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cover of episode What is an IQ map and can we trust them?

What is an IQ map and can we trust them?

2025/3/15
logo of podcast More or Less: Behind the Stats

More or Less: Behind the Stats
AI Deep Dive AI Chapters Transcript
People
A
Angela Saini
C
Charlotte MacDonald
K
Karim
Topics
Charlotte MacDonald: 网上流传的智商地图用颜色代表不同国家的平均智商，结果显示非洲大部分地区智商很低，这令人担忧。地图中一些国家的智商分数低得离谱，例如赤道几内亚的平均智商为59，尼泊尔为42，印度为82，这看起来很疯狂。 Karim: 网上流传的智商地图数据主要来自《国家智商》一书，该书作者之一是自称科学种族主义者的理查德·林恩。智商地图中非洲国家的智商数据低得离谱，如果数据准确，这意味着非洲大陆大部分人口都存在严重的智力发育问题，但这与实际情况不符。智商地图中超过一半的国家数据并非直接来自原始数据，而是基于邻国数据或小型研究样本进行估计，这些样本的代表性存在严重问题，例如基于智障儿童、难民、非母语测试等样本进行估计。尼泊尔智商数据的来源是营养不良研究，研究目的是考察营养不良对智商的影响，而非衡量尼泊尔整体智商水平。智商地图所用的数据本身并非完全错误，但其结论——某些种族天生比其他种族更聪明——是错误的。基于一致性数据的全球智商地图是不存在的，因为这样的数据根本不存在。 Angela Saini: 目前没有全球通用的标准化智商测试，因此无法进行不同国家间的可靠比较。即使存在全球通用的智商测试，结果也可能受到教育水平等多种因素的影响，而不仅仅是遗传因素。目前尚未发现任何与智力相关的特定基因，智力是一个复杂的性状，受多种基因影响。

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Chapters
The podcast introduces an IQ map circulating on social media that assigns average IQ scores to different countries. The map uses color-coding to represent IQ scores, with lower scores in red-orange and higher scores in blue. The podcast questions the validity of this map and the methodology used to create it.
  • An aesthetically pleasing map showing countries' average IQ scores is circulating online.
  • The map shows a concerning disparity with lower scores for African countries.
  • The map's data is sourced from the book "The IQ of Nations" by Richard Lynn and Tatu Vanhanen.

Shownotes Transcript

You may have seen a map circulated on social media that claims to show the average IQ of different nations.

If you look closely these numbers vary dramatically, with incredibly low scores in developing countries, including many in Africa.

Unsurprisingly the map is often used as a way to bolster arguments about racial or national superiority.

However, when you look at the data behind the claims the whole thing falls apart. We dive into the methods behind the map and ask whether it’s even possible to accurately put a number on intelligence.

Presenter: Charlotte McDonald Producer: Lizzy McNeill Series Producer: Tom Colls Editor: Richard Vadon Studio Manager: James Beard Production Co-Ordinator: Brenda Brown