Much of the opposition to this idea, scientists explained, comes from the fact that it probably won't work, because not enough is known yet about how geniuses are produced. Indeed, a fundamental, often bitter argument is under way among scientists now over whether heredity has much to do with intelligence. There's no reason to think that individuals born as a result of use of this sperm bank will have any greater chance of being geniuses than anyone else in the world. Graham, who lives in Escondido, Calif., near San Diego, said the women who get the sperm need pay only shipping costs, plus a refundable deposit on the container used to keep the sperm frozen. I felt badly enough when I only made it into President Nixon's second enemies list.
True genius appears very sporadically, and is to a large degree unpredictable.
Since each individual produced by the sexual process contains a unique set of genes, very exceptional combinations of genes are unlikely to appear twice, even within the same family. So, if genius is to any extent hereditary, it winks on and off through the gene pool in a way that would be difficult to measure or predict. That means, basically, that the flowering of genius is apparently quite random, and that selection of bright parents doesn't ensure production of superior children. Graham, who set up his new sperm bank in an underground concrete vault, said that so far about two dozen women have expressed interest in obtaining sperm samples. I certainly hope the insemination will take.