People often talk about athletes and entertainers when they talk about inherent abilities. Advocates of eugenics love that. They particularly love one piece of statistics: "17% of all American 7-footers play in NBA". There are holes in this statistic, but still it's a striking proportion (lowest estimate I saw in 2.8%). So the assumption is that you can breed a race of 7-footers that will have a disproportionate advantage in basketball, and by extension, you can make similar argument for any profession. But that "extension" becomes a bit more than a stretch when you consider that sports and entertainment are literally exhibitions of simplified traits. So no shit, Sherlock, you can select for specific traits and win medals for it. But human society and activities are complex, a single trait does not define the value of a person. Be it running a business or fixing stuff or cooking meals-- every activity requires a potpourri of skills. And that is the reason we cr...
"Where lie your roots?", the world asked. I read about kings and gods; how they emptied the lands and the people. I read about prophets that lived among men and were misheard. I read poets that avoided the question and talked of deeper things. I could have spat on a strip from 23andme and have them tell where my genes come from--Bengal, Assam or Persia-- as I sit on the side of an Atfalati hill, a few blocks from where they buried Mr. Miller in 1929. "Where lie his roots?", I wonder.
সুখ-দুঃখ-প্রেম, তীব্র আবেগ ছাড়াও বুকে ব্যথা হতে পারে অজস্র কারণে; এ শরীরের অস্থি-পেশী-চর্বি, নোনা জল শেষ বিচারে অতিপ্রাকৃত কিছু নয়। রসায়নের কাছে অর্থ রাখে না ঈশ্বর, জীব-জড়, গোলাপ, নারী, কবুতর। কোমলতম অনুভূতি আর পাশবিক তাড়না জড়াজড়ি করে রয় এক কোষে; সুখ-দুঃখ-প্রেম, তীব্র আবেগ ছাড়াও তাই চোখ ভিজে যেতে পারে অজস্র কারণে।
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