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Cure For Radiation Sickness Found?
Summit writes "A scientist has claimed to have discovered a radioprotectant that all but eliminates acute radiation sickness even in cases of lethal doses of radiation in tests on rats and monkeys, when injected up to 72 hours after exposure. They also claim the drug, a protein, has no observed negative effects in humans. They have not irradiated any people just yet, but if this turns out to be true, it could mean everything from curing cancer to making manned interplanetary space expeditions feasible... not to mention treatment for radiation exposures in nuclear/radiological accidents/attacks. If this drug works, it would mean a true breakthrough as past experiments with radioprotectants were not particularly promising in any respect." The only source for the story at this time is an exclusive in YNet News, a site with the subtitle "Israel At Your Fingertips." Such a radioprotectant would be huge news for Israel. Make of it what you will.
I'm waiting for the cure to hibernation sickness. I froze my little brother in a trash can back in 1983. Before I let him out, I want to make sure he's not blind for two days just in case my mom decides to cast us into the Pit of Carkoon.
Faced with centuries of discrimination, Jews and, in particular, Ashkenazi Jews responded by working 20% harder than the general population. Those who were very smart survived. Those who could not compete in these harsh conditions died. Over centuries, these evolutionary pressures significantly boosted Jewish intelligence.
In general, Europeans and Asians are the folks who migrated out of Africa to reach geographic endpoints: Poland, England, Russia, Japan, etc. The migration subjected these folks to harsh climatic conditions. Those who were sufficiently smart survived. Those who lacked adequate intelligence died. Over thousands of years, these evolutionary pressures significantly boosted European and Asian intelligence.
By contrast, Africans -- in their comfortable, warm environment that did not have any natural disasters -- did not endure any evolutionary pressures to boost intelligence.
Nearly 100% of science and technology was developed by Europeans and Asians. A disproportionate share of the technical contributions were accomplished by Jews.
IQ tests consistently show that Jews and -- in particular -- Ashkenazi Jews are above average in intelligence. Ashkenazi Jews have the highest IQ among ethnic groups. The difference between Ashkenazi-Jewish IQ and typical European IQ is about 7 points.
By contrast, African IQ is about 15 points below European or Japanese IQ.
Note that IQ tests are not biased in favor of "Whites". The Japanese achieve the same IQ score that the Europeans achieve.
Clearly, the folks with the lowest intelligence are Africans. They accomplished almost nothing. Africa is a wasteland. If a European marries an African, then the European condemns her child to lower intelligence.
MODERATORS: Please don't mod the parent comment down. Whatever you think of it, it is a widely held belief. Let people have their freedom of speech.
Whoever posted the parent comment tried to link to the Economist magazine. I notice that the Economist has run numerous articles about Ashkenazi Jews.
Quote from the parent comment:
"In general, Europeans and Asians are the folks who migrated out of Africa to reach geographic endpoints: Poland, England, Russia, Japan, etc. The migration subjected these folks to harsh climatic conditions. Those who were sufficiently smart survived. Those who lacked adequate intelligence died. Over thousands of years, these evolutionary pressures significantly boosted European and Asian intelligence."
I suppose that is a common idea; a Jewish man told me the same theory last week. However, it is not scientifically valid to say that any such differences are caused by "evolutionary pressures" if that means genetic differences.
There is a theory that Ashkenazi Jews are not related genetically to other Jews. The Wikipedia article about Ashkenazi Jews says, "A study by Michael Seldin, a geneticist at the University of California Davis School of Medicine, found Ashkenazi Jews to be a clear, relatively homogenous genetic subgroup."
Another theory says that, many centuries ago, a dictator with no genetic connection with Jews decided he wanted to be Jewish. He decreed that the people he ruled must consider themselves Jews. The theory says that is the genetic origin of Ashkenazi Jews. I have no idea how likely that is; I'd be interested to know what other people think.
My own extended family has no connection whatsoever with Jews or Judaism. I find the subject interesting, however.