learning

[quantam110]

My question is does learning differ by race,would a certain race be able to learn faster than other races?

[iNow]

You may be able to establish trends, but race would not generally cause these trends or differences. It would be like asking if wearing different colored t-shirts effected how well you learn. Genetics play a role, but skin color really doesn't (unless, perhaps the teachers of these students treat them differently as a result of their skin color). What makes you ask this question?

[quantam110]

You may be able to establish trends, but race would not generally cause these trends or differences. It would be like asking if wearing different colored t-shirts effected how well you learn. Genetics play a role, but skin color really doesn't (unless, perhaps the teachers of these students treat them differently as a result of their skin color). What makes you ask this question?

 

that's what I mean (genetics) different races have different genetics I want to know if it makes a big difference,for example most great scientists come from russia and germany

[iNow]

Well, mate... The easy answer is that there is no easy answer. Each individual's behavior and ability to learn comes from a complex interaction between their genetic makeup and the environment in which they have been raised and lived. These divisions are classically referred to as Nature (genetics) and Nurture (environment/experience).

 

 

Try looking at articles such as the one I have linked below. I get the feeling you want to ask a more specific question, but just don't quite know the words to use when framing it. I could be wrong, of course, but maybe if you like what I've quoted below you will open the link, read the rest of the article, and maybe even explore other parts of the site. Enjoy.

 

 

http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/behavior.shtml

No single gene determines a particular behavior. Behaviors are complex traits involving multiple genes that are affected by a variety of other factors. This fact often gets overlooked in media reports hyping scientific breakthroughs on gene function, and, unfortunately, this can be very misleading to the public.

 

For example, a study published in 1999 claimed that overexpression of a particular gene in mice led to enhanced learning capacity. The popular press referred to this gene as "the learning gene" or the "smart gene." What the press didn't mention was that the learning enhancements observed in this study were short-term, lasting only a few hours to a few days in some cases.

 

Dubbing a gene as a "smart gene" gives the public a false impression of how much scientists really know about the genetics of a complex trait like intelligence. Once news of the "smart gene" reaches the public, suddenly there is talk about designer babies and the potential of genetically engineering embryos to have intelligence and other desirable traits, when in reality the path from genes to proteins to development of a particular trait is still a mystery.

 

With disorders, behaviors, or any physical trait, genes are just a part of the story, because a variety of genetic and environmental factors are involved in the development of any trait. Having a genetic variant doesn't necessarily mean that a particular trait will develop. The presence of certain genetic factors can enhance or repress other genetic factors. Genes are turned on and off, and other factors may be keeping a gene from being turned "on." In addition, the protein encoded by a gene can be modified in ways that can affect its ability to carry out its normal cellular function.

 

Genetic factors also can influence the role of certain environmental factors in the development of a particular trait. For example, a person may have a genetic variant that is know to increase his or her risk for developing emphysema from smoking, an environmental factor. If that person never smokes, then emphysema will not develop.

[pioneer]

Cultural environment can have an impact on what you chose to learn. Someone who has a high learning potential may chose to learn everything about cars. They still have a high learning potential but it is not focused on the book standard. To that person, when a professor brings in his car for service at his shop, he may think didn't this guy learn anything. Maybe it is genetic. The real reason is, the professor was motivated at a young age to learn from books instead of from mechanical experience.

 

It would be interesting, instead of book learning as the only measure, extend learning comparisons over a wide range of things from hand-on, mechANICAL, arts, sports, etc.. If you do it that way, everyone is an idiot savant. the cultural environment combines with natural abilities. This sets the directions for our learning potential. This is what we get good at.

 

Learning can occur through natural osmosis, where we just pick certain things up. Other learning involves osmotic pressure, i.e., education. For example, we can have two children that like autos. The seconf has a father who is an expert mechanic. The first child learns through osmosis. While the other can use both osmosis and osmotic pressure. The first may have to disassemble the alternator to see how it works. The second can see how his dad does it, who also explains others things. Without that extra osmotic pressure from his dad, he may only learn slower like the other. He is able to learn more, not because of being smarter. That is why a good coach or teacher can enhance anyones ability to learn.

 

Relative to race, learning potential is probably very similar. What differs is the cultural environment and the amount of osmotic pressure to learn. Many of the kids have a limited environment with osmotic pressure pushing their learning potential down directions that don't equate with the book standard. Where the environment and osmotic pressure equate, the book standard is higher. This would indicate that certain cultures give better direction for learning so it equates with the book standard.