Jay Joseph @jayjoseph22.bsky.social · 21hIf every behavioral science journal did this, including Nature and Science, the world would be a better place. 020
Jay Joseph @jayjoseph22.bsky.social · 28/09/2026This was an interesting 2001 article co-authored by James Flynn, but there was no "IQ paradox" to solve. The "high heritability of IQ" was a myth then and is even more mythical now, in light of failures to identify causal genes. jayjoseph22.substack.com/p/the-iq-her... 120
Jay Joseph @jayjoseph22.bsky.social · 28/09/2026A 1995 article by Ned Block clearly explains some reasons why IQ hereditarians' "racial differences in IQ" arguments fail. www.bostonreview.net/articles/ned...bostonreview.netRace, Genes, and IQCritics of The Bell Curve have attacked every point in the book—except the most important one. 181
Reposted by Jay JosephRealClearScience @rcscience.bsky.social · 26/09/2026On Nathan Cofnas' race realism: "Countering Cofnas’s ideological statements and criticising his sloppy arguments cannot be seen as attempts to censor scientific research." www.realclearscience.com/2026/09/26/w...realclearscience.comWhy Nathan Cofnas' Race Realism Is PseudoscientificNathan Cofnas, the self-professed “race realist” who made international headlines when he accused Cambridge academic Jason Arday of plagiarism, has defended his “hereditarianism&rdqu 064
Jay Joseph @jayjoseph22.bsky.social · 22/09/2026New Post: "Nathan Cofnas’s 'Hereditarian Revolution' Is a Dud" In 2024, Cofnas dreamed of a political counter-revolution that would erase hard-won gains of the oppressed. A far-right agenda based on junk science, and a call for "barriers between races." jayjoseph22.substack.com/p/nathan-cof... 142
Reposted by Jay JosephEl Pensador Sereno @elpensadorsereno.bsky.social · 20/09/2026"El problema no es que Cofnas mezcle política con ciencia, puesto que la política inevitablemente permea las ciencias conductuales. El verdadero problema es que, cuando sí cita investigación, difunde ciencia basura en apoyo a temibles políticas de extrema derecha."jayjoseph22.substack.comNathan Cofnas’s “Hereditarian Revolution” Is a DudNot a Scientific Revolution but a Political Counter-Revolution 031
Reposted by Jay JosephJon Phillips @jowiph.bsky.social · 20/09/2026Worth nothing that Cattell was more than just friends with neo-Nazis. (Obligatory share of my SPLC profile of him)splcenter.orgRaymond CattellRaymond B. Cattell was by any measure one of the most prolific and influential psychologists of the 20th century. Cattell was a pioneer in the study of personality and the development of psychometric ... 193
Jay Joseph @jayjoseph22.bsky.social · 20/09/2026Avowed "race realist" Cofnas favored setting up “barriers between races,” while framing it as merely allowing each “racial” group to “express its own unique genius.” If non-Whites resist barriers, he said “it makes sense” for Whites to “fight back” using “racial tribalism.” Sounds like race war. 010
Jay Joseph @jayjoseph22.bsky.social · 20/09/2026Passage from N Cofnas's 2024 "Hereditarian Revolution" post. It could be interpreted as a carefully crafted statement supporting something like an apartheid- or Jim Crow-type arrangement. The wording provided the author with plausible deniability. My review: jayjoseph22.substack.com/p/nathan-cof... 111
Jay Joseph @jayjoseph22.bsky.social · 20/09/2026Plus, Pinker championed the Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart, apparently unaware that the study’s 1990 control group IQ correlations were not published. They remain unpublished to this very day. 0110
Jay Joseph @jayjoseph22.bsky.social · 19/09/2026At 29:58, you say IQ differnces between groups are caused by genetics. At 30:25, you contradict this by saying we cannot infer between-group genetic differences from within-group heritability. Your articles don't cite much research. Either you haven't read it, or you realize you cannot defend it. 010
Jay Joseph @jayjoseph22.bsky.social · 19/09/2026This interview confirms my conclusion in my recent post on Cofnas's "Hereditarian Revolution." Far-right "race realist" politics based on how he sees the world, and the "races" that inhabit it. Minimal claims that scientific evidence supports his views. jayjoseph22.substack.com/p/nathan-cof... 011
Jay Joseph @jayjoseph22.bsky.social · 18/09/2026Ken Richardson's books and writings on intelligence are excellent. I was not familiar with Deary's study. It doesn't seem to contain conclusions about genetic influences on intelligence, so I will need to reserve comment for now 110
Reposted by Jay JosephRebecca Sear @rebeccasear.bsky.social · 18/09/2026Gave my first public lecture on the return of eugenics and race science this week at the British Science Festival. Reassuring to see how much interest, and concern, there was in the room 316939
Reposted by Jay JosephJoshua Seigal - 'YAPPING AWAY' out now! @joshuaseigal.bsky.social · 10/09/2026This article is excellent. If you've been following the Cofnas/Arday affair, I recommend reading it. Basically, Nathan Cofnas is a vile racist, and those who think he is a mere 'whistleblower' are being gullible www.skeptic.org.uk/2026/09/skep...skeptic.org.ukSkeptics should not be so gullible as to believe Nathan Cofnas' academic freedom is being stifled - The SkepticNathan Cofnas is selling the story that his suspension is a retaliation for his whistleblowing - sadly, some skeptics are buying it 121
Reposted by Jay JosephJay Joseph @jayjoseph22.bsky.social · 31/08/2026A good example of how IQ hereditarians twist facts. Every psychology textbook states (wrongly) that IQ heritability is in the 50%-70% range. The only people getting "canceled" are those who say that some ethnic groups are genetically dumber than other ethnic groups. 111
Jay Joseph @jayjoseph22.bsky.social · 06/09/2026"There is not one— zero— known genetic variant that makes anyone smarter." 022
Jay Joseph @jayjoseph22.bsky.social · 05/09/2026All you really need to know about "The Bell Curve" and genetic studies of IQ/intelligence. osf.io/preprints/ps... jayjoseph22.substack.com/p/the-iq-her... 021
Jay Joseph @jayjoseph22.bsky.social · 05/09/2026New Post: "A Heritability Estimate Does Not Indicate the 'Strength' or 'Magnitude' of Genetic Influences: An Example." Heritability could simultaneously be 0% in one country and 100% in another, depending on the conditions. jayjoseph22.substack.com/p/a-heritabi... 134
Reposted by Jay JosephRebecca Sear @rebeccasear.bsky.social · 02/09/2026Very good article, on how controlling the narrative is such a successful strategy: “The question now is whether we can recognise the hunt for power when it disguises itself as free speech, academic freedom, or scientific concern — and refuse our assigned role in the killing of our democracies” 12712
Jay Joseph @jayjoseph22.bsky.social · 31/08/2026There is no real number. As designed in the 1940s, a heritability estimate predicts the results of a selective breeding program under controlled conditions. It does not indicate the strength of genetic influences on behavioral differences. Heritability should be abandoned in behavioral research. 110
Jay Joseph @jayjoseph22.bsky.social · 31/08/2026A good example of how IQ hereditarians twist facts. Every psychology textbook states (wrongly) that IQ heritability is in the 50%-70% range. The only people getting "canceled" are those who say that some ethnic groups are genetically dumber than other ethnic groups. 111
Jay Joseph @jayjoseph22.bsky.social · 31/08/2026According to a 1917 publication by U.S. psychologist Henry Goddard, a leader of the eugenics movement, 63%-82% of Eastern and Southern European immigrants were "morons." Junk science then, junk science now. 1103
Jay Joseph @jayjoseph22.bsky.social · 31/08/20261920s-era U.S. eugenic/immigration-control ranking of group intelligence. U.S. "Negro Officers" were ranked as smarter than all the Europeans, including those from the Nordic countries. Junk science then; junk science now. 031
Jay Joseph @jayjoseph22.bsky.social · 31/08/2026This IQ hereditarian blocked me on Twitter in 2021. That didn't stop him from discussing my ideas, knowing I can't respond because he blocked me. Cofnas and Lasker block me too. IQ hereditarian scholarship in all its glory. 062
Jay Joseph @jayjoseph22.bsky.social · 30/08/2026Nathan Cofnas is proud to report that a fascist saluter is helping him make the "Hereditarian Revolution" happen. As if the Jewish people will be spared in the "revolution" the saluter has in mind. Please see the comment by "Dave." 030
Jay Joseph @jayjoseph22.bsky.social · 30/08/2026I documented the environmental similarity and lack of separation in the only three "identical twins reared apart" IQ studies whose authors provided case history data. They are not valid studies of "reared-apart" twins, as IQ hereditarians claim. Not even close. www.madinamerica.com/2020/02/expl...madinamerica.comExploding the “Separated-at-Birth” Twin Study MythIn twin studies, pairs were often not “separated at birth." They were raised nearby, often by family members, and interacted frequently. 062
Jay Joseph @jayjoseph22.bsky.social · 30/08/2026In his 2020 "free inquiry" article, Nathan Cofnas wrote that "the heritability of a trait...can be determined by adoption and twin studies." He said that this conclusion is based on two "testable assumptions." Both assumptions are false. Back to the "hereditarian revolution" drawing board. 032
Reposted by Jay JosephJay Joseph @jayjoseph22.bsky.social · 28/08/2026NEW POST: “The IQ Hereditarian Ship Is Sinking (Along with the Race Science Ship)” IQ hereditarianism and “race science” are in the news these days. I took a close look at the body of IQ heritability research. What I found will surprise most people. jayjoseph22.substack.com/p/the-iq-her...jayjoseph22.substack.comThe IQ Hereditarian Ship Is Sinking(Along with the Race Science Ship) 13415
Reposted by Jay JosephAdam Rutherford @adamrutherford.bsky.social · 26/08/2026Pahahahahah Cofnas 33687127
Jay Joseph @jayjoseph22.bsky.social · 30/08/2026Psychologist Arthur Jensen, in his original 1969/1970 and later writings, inspired today's IQ hereditarians, including Cofnas. Jensen's arguments were based largely on four studies of "identical twins reared apart." Two more studies appeared later. All have been debunked. Back to the drawing board. 050
Jay Joseph @jayjoseph22.bsky.social · 30/08/2026The "Flynn effect" alone destroys the "improving the environment won't work" argument. 050
Jay Joseph @jayjoseph22.bsky.social · 30/08/2026The authors of "Not In Our Genes" criticized IQ as a hereditarian "rank ordering of the world." 180
Jay Joseph @jayjoseph22.bsky.social · 29/08/2026Two things to know about "IQ curves." (1) They don't look like that. Psychometricians create tests to get the curves they want. (2) The implicit assumption is always that the curves have a strong genetic component. Otherwise, they provide evidence that environments should be greatly improved. 810420
Reposted by Jay JosephJay Joseph @jayjoseph22.bsky.social · 03/05/2026I see that Google AI found my recently published description of the views of German "racial hygienist" H. W. Siemens. Siemens invented the "classical twin method" in 1924, which compares the behavioral resemblance of identical (MZ) vs. fraternal (DZ) twin pairs. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/... 101
Reposted by Jay JosephJay Joseph @jayjoseph22.bsky.social · 21/08/2026Relevant to N. Cofnas' weak Wall Street Journal article that came out today. No paywall, which is unusual for the WSJ. Undoubtedly, Cofnas and his crew would not have said a peep about the late IQ hereditarian H.J. Eysenck. 012
Reposted by Jay JosephRebecca Sear @rebeccasear.bsky.social · 27/08/2026“Most scholars have relegated eugenics to the trash heap of science history. But much like its original incarnation, its current rise is tangled up in politics, ideology, and an insidious desire to divide people. And on the unfounded notion that biology is the be-all and end-all of a person’s worth”nautil.usThe Return of a Discredited PseudoscienceThe Return of a Discredited Pseudoscience: Eugenics is rearing its ugly head again in today’s crucible of politics and culture 18546
Reposted by Jay JosephAylwyn Scally @aylwyn-scally.bsky.social · 27/08/2026This is a thoughtful piece by @ent3c.bsky.social, articulating a view of hereditarianism that I think is shared by many in anthropology, psychology & elsewhere. It's also one that I, as a geneticist working on human evolution, fundamentally disagree with. ericturkheimer.substack.com/p/the-cofnas...ericturkheimer.substack.comThe Cofnas ManifestoThe social consequences of hereditarianism 36231
Jay Joseph @jayjoseph22.bsky.social · 28/08/2026NEW POST: “The IQ Hereditarian Ship Is Sinking (Along with the Race Science Ship)” IQ hereditarianism and “race science” are in the news these days. I took a close look at the body of IQ heritability research. What I found will surprise most people. jayjoseph22.substack.com/p/the-iq-her...jayjoseph22.substack.comThe IQ Hereditarian Ship Is Sinking(Along with the Race Science Ship) 13415
Reposted by Jay JosephRebecca Sear @rebeccasear.bsky.social · 25/08/2026Ghent University members are asking for support, so its institution can investigate Cofnas as its regulations require, and because: "appeals to absolutist academic freedom as a guise for pursuing racist and pseudoscientific research threaten the integrity and credibility of research as a whole" 1217100
Reposted by Jay JosephPieter T. L. Beck @ptrbck.bsky.social · 25/08/2026We have written a statement in support of Ghent Uni's decision to suspend Nathan Cofnas. We resist attempts to frame this as a punishment for "whistleblowing" or censorship of "controversial research". We invite all academics who share our views to sign our letter. forms.gle/qwN8xzEM5C7Q...forms.gleOpen letter on the suspension of Nathan Cofnas at Ghent UniversityWe, colleagues of Nathan Cofnas - supported by many colleagues internationally - want to respond to the negative and incorrect framing of Ghent University’s decision to suspend Nathan Cofnas. With th... 421493642
Reposted by Jay JosephRebecca Sear @rebeccasear.bsky.social · 24/08/2026Just updated my critique of Lynn's 'national IQ' data; a core plank of scientific racism for decades. Includes a response to recent defences of the datasets. Conclusion remains the same: ‘National IQ’ datasets do not provide accurate, unbiased or comparable measures of cognitive ability worldwide 218463
Reposted by Jay JosephKevin Bird @stairwaytokevin.bsky.social · 24/08/2026I tried to write an approachable, longer-form version of the argument here, which includes the full citations to my work and others.sequencesandconsequences.substack.comA Frivolous Case for Race Realism: Dismissed with Prejudice*As an inauguration for this news letter, I will repost some older works that were originally posted on my personal blog. 1163
Reposted by Jay JosephJon Phillips @jowiph.bsky.social · 24/08/2026In case anyone wants more background on Murray after listening to the podcast, here's the profile I wrote on him for the SPLC lo these many years agosplcenter.orgCharles MurrayCharles Murray, a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, has become one of the most influential social scientists in America, using racist pseudoscience and misleading statistics to argue that s... 195
Jay Joseph @jayjoseph22.bsky.social · 24/08/2026Psychologist Leon J. Kamin (1927-2017) was a champion of the oppressed in his role as an intellectual nemesis of the purveyors of the false ideologies of scientific racism and IQ hereditarianism. My 2018 article on Kamin's work and pioneering analyses. jayjoseph22.substack.com/p/leon-j-kam... 020
Reposted by Jay JosephDr. Katja Thieme (she/they) @katjathieme.bsky.social · 23/08/2026Bouke de Vries is the supervisor who used his ERC grant to shimmy Nathan Cofnas into a postdoc position for which he did not actually qualify. There's a lot we already know about de Vries. 1/ 414954
Jay Joseph @jayjoseph22.bsky.social · 23/08/2026For those interested, lead Minnesota twin researcher Thomas J. Bouchard, Jr. wrote a 2023 response to my Human Development article, followed by my 2023 rejoinder that became a chapter in The Heredity Hoax. www.cambridge.org/core/journal... freeassociations.org.uk/FA_New/OJS/i... 010
Jay Joseph @jayjoseph22.bsky.social · 23/08/2026In addition to that 2022 article, this post lays out the basic argument for rejecting and retracting the Minnesota twin study. "IQ Hereditarians' Favorite Study is Falling Apart." jayjoseph22.substack.com/p/iq-heredit...jayjoseph22.substack.comIQ Hereditarians’ Favorite Study Is Falling ApartIn the 1970s, British psychologist Cyril Burt’s “twins reared apart” (TRA) IQ study was the centerpiece of the IQ-hereditarian theories of Arthur Jensen and Richard Herrnstein. Burt’s “study” was subs... 062
Jay Joseph @jayjoseph22.bsky.social · 23/08/2026The "Minnesota Study of Twins Apart" is the #1 most often cited study by IQ hereditarians and race science supporters in favor of high within-group IQ heritability. In this 2022 peer-reviewed article, I explained why the study's conclusions should be rejected. jayjoseph.net/wp-content/u...jayjoseph.net 42812