Hacker News Reader

This touches on some potentially sensitive topics but at least some of the success is explained by having a population with, on average, the second highest IQs.

Another part of it is definitely the benefits from having a strong high-trust culture that gives them access to social networks and a priority to provide for the group as a whole not just their own personal interests.

View on HN

There is a very large percentage of population that doesn't participate in the economy and is largely uneducated. So it's even more shocking to see Israel so successful. And of course, you have the huge wave of immigration from the former USSR in the 90's. Sadly I'm very pessimistic about the future of Israel and the demographics are against it.

The demographics are against the entire western world

however i wouldn't get too caught up with extrapolations, they are usually wrong (see population bomb)

If we look at IQ as an explanation, it's not only about the mean, but also about the variance, which is driven up by the Ashkenazi sub-population.

I would not be surprised if Israel has a significantly larger percentage of people with IQ>140 than any other nation.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com