Devolution
I am pretty amused by genetics in the thought that things improve with every generation or that getting a certain gene pool will mean success. Take for example when a horse with a successful track record finishes their career people pay big money for the breeding with that horse. Case in point I've seen a lot of horses with Seattle Slew lineage and none of these horses were great achievers. They were horses of good confirmation but none of them ever had an impressive track record.
The same goes for people. Take John, Robert and Ted Kennedy, all were big deals as was their father. Their father's money and influence helped the three become very successful, but each generation after that has significantly diminished. The same with Prescot Bush. He had a son and a grand son that became Presidents of the United States, but it strongly appears that each generation since Prescot has a diminishing intellect.
I guess it's really more about money and influence that it actually has to do with a continued genetic trait for success.
posted by The Guy Who Writes This at 4:00 AM
4 Comments:
When the first "Seabiscuit" movie was made (back in the 40's, I think) they were going to use a son of Seabiscuit to portray him in the movie. The horse was so pathetic that they had to use an unrelated horse. He never had a single offspring that was worth more than glue-factory price.
Whenever I see a picture of Prescott Bush I think of Montgomery Burns from the Simpsons. Intellect aside, Prescott had no trouble passing his offspring the ability to play the American public for a bunch of suckers.
"If the American people really knew what we had done, we would be chased down the street and lynched." — President George H.W.Bush to White House correspondent Sara McClendon, 1992.
True greatness is certainly more than DNA genes and environment.
So how far up the family tree would one have to climb to find intelligence in Sarah Palin's lineage?
Donna, right, good horses, but not great horses.
Anon, good comparison with Monty Burnes.
QQ, the lizard in the illustration above.
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