tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624586630299165335.post6404550199871962543..comments2024-03-14T09:50:44.315+00:00Comments on Psychological comments: Bad reporting generates bad argumentsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09320614837348759094noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624586630299165335.post-18888355070202195032013-11-10T20:08:57.618+00:002013-11-10T20:08:57.618+00:00That's probably the best single sentence I'...That's probably the best single sentence I've ever read in regard to this matter & re: what's been going on in the research "community" for the last 25 or 30 years -- well-done. (hear him, hear him, huzzah!)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624586630299165335.post-9431856639785457552013-11-09T13:28:01.580+00:002013-11-09T13:28:01.580+00:00Thank you so much for this comment, which certainl...Thank you so much for this comment, which certainly clarifies the finding for me. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09320614837348759094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624586630299165335.post-65157934238636424512013-11-09T10:16:57.800+00:002013-11-09T10:16:57.800+00:00There is nothing in the original paper that could ...There is nothing in the original paper that could lead one to draw such a conclusion. The "Mosaic Copy Number Variation in Human Neurons" article seems top notch, but all it does is report that the DNA of neuronal cells differ.<br /><br />This adds an additional layer of complexity to the "old" problem of finding disease-linked mutations, but does not make finding genetic explanations of disease impossible. Before it was hard to distinguish the (probably great majority of) mutations that do not matter in disease from those that do. Now this will likely become even harder as different cells harbor different mutations.<br /><br />To quote the relevant parts of the science-editorial discussing that paper:<br /><br />"It is often assumed that genome sequencing will explain disease cases by revealing the causative genetic blemish—the mutation that stands out on a background of otherwise flawless molecular function. But whole-genome analysis shows that dysfunction abounds. Rare and common structural variants, including deletions of long genomic segments, pervade every genome. ... Far from pinpointing single mutations on a background of perfect function, genome sequencing has instead generated its own needle-in-a-haystack problem: distinguishing the variants that truly matter to an illness from the far-larger number of functional variants that are present in every genome. It is now clear that, beyond simple, monogenic disorders, understanding complex disease will require sequencing thousands of genomes and ascertaining the patterns shared among the genomes of many affected individuals."<br /><br />"Such mutations could be part of the genetic architecture underlying intellectual disability, developmental delay, and the more severe, syndromic forms of autism—although somatic mutations seem less likely to explain substantial fractions of highly heritable disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder." <br /><br />In the original paper the authors mention that such mutations have been found in the DNA of monozygotic twins. This might partly explain why MZ twins sometimes differ on traits that show moderate heritability (mental disease, sexual orientation etc.) Perhaps some of the environment part of heritability studies can be explained by such random mutations? No-one knows at the moment, but it would be interesting to find out.Endre Bakken Stovnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04739220083809871933noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624586630299165335.post-32937624348900453492013-11-08T18:14:48.435+00:002013-11-08T18:14:48.435+00:00My reading of this paper is that the authors have ...My reading of this paper is that the authors have found it difficult to sequence DNA from individual neural cells, finding that individual cells appear to differ from the overall average of cells. I cannot judge this paper, but it seems to relate to transcription errors, and I do not know if it has wider implications. Doubt it, but it is worth replicating. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09320614837348759094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624586630299165335.post-51512677189502980362013-11-08T01:40:03.571+00:002013-11-08T01:40:03.571+00:00This recently published study has been taken to pr...This recently published study has been taken to prove that no heritable traits will ever be identified (one person even claimed that it made it clear that mental illnesses could not be linked to genes!):<br /><br />http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-11-patchwork-genetic-variation-brain.html<br /><br />I cannot see that the study really contradicts what you've explained here at all, even though there may be more than one set of DNA inside a human brain. Have I misunderstood something?Eirinhttp://impressionableintellectual.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624586630299165335.post-39862391989596354352013-11-05T16:29:53.394+00:002013-11-05T16:29:53.394+00:00see new postsee new postAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09320614837348759094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624586630299165335.post-76257151178255757552013-11-05T15:40:12.524+00:002013-11-05T15:40:12.524+00:00With the amount of misinformation, misunderstandin...With the amount of misinformation, misunderstanding, and outright lies that make it into the mainstream press, who needs the internet?<br /><br />It annoys me when the press feeds one researcher a malformed quote or summary of another researcher's work, looking for the former to criticize the latter. This the former will quite often do, and doesn't realize until afterwards that he is criticizing a complete strawman. Andrew Sabiskynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624586630299165335.post-30242845616171182242013-11-05T14:54:09.467+00:002013-11-05T14:54:09.467+00:00i'm 58% thru Plomin & Asbury's careful...i'm 58% thru Plomin & Asbury's carefully worded book (one writer branches off into teacher-y platitudes, but the info is useful & it's an especially good synopsis:) sounds like the reaction to it is like to the Bell Curve writ small - even tho the book is very careful to word things as nicely & cautiously as possible (too careful if you ask me! the Bell Curve was similar - both strive to be circumspect & positive where possible & what they get for trying to be nice & being all things to all people is the same knee-jerk point & sputter reaction they would've gotten for being blunt & rude:) Dr. Plomin (an outstanding researcher for decades) came into the field a somewhat liberal young man, & has had to deal with learning the truth & power of genetics. He is clearly a nice person (& brilliant & fastidious researcher) & says things in the most polite way while telling the truth. God help him:)<br />Deary's excellent research - that .81 correlation - isn't that between a linear composite of X variables weighted to maximally correlate with a linear composite of Y variables (i know he didn't do it as a canonical correlation, but i think that's essentially what it is - which wrings all the predictive/correlative power possible out of plural X & plural Y, but is probably the best way & right way to do it!)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624586630299165335.post-64160617806179935882013-11-05T14:01:17.552+00:002013-11-05T14:01:17.552+00:00"correlations of r=0.81 between general intel..."correlations of r=0.81 between general intelligence measured at 11 years of age and GCSE scores at age 16": correct me if I'm wrong, but such high correlation coefficients must be almost unknown in Social Science.<br /><br />Allow me a quibble too. "There is a difference between an untruth and a mistake." True, but "untruth" is a general term, embracing such types as "mistake" and "lie". Still, I accept your implication that it would have been better if he'd said "mistaken"; better, that is, for the intellectual standard of the debate, not necessarily better for someone with a different purpose.<br /><br />deariemenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624586630299165335.post-45454752016165187632013-11-05T09:20:21.539+00:002013-11-05T09:20:21.539+00:00Yes, we need to hold the "environmental"...Yes, we need to hold the "environmental" explanation to the same standards required of the genetic explanation. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09320614837348759094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624586630299165335.post-56032782526523195092013-11-05T08:33:52.547+00:002013-11-05T08:33:52.547+00:00In my opinion MacKintosh's response that IQ ex...In my opinion MacKintosh's response that IQ explains less than 60% of the variation in GCSE results is poor, and questions his academic abilities in quantitative analysis. The residual of 42% might well have myriad environmental determinants which are extremely difficult to isolate and hence will have little value for policy makers. By contrast, the expIanatory power of IQ is high and accords with one's every day experience. Indeed, it is quite conceivable that at least some of the 42% residual is indirectly linked to IQ ("externalities"), such as the IQ of fellow pupils and indeed the IQ of teaching staff. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com