Saini 5

there were not only racists becoming more visible in the 1980s but racists who argued that there was scientific evidence blacks were inferior

Is scientific research on differences in intelligence between populations something that should be done?

• Is that a good scientific question that we are not asking for political reasons?
• it might be an ok question but the only people doing the research are doing it with strong political biases
• it is only a worthwhile question if you expect there to be a difference
• why would you want to know this?
• to explain the problems of the inner cities
• to resist busing--trying to come up with a scientific reason that doesn't seem as prejudiced
• maybe there are things we don't want to know
  
• why jump to genetics as an explanation?
• technological fix=we hope its easier to invent a solution to a problem than to get people to change their behavior
• genetic inferiority is an easier explanation instead of solving the problems with unequal education--a way of avoiding dealing with the social problems
  
• how biased are measures of intelligence?
• measures of intelligence often favor one culture
• is it possible to have a culturally unbiased intelligence test?
• how much is genetic, how much environment? if it is environment, then shouldn't the government fund improvements in the environment to give everyone a more equal chance?
  

People want to use the authority of science to win political negotiations