www.slate.com/.../
In a nutshell
"Anthropometric measurements of large populations show that systematic differences exist among blacks, whites and Asians. The published evidence is massive: blacks have longer limbs than whites, and because blacks have longer legs and smaller circumferences (e.g. calves and arms), their center of mass is higher than that in other individuals of the same height. Asians and whites have longer torsos, therefore their centers of mass are lower.
These structural differences, they argue, generate differences in performance. Using equations about the physics of locomotion, they analyze racing as a process of falling forward. Based on this analysis, they conclude that having a higher center of body mass in a standing position is advantageous in running but disadvantageous in swimming."
There is plenty of relevance to putting people into "finite buckets". So if I am to do a study on melanoma risk, should I just look at everyone and take an average? Never mind the fact that there are dark skinned African Americans and pale skinned Irish Americans in the study. But they live in the same area, so I guess we should group them all together.
How about a blond, straight haired patient comes to me with severe back pain. Am I supposed to be color-blind and give strong consideration to the possibility that he is having a sickle cell crisis? Because he lives in the same population as African Americans.
Or how about a child who is neurologically degenerating. Is the fact that he is of Ashkenazi Jewish background irrelevant?
There is plenty of relevance to putting people into "finite buckets". So if I am to do a study on melanoma risk, should I just look at everyone and take an average? Never mind the fact that there are dark skinned African Americans and pale skinned Irish Americans in the study. But they live in the same area, so I guess we should group them all together.
How about a blond, straight haired patient comes to me with severe back pain. Am I supposed to be color-blind and give strong consideration to the possibility that he is having a sickle cell crisis? Because he lives in the same population as African Americans.
Or how about a child who is neurologically degenerating. Is the fact that he is of Ashkenazi Jewish background irrelevant?
