As it turns out, the author of this lesson (Dashiell Young-Saver, pictured at left) is a descendent of the mostly “moron grade” Jews that immigrated to the U.S. in the early 1900s. He would like to point out some interesting figures. Today, Jews are 3% of the U.S. and 0.2% of the world population. Yet, they make up:

Question

As it turns out, the author of this lesson (Dashiell Young-Saver, pictured at left) is a descendent of the mostly “moron grade” Jews that immigrated to the U.S. in the early 1900s. He would like to point out some interesting figures. Today, Jews are 3% of the U.S. and 0.2% of the world population. Yet, they make up:

- 36% of U.S. Nobel winners, 20% of all Nobel prizes (humanities & sciences), and 23% of all Fields Medals winners (mathematics) [1]

- 16% of Ivy League students (Harvard, Yale, etc.) [2]

The 1917 report quoted on the previous slide has since been discredited, with modern commentators pointing out serious flaws in its findings. What might those flaws have been?

Answer 1

Some possible flaws in the 1917 report could include sampling bias, incorrect data analysis techniques, or prejudices held by the researchers conducting the study. It is possible that the researchers may have had biases against certain immigrant groups, leading them to draw inaccurate conclusions or misinterpret the data. Additionally, the lack of representation from diverse backgrounds in the research team itself may have influenced the findings. It is important to critically evaluate historical studies and consider the context in which they were conducted before accepting their conclusions as fact.