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SquirrelInHell comments on Towards cause priotisation estimates for child abuse - Less Wrong Discussion

-6 Post author: Clarity 21 June 2016 12:30AM

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Comment author: SquirrelInHell 23 June 2016 02:33:11AM 0 points [-]

The 1st and third quote blocks merely reference other sources without summarising them.

The book has summaries in the content (these were just footnotes). So I'd maybe recommend you just read that chapter from the actual book.

The second claims something is heritable, but every human trait is heritable by definition.

Arguing "By Definition"

Is living in Africa heritable? I'm sure if you try, you can understand what is the author is trying to say without picking on his words.

Comment author: gjm 23 June 2016 11:02:34AM -2 points [-]

Is living in Africa heritable?

How sure are you that the answer is no?

I mean, obviously it "should" be no. But suppose you attempt to answer that question using the same machinery generally used to estimate heritability. What answer will come out? Bear in mind, e.g., that it is rather rare for identical twins to live on different continents. (C.f. Cosma Shalizi here and here. The former is long and discusses many other things; search for the heading "Cultural transmission".)

(I agree that "every human trait is heritable by definition" is a pretty silly thing to say.)

Comment author: SquirrelInHell 24 June 2016 01:30:46AM 0 points [-]

How sure are you that the answer is no?

I didn't mean to suggest this question has a valid answer, but rather to point out that the phrasing is ambiguous.

C.f. Cosma Shalizi here

The quote I gave above from the book says:

If you have an identical twin who divorces, your chances of divorce increase sixfold, whereas a divorced fraternal twin only increases your chances of divorce twofold.

So I think the criticism from the article you linked doesn't apply.