The first interesting question here is in whose interests it it to create a massive ugh field around studies of how humanity is structured and what are the differences between the groups. As a hint, consider from which direction the shit comes when you touch that field.

the relevant evidence is pretty shitty

Is it? That's not my impression and you say you prefer to stay away from the subject, so how would you know?

Yvain wrote a kinda- literature review a couple of years ago and didn't find the evidence problematic. In fact, in his post he inserted a plea for someone to take apart that evidence and show that it's wrong because he doesn't like the conclusions. Yvain, in general, does not have problems taking studies apart and showing their failures. In this case he couldn't.

There is also The Bell Curve book written by Charles Murray (and Richard Herrnstein) who isn't exactly a foaming-at-the-mouth Neanderthal. And before that there's Sociobiology by E.O.Wilson.

You might also find interesting a series of blog posts when a liberal blogger Andrew Sullivan discovered that race is linked with IQ and had an interesting conversation with another (black) commentator Ta-Nehisi Coates -- see e.g. here.

On the other other other hand

At this point I usually switch to tentacles :-D

Which sounds like a lot of No Fun.

Don't you think that the topic is important?

But yes, touching it is perilous to your social and professional reputation. I probably wouldn't recommend honestly discussing it from an account easily linked to your Real Name. The Islamic practice of taqiyyah is relevant here :-)