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> I see that many people are confused [...] by my take that math talent isn't primarily a matter of genes

Speaking only for myself, I'm not confused at all. Rather I vigorously disagree with this statement, and think that stumping for this counterfactual premise leads to cruel behavior towards children (in particular) who plainly do not have what it takes to learn, for example and in particular, algebra.

> In other words: the people who run the mathematical 100m in under a second don't think it's because of their genes.

This is not their subject of expertise, and they are simply wrong. Why? Simpson's Paradox, ironically.

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davidbessis 4 days ago | parent [-]

I think you really are confused. You are mistakenly equating "non-primarily genetic" with "easily teachable".

The story is much more complex than "if it's not genetic then everybody should get it". It's quite cruel to assume that if you don't get math today you'll never get it, and there are tons of documented counter-examples of kids who didn't get it at all who end up becoming way above average.

If you think that Descartes, Newton, Einstein, Feynman, Grothendieck (to just cite a few) are all equally misled on their own account because of Simpson's Paradox, which statistical result will to bring to the table to justify that YOU are right?

By the way, Stanislas Dehaene, one of the leading researchers on the neuroscience of mathematical cognition, is also on my side.

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samatman 4 days ago | parent [-]

[flagged]

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tptacek 4 days ago | parent | next [-]

When you write a comment here, you're talking not simply (or even primarily) to the person you're responding to, but also to the rest of the community. Have you considered what value there might be, or not be, in a comment like this?

We are extraordinarily fortunate to be taken seriously enough as a community for the primary sources on stories like this to come talk to us directly. I'd ask, as a neighbor of yours in this community, that you not (rhetorically) chase those people away.

Thanks!

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samatman 4 days ago | parent [-]

That's a fair ask, that post was not one of my better moments. As much as I dislike the rhetorical tactic wielded with "everyone who doesn't agree with me is simply confused", a one-sentence tell off does nothing to counter it, and just makes me look like a jerk. Which I was.

	▲	tptacek 4 days ago \| parent [-]
		No problem! You'd be doing me a favor if you noted any time you see me in the same situation. Thanks for hearing me out!

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calf 4 days ago | parent | prev [-]

The evidence of your confusion is that you cited one sentence in their comment but ignored the next sentence which provide the justification in abstract for that sentence. Therefore your basic reading comprehension skills are confused. It easier to disagree vigorously but when you do that it clouds your analytic ability to follow the actual arguments given in that way.