etc) are just that theory.
Come on Mr syed, be honest what are you really trying to say?

alex owolade, malaga, spain

A case well put, but think about the immediate problem. Today I should pay more for the corn from the sunny field than for corn from the field with less light.
The seed might have the same intrinsic value but the crop doesn't.

How do we get more light to the less sunny field? Education?

Tom sykes, Hudderfield, England