Professor Richard Lynn is quite right to dismiss criticisms that his work on intelligence shows the same bigotry as Hitler; it shows a bigotry all of his own (TES, April 3). His research seems to be based on a series of biased cliches and I would like to know whether he has any evidence to back his opinions.
His comments have implications for Northern Ireland where he is working. It is well known that Catholics have larger families than Protestants on average; is this what he is referring to when he claims that intelligent people are having fewer children? It is also well known that the number of children in a family is related to class and income; does this mean that Professor Lynn believes that they are wealthy simply because they are more intelligent? Studies have linked birth control to education, so perhaps the reason why Professor Lynn’s intelligent people are more intelligent is because they have more education, and nothing to do with his suggestions about genetics.
J MIDDLETON
Langwith College University of York, Heslington
