Looks like the answer is “yes”.
Here’s a quote…
Brain imaging shows playing Tetris leads to a thicker cortex and may also increase brain efficiency, according to research published in the open access journal BMC Research Notes. A research team based in New Mexico is one of the first to investigate the effects of practice in the brain using two image techniques.
(Bolding mine.)
Crow Uses Three Tools
(via dmha)
The Inductivist points me to a paper titled: “Major Intelligence Gene Tied to Myopia: A Review ”. Here’s the summary…
Data are reviewed which clearly support the conclusion that axial myopia is an inherited condition following a recessive pattern of transmission. Nearsighted persons excel in terms of intelligence, several studies in developed countries having indicated a gain of 7 IQ points over the general population. It also appears that visually normal heterozygous carriers of one myopia gene enjoy brain enhancement, probably of a somewhat lower degree than occurs in homozygous myopes. It is concluded that the proposed myopia gene is primarily an intelligence factor.
This is located in Mankind Quarterly, Vol. 49, No. 3-4 (Spring-Summer 2009)
I was digging through Yann Klimentidis’ Weblog, when I came across this article (again) where he talks about a paper entitled “The evolution of the social brain: Anthropoid primates contrast with other vertebrates” (PDF) that came out in Proceedings of the Royal Society, B. Here’s an excerpt from Yann’s post….
The interesting thing that they find in this paper is that, in non-primate taxa, pairbonded species have larger brain sizes than would be predicted for group size. So there’s something about monogamy or related to monogamy that requires more brain power. In primates this effect does not happen. For them, those species that live in the largest groups have the larger brains. The authors give a short explanation as to why the pattern does not hold in primates, namely because in primates “these bonded relationships have been generalized to all social partners”….
(Emphasis mine.)
Read the rest of Yann’s comments post here…
(In case you don’t know why people tend to care about big brains… it’s because bigger brains are positively correlated with increased intelligence.)
CNN reports about genetics tests for children…
At the Chongqing Children’s Palace, experts are hoping to revolutionize child-rearing with the help of science. About 30 children aged 3 to 12 years old and their parents are participating in a new program that uses DNA testing to identify genetic gifts and predict the future.
…
The test is conducted by the Shanghai Biochip Corporation. Scientists claim a simple saliva swab collects as many as 10,000 cells that enable them to isolate eleven different genes. By taking a closer look at the genetic codes, they say they can extract information about a child’s IQ, emotional control, focus, memory, athletic ability and more.
…
For about $880, Chinese parents can sign their kids up for the test and five days of summer camp in Chongqing, where the children will be evaluated in various settings from sports to art. The scientific results, combined with observations by experts throughout the week, will be used to make recommendations to parents about what their child should pursue.
…
“China is different from Western countries,” said Yang Yangqing, the lab’s technical director. “There is only one child in our families so more and more parents focus on their children’s education and they want to give them the best education.”
Along with parents, the Chinese government is also interested in giving talented children an early start on their careers. Children as young as two are regularly hand-picked by the government to represent China on the international stage.
Future gymnasts, musicians, and basketball players are sent to rigorous training camps and specialized sports schools, and sometimes paid a government salary.
There has been speculation China’s basketball hero, Yao Ming, was born of an arranged marriage between two well-known basketball players, in hopes of bearing an athletic superstar. Yao and his family have denied these reports. In an autobiography, Yao wrote that his parents actually discouraged him from playing the sport.
…
Yao’s family reportedly received special stipends from the government to purchase extra food. His success story may well be on the minds of parents in Chongqing.
(Emphasis mine.)
Based on what the article says, it doesn’t look like these DNA tests are forced. Although the government in China does has their forced one child policy.
UPDATE: Daniel MacArthur of Genetic Future gives his 2 cents on genetic testing kids for IQ, athletic performance, and emotional control. Razib Khan actually finds the key quote on Daneils comment…
Unlike a lot of commentators on this story, I’ve got nothing fundamentally against the idea of using genetics to make predictions about a child’s future, and on guiding the activities a child engages in based on those predictions. Here’s the thing, though: this only makes sense if the predictions are both accurate and relevant, and right now the predictions from genetics regarding complex traits are neither. Parents should save their money for more useful ways to enrich their children’s lives.
