Brain Size

 

The preponderance of  stereotypes ,lies  and bigotry put forth by sadistic, hateful, and greedy individuals continues today, especially by the “right “on social media.  An article in the January 25, 2026 edition of The New York Times titled Genetic Data of Children Misused for  " Race Science" described the misuse and falsification of data collected from the NIH.

A  right "researcher" tricked and falsified innovative NIH safeguards for his particular " study." NIH  provided  data for his article from the genetic research with children that were tracking brain development and that  research would result in discoveries about DNA’s impact on behavior and disease.  The NIH also promised to safeguard the sensitive data from the children. He lied and misused the information .

 According to the article.  This professor essentially misused information based on IQ scores for the purpose of  claiming that biological differences occurred , in intelligence ,between races 1. He ranked ethnicities by IQ scores and concluded that black people earn less because they are not very smart.  2.  This professor's actions resulted in him getting fired from his  teaching position  3. His falsified results  were broadcasted by conservative commentators and placed on social media.  3.He violated NIH guidelines.  4.  And his simplistic  research and conclusions were debunked  by credible authorities .

Unfortunately, the article did not provide research methodology  used by this bogus researcher.  A few comments about IQ testing.  1.  In the past , there was misuse of IQ test results  by placing individuals in institutions. based on inaccurate testing results .2  Also,there are numerous IQ tests which means that the intelligence quotient is based on the theory of the test originator.  In other words, each IQ test is based on separate,similar  or different  variables   3.  The test sample is also a factor.  For example, the WISC IQ test was based primarily on  white middle-class children. 4.  Each IQ test has a designated age range.  5. Emotional,and psychological issues,at  the time of testing, also affect IQ scores .

Intelligence is a product of complex interactions of numerous hereditary and environmental forces.  It is difficult to sort out the specific  contributions of each.  Research suggests that social class and early rearing impacts IQ performance. 

Arthur Jensen, in his studies ,concluded that heredity accounts for approximately 80% of variation in IQ scores with an average score of whites scoring 10 to 15 points above blacks.  However,in another study, with 38 pairs of identical twins reared in different environments , they found an average     IQ  difference of 14 points for at least 25% of the twins suggesting the importance of environment because identical twins reared together have statistically significant similar  IQ scores .

Note ,that authors of IQ tests  have selected test  items that have discriminated between children of the same age who were successful academically compared with those who had low grades.  As this was a major criterion for including items in the test, it is not surprising that IQ scores are highly correlated with grades in school and college. Essentially socioeconomic differences  is a major variable that differentiate IQ scores between children .In other words,   poor black and and poor white children score significantly below that of middle-class children.

 I administered the WISC IQ test in order to assess emotional issues for a better understanding  of the patient based on the responses of the child on the 11 subtests .  Each of the 11 subtests on the WISC has a description of what each scale attempts to assess, measure and reveal .  In other words, an IQ test provided a considerable amount of information in assisting to understand that particular child irrespective of an IQ score.

There are differences in brain size and, in fact, the Neanderthals had the largest brain size.  The  adult Homo sapien  brain weight is about 3 pounds, has about 100 billion neurons and about 100 trillion synapses  Neurons have three parts- dendrites, cell body and axons .Dendrites take in  information  and axons send out information. Neurons can have as many as 20,000 dendrites and axons .

  Simply put, the size of an individual's brain is a weak predictor of intelligence as Einstein’s brain weighed about 10%,less than the average male adult.

The density of the concentration of nerve cells influences the speed and efficiency of information processing, it’s the  functional complexity related to the cerebral cortex. The relationship between  gray and white matter determines overall cognitive capacity. The working efficiency of these neural networks rather than the bulk of the organ relates to  complex thought. And it takes about 20 years to reach neurological maturity.

Variation in brain size is related to genetics. 70-90% of variability such as nutrition, especially during early childhood when the human brain's metabolic requirements consume up to 66% of the body's resting metabolic energy should be considered.  And ,environmental factors such as chronic disease or exposure to toxins can also impact brain development. 

Usually men's brains are bigger than women's brains.  Around age 20 ,the brains of men and women begin to shrink over time with aging.  There is some evidence that men's brains shrink at a more advanced age of 65-95 compared to women.  And, differences in brain size between men and women do not differ significantly in intelligence or IQ scores although they use different parts of their brains to achieve the same scores.  For example, women seem to have a better developed left hemisphere "social" brain with better language and personal perception or social behavior  that’s related to better cognition of facial emotional expression.

Trying to prove that brain size is associated with "success" is ridiculous.  Yes, there can be statistical correlations between an infinite number of variables . But a correlation is only an association and associations  do not prove cause and effect. 

Does  the trillionaire  Musk have the largest brain in the world?   Success can be defined as accomplishment of an aim, or purpose; attainment of fame, wealth or social status or the good or bad outcome of an undertaking. Musk is financially successful . Is Elon Musk’s brain size larger than Einstein's?  Is Trump’s brain size  larger than Hitler’s, Epstein's or Stalin's?   

Genetics,  family, socioeconomics,environmental, psychological, political,religious and philosophical are  some of the variables to consider when defining success .  The books "It Has Nothing To Do With Age"  and "Bo's Warriors  Bo Schembechler and the Transformation of Michigan Football" provide numerous examples of these successful characterological  athletic individuals, during their life’s journey meeting their ego needs . Parenting, executive ego functions, decision making, emotional and moral factors are  some of the factors associated with success . Or, according to Maslow, those individuals who are self-actualized have reached the top of his hierarchy of needs .  Also , there’s a poor correlation between  income and measures of happiness.

PS

One study of Einstein's brain found that his prefrontal cortex and parietal lobes were unusually well developed with densely packed  neurons.  These areas are associated with abstract thinking,mathematical skills and spatial reasoning. Einstein believed that he thought visually rather than verbally.  And, Edward H Rulloff, a noted medical doctor and criminal had the second largest brain recorded on record.

Furthermore, another greedy,lying  racist  in the 19th century promoted phrenology.  He maintained that he could identify 37 portions of the brain, each responsible for a certain type of temperament  and that African skulls were thicker than those of Caucasians because black people had less brain activity.

Reference

Cerebral Dominance  .The Left & Right Brain .  Institute for Natural Resources.

Glasser, Alan J and Zimmerman,Ira Lee.  Clinical Interpretation of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children.