China has 55% of the high-IQ working-age people(sofiechan.com)
sofiechan.com
China has 55% of the high-IQ working-age people
https://sofiechan.com/p/4571
43 comments
Off topic, but what is this sofie chan? looks cool.
OMG what did I just read. That place is not cool.
yikes yeah thats pretty bad
Welcome to the dark enlightenment. If Sofie Channel is acceptable to post on HN then we may as well allow 4Chan or Chimpout as well.
“Please submit the original source. If a post reports on something found on another site, submit the latter.”
https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
Then why aren't they leading in the generation of unique IP?
Anyways understanding China as if it were one giant entity operating in lockstep is peak western thinking.
Anyways understanding China as if it were one giant entity operating in lockstep is peak western thinking.
> why aren't they leading in the generation of unique IP?
Chinese manufacturing methods currently surpass America’s in many domains.
More directly, China is poorer than America per capita. A smart kid given few resources will be outperformed by a duller kid in a gifted environment. That’s slowly changing, however, which is where this turns into a forward-looking risk.
> anyways understanding China as if it were one giant entity operating in lockstep is peak western thinking
This is a lazy dismissal. I’ve seen the same thinking in India and Japan. Stereotyping foreign cultures as monoliths is conserved for obvious reasons across human civilisation.
Chinese manufacturing methods currently surpass America’s in many domains.
More directly, China is poorer than America per capita. A smart kid given few resources will be outperformed by a duller kid in a gifted environment. That’s slowly changing, however, which is where this turns into a forward-looking risk.
> anyways understanding China as if it were one giant entity operating in lockstep is peak western thinking
This is a lazy dismissal. I’ve seen the same thinking in India and Japan. Stereotyping foreign cultures as monoliths is conserved for obvious reasons across human civilisation.
One aspect of China and so many countries outside of the west is just how unequal they are that people keep forgetting. Yes China is communist, at the very least in name. It is also incredibly unequal.
So there are rich kids in China. And while inequality means per-capita less rich kids, but they tend to be much richer than a US rich kid, and China is easily 5 times bigger, so ... no shortage of very rich kids. And yes, some of them are smart.
https://www.instagram.com/richkidsofchina/
So no, it is not that there are no smart kids with resources in China. In fact quite the opposite.
Perhaps it's like most countries outside of the west. I've seen this play out several times with Iranians. It's the environment, the government, the ideology. Iranians, the ones that managed to maintain some wealth, know what they're doing. They're pretty smart. A bunch of them go back every few years. In Iran, they don't achieve much. Outside of Iran, they achieve a lot. The same people. At least there resources would be a better explanation, but that's not it. In reality the Iranian state will brutally stamp out any public display of culture (because Iranian culture is anything but islamic. In fact, don't even call it Iranian. It's Persian). So what's left is Persians outside of Iran and drug parties.
So there are rich kids in China. And while inequality means per-capita less rich kids, but they tend to be much richer than a US rich kid, and China is easily 5 times bigger, so ... no shortage of very rich kids. And yes, some of them are smart.
https://www.instagram.com/richkidsofchina/
So no, it is not that there are no smart kids with resources in China. In fact quite the opposite.
Perhaps it's like most countries outside of the west. I've seen this play out several times with Iranians. It's the environment, the government, the ideology. Iranians, the ones that managed to maintain some wealth, know what they're doing. They're pretty smart. A bunch of them go back every few years. In Iran, they don't achieve much. Outside of Iran, they achieve a lot. The same people. At least there resources would be a better explanation, but that's not it. In reality the Iranian state will brutally stamp out any public display of culture (because Iranian culture is anything but islamic. In fact, don't even call it Iranian. It's Persian). So what's left is Persians outside of Iran and drug parties.
I don't doubt they have heaps of unique IP but you don't see it because you don't speak Chinese and they don't bother to translate it for our benefit.
They also have different values, so sometimes their movies and TV seem a little "off" for us. We don't find the same things funny, or heroic.
They also have different values, so sometimes their movies and TV seem a little "off" for us. We don't find the same things funny, or heroic.
> and they don't bother to translate it for our benefit.
There are organizations aside from the Chinese government that speak Chinese and could translate into other languages. I'm thinking specifically of any news reporting organization.
> They also have different values
They also span five different time zones. The values are no more consistent in their society then it is in any other.
There are organizations aside from the Chinese government that speak Chinese and could translate into other languages. I'm thinking specifically of any news reporting organization.
> They also have different values
They also span five different time zones. The values are no more consistent in their society then it is in any other.
The point I was trying to make is the financial incentives are just not there. It costs money to translate (and localize) IPs and unless they are really good, people here are just not going to like them very much. (because cultural differences)
Having said that, we do get some of the biggest games, movies and apps.
Having said that, we do get some of the biggest games, movies and apps.
^ that, and they probably don't value IP rights as much as the western world. I might be wrong but I have the impression they view it as a hindrance.
Any chinese here that can share their view?
Any chinese here that can share their view?
> that, and they probably don't value IP rights as much as the western world
No, that's actually completely untrue. Chinese (and Japanese too) has no problem to copy your IP, but they will fight tooth and nail to protect theirs. Nintendo is great example of that (look into history how they got big) for China it was recently when EU wants tech transfer in exchange for dropping tariffs on cars, which Chinese are not keen on at all.
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202510/1345710.shtml
No, that's actually completely untrue. Chinese (and Japanese too) has no problem to copy your IP, but they will fight tooth and nail to protect theirs. Nintendo is great example of that (look into history how they got big) for China it was recently when EU wants tech transfer in exchange for dropping tariffs on cars, which Chinese are not keen on at all.
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202510/1345710.shtml
When you have no IP, you steal IP. When you have IP you make agreements with other countries to mutually respect IP.
Then why aren't they leading in the generation of unique IP?
Accepting this as fact is peak western thinking.
https://www.nature.com/nature-index/news/nature-index-resear...
Accepting this as fact is peak western thinking.
https://www.nature.com/nature-index/news/nature-index-resear...
Intelligence is a necessary but not sufficient condition to generating new technology.
I don’t have firsthand experience, but I have heard that China is attempting to restructure their education programs which have been historically 100% aimed at test taking which is not a good way to produce leaders, original thought, and value to society. The elites of China still send their children abroad to study.
I don’t have firsthand experience, but I have heard that China is attempting to restructure their education programs which have been historically 100% aimed at test taking which is not a good way to produce leaders, original thought, and value to society. The elites of China still send their children abroad to study.
That's not the problem you keep hearing about. China is incredibly unequal. The education program is aimed at test taking because the only way to do anything is to first climb the ladder in the communist party. How do you get into the lowest rung of the communist party? How do you start climbing the ladder?
Well, a test, the "Gaokao". There's your explanation. You need to know math, and of course exactly how Xi Jingping (and the CCP) is a god and the solution to all the worlds problems (there's 3 volumes about it which you have to know by hard: "习近平谈治国理政")
Looks like (three of) this book: https://www.amazon.com/Xi-Jinping-Governance-Simplified-Chin...
If anything, Chinese people outside of China show that their education aimed at test taking works damn well. China doesn't let them out anymore, but it's not lack of ability.
Well, a test, the "Gaokao". There's your explanation. You need to know math, and of course exactly how Xi Jingping (and the CCP) is a god and the solution to all the worlds problems (there's 3 volumes about it which you have to know by hard: "习近平谈治国理政")
Looks like (three of) this book: https://www.amazon.com/Xi-Jinping-Governance-Simplified-Chin...
If anything, Chinese people outside of China show that their education aimed at test taking works damn well. China doesn't let them out anymore, but it's not lack of ability.
>Then why aren't they leading in the generation of unique IP?
The simple answer is that they are still in the "copying" stage.
China is what, like 30k GDP on a PPP basis? I think they are still in the stage where the marginal returns on simply copying stuff are higher than frontier research for most of the industries they are in.
They don't have the problem of something like Switzerland, where we need to figure out what a 110k GDP PPP looks like (the countries above us right now cannot be replicated for obvious reasons). China can mix match its way to 40,50,60,70k PPP for the next 10 years.
The simple answer is that they are still in the "copying" stage.
China is what, like 30k GDP on a PPP basis? I think they are still in the stage where the marginal returns on simply copying stuff are higher than frontier research for most of the industries they are in.
They don't have the problem of something like Switzerland, where we need to figure out what a 110k GDP PPP looks like (the countries above us right now cannot be replicated for obvious reasons). China can mix match its way to 40,50,60,70k PPP for the next 10 years.
In the meantime, in the US the IQ threshold for mental retardation had to be changed in the 70s from 85 to 70 because of reasons.
There are a lot in the USA but because of the way nepotism and cronyism thrives in the USA they are heavily suppressed by the corruption.
Those are midwits. Truly intelligent people see past the facade and don't really go into the topics with others outside of subject matter expert groups. Because the areas being focused on by the general population or media are so deviated from the cause or solution.
So, are they suppressed? I highly doubt that's the proper word.
Less ambitious? Perhaps, but not suppressed.
So, are they suppressed? I highly doubt that's the proper word.
Less ambitious? Perhaps, but not suppressed.
Elaborate please?
I feel like high iq people are more likely to succeed in the USA, than a communist country. This comes from someone whos parents grew up and lived in a communist nation.
I feel like high iq people are more likely to succeed in the USA, than a communist country. This comes from someone whos parents grew up and lived in a communist nation.
I think you are conflating relative meritocracy where the USA is better than some of the worst meritocracies from absolute meritocracy where IQ alone will help you succeed. There are tons of research articles (https://harvardlawreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/myth...) on the subject.
Some of the high IQ individuals are succeeding in USA but definitely not even close to all of them.
Some of the high IQ individuals are succeeding in USA but definitely not even close to all of them.
Feels unnecessarily jingoistic, China succeeding will not come at our expense. Unlike the US, they don’t want to project their values across the globe.
Who’s working on gene editing for IQ maxxing?
Who’s working on gene editing for IQ maxxing?
> Unlike the US, they don’t want to project their values across the globe
Tell that to Pakistan, Taiwan, Cambodia, Korea and checks notes Tibet.
Tell that to Pakistan, Taiwan, Cambodia, Korea and checks notes Tibet.
Don't forget most of Africa, where it's a lot of "Oh, so sorry you got in massive debt to us for that clean water system. You know, a nice Chinese naval base would look great right over there."
The CIA was operating for a long time in Tibet and got the Dalai Lama kicked out. Taiwan wouldn't even exist if it weren't backed by forgeign powers, namely the US and UK. The US dropped 2.7 million tons of bombs on Cambodia. The US has conducted thousands of drone strikes in Pakistan, and of course, they fought a war in Korea.
> CIA was operating for a long time in Tibet and got the Dalai Lama kicked out
Nobody contests that the U.S. projects power and culture globally.
> Taiwan wouldn't even exist if it weren't backed by forgeign powers, namely the US and UK
…this is true for most countries on the planet. Including the US and UK.
> US dropped 2.7 million tons of bombs on Cambodia. The US has conducted thousands of drone strikes in Pakistan, and of course, they fought a war in Korea
How is this relevant to whether China projects its culture?
Nobody contests that the U.S. projects power and culture globally.
> Taiwan wouldn't even exist if it weren't backed by forgeign powers, namely the US and UK
…this is true for most countries on the planet. Including the US and UK.
> US dropped 2.7 million tons of bombs on Cambodia. The US has conducted thousands of drone strikes in Pakistan, and of course, they fought a war in Korea
How is this relevant to whether China projects its culture?
China does not project it's power across the globe. You only listed countries China can literally spit on from within it's own borders.
> China does not project it's power across the globe. You only listed countries China can literally spit on from within it's own borders
China's projects power into the Red Sea and Central Asia, and is building bases to project further into the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Thailand, South Atlantic and Coral Sea. (Also ironic to reference Tibet and China's borders in the same sentence. In imperial terms, China, Indonesia, Libya and Russia stand alone in having annexed by force, since WWII, the sovereign land of other nations that weren't their colonisers.)
Examples of cultural projection outside Asia are rarer, given Chinese power projection as a whole is newer, but one would expect to see--as it's happened in its vicinity, as it happened in America's vicinity first--Chinese-language and cultural institutions following economic interests. (It's already happening, but not significantly enough yet to be of note. Most current objections from locals are around the migration and settlement of ethnic Chinese workers in their communities.)
China's projects power into the Red Sea and Central Asia, and is building bases to project further into the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Thailand, South Atlantic and Coral Sea. (Also ironic to reference Tibet and China's borders in the same sentence. In imperial terms, China, Indonesia, Libya and Russia stand alone in having annexed by force, since WWII, the sovereign land of other nations that weren't their colonisers.)
Examples of cultural projection outside Asia are rarer, given Chinese power projection as a whole is newer, but one would expect to see--as it's happened in its vicinity, as it happened in America's vicinity first--Chinese-language and cultural institutions following economic interests. (It's already happening, but not significantly enough yet to be of note. Most current objections from locals are around the migration and settlement of ethnic Chinese workers in their communities.)
I get what you are saying but this is still pretty local.
> this is still pretty local
America’s cultural projection was similarly local while the British Empire reined.
America’s cultural projection was similarly local while the British Empire reined.
They have territorial disputes with their neighbors, that’s not the same as trying to project their cultural values globally.
What dispute do they have with Pakistan? You mean India?
What dispute do they have with Pakistan? You mean India?
Look into the various instructions they have in other countries, that's before we get to Belt & Road
> What dispute do they have with Pakistan
You’re the one who straw manned to territorial disputes!
Beijing culturally projects in Pakistan. Capitalism with Chinese characteristics, a growing prevalence of Mandarin being taught as a second language [1], requiring Islamabad embrace Beijing’s foreign policy, et cetera.
(To be clear, this seems fine. Both Pakistan and Russia have proven dangerously incompetent as fully sovereign states. Perhaps being under Beijing is more stable and prosperous.)
[1] https://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202210/19/WS634f462aa310f...
You’re the one who straw manned to territorial disputes!
Beijing culturally projects in Pakistan. Capitalism with Chinese characteristics, a growing prevalence of Mandarin being taught as a second language [1], requiring Islamabad embrace Beijing’s foreign policy, et cetera.
(To be clear, this seems fine. Both Pakistan and Russia have proven dangerously incompetent as fully sovereign states. Perhaps being under Beijing is more stable and prosperous.)
[1] https://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202210/19/WS634f462aa310f...
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