A simple theory of how genetic intelligence could work.
(17:16:52) Paul Eres: also, a study was published recently that showed
(17:16:58) Paul Eres: that humans are not 99.9% identically genetically
(17:17:03) Paul Eres: that we have vast genetic variance
(17:17:26) Paul Eres: we vary quite a bit in how many copies of different genes they have
(17:17:35) Paul Eres: and that many of our traits
(17:17:38) Paul Eres: may have more to do with
(17:17:43) Paul Eres: the number of copies of a gene we have
(17:17:47) Paul Eres: than whether we have that gene at all
(17:18:00) Paul Eres: if you have 5 copies of a gene, it's actually 'expressed' more, meaning
(17:18:09) Paul Eres: more of that protein will exist in the body
(17:18:15) Paul Eres: since each gene codes for a protein

(17:18:51) Paul Eres: so intelligence being genetic could be as simple as the number of intelligence-promoting genes a person has copies of
(17:29:01) Paul Eres: our differences are more differences of number of copies of genes
(17:29:17) Paul Eres: the 99.9% genetically identical thing
(17:29:24) Paul Eres: only means that we share 99.9% of our genes
(17:29:30) Paul Eres: not that we share the exact number of copies of each

(17:34:38) iamthevoid242: Generating intelligence logically cannot be controlled by something that stupid
(17:34:48) Paul Eres: it's not stupid
(17:35:12) Paul Eres: it's not 'generating' per se
(17:35:33) Paul Eres: there are many possible ways this could be done
(17:35:35) Paul Eres: a simple one is
(17:35:50) Paul Eres: imagine if in the past when conceptuality first evolved we were much more intelligent
(17:36:15) Paul Eres: but it was found that we survive better by making some members of a tribe less intelligent
(17:36:19) Paul Eres: leaving intelligence as rare
(17:36:31) Paul Eres: there would then be evolutionary selection toward that arrangement
(17:36:47) Paul Eres: the tribes that had that arrangement conquered the other tribes and populated the world
(17:37:20) Paul Eres: now imagine if there is a gene that reduces intelligence
(17:37:30) Paul Eres: the very smartest people would have only 1 or 2 copies of that
(17:37:35) Paul Eres: with others getting 5, 10, 50
(17:38:00) Paul Eres: each copy releases a protein which increases mental dullness
(17:38:08) Paul Eres: by making the brain work less effectively in some way