Nobel Prize-Winning DNA Scientist: Blacks Not as Intelligent as Whites

The long-discredited "science" of eugenics is alive and well as Dr. James Watson, the eminent DNA authority and Nobel laureate, once again adds "racist" to his curriculum vitae

The co-winner of the 1962 Nobel Prize in Medicine his description of the double helix structure of DNA has been suspended from his laboratory and forced to apologize after characterizing black people as inherently not as intelligent as whites. The New York Times:

In an interview published Sunday in The Times of London, Dr. Watson is quoted as saying that while "there are many people of color who are very talented," he is "inherently gloomy about the prospect of Africa."

"All our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours—whereas all the testing says not really," the newspaper quoted him as saying.

Reuters adds a little more "color" to Watson's faux science: "While he hopes everyone is equal, 'people who have to deal with black employees find this is not true,' Watson is quoted as saying. He also said people should not be discriminated against on the basis of color, because 'there are many people of color who are very talented.' "

This is not the first time Watson attempted to rationalize racism and homophobia with statistics. In 2000, Watson suggested sex drive is related to skin color. ("That's why you have Latin lovers.") Several years later, Watson advanced the gay gene exclusionary theory suggested by some social conservatives: "If you could find the gene which determines sexuality and a woman decides she doesn't want a homosexual child, well, let her." The New York Times and Reuters coverage does not report these previous incidents.

Watson's remarks will undoubtedly be quoted as gospel and reinforce claims that whites are superior. One can imagine that keyboard bullies at the National Review and the Free Republic are having a virtual orgy with the the endorsement for the pseudo-science of eugenics..

Watson immediately backpedaled with the claim that he was "mortified" an not racist. Unfortunately, the damage is already done. Thankfully, the entire scientific community has condemned the remarks: The Science Museum of London canceled a speech Dr. Watson was to have presented today and criticizes his assertions on race and intelligence as "beyond the point of acceptable debate." Stateside, the Federation of American Scientists is outraged Watson "chose to use his unique stature to promote personal prejudices that are racist, vicious and unsupported by science.

Watson is a brilliant scientist and a mathematical genius but lacks the most important cognitive trait: Common sense.

H/T: Reggie H

Scientist Watson returns to U.S. over race row [Reuters]
Nobel Winner Issues Apology for Comments [NYT]
Scientist Apologizes After Hurtful Remarks [AP]

Comments

[Derrick from Philly]

Well, this just reinforces the fact that one can be brilliant in a particular area in study/interest/avocation and yet be a complete idiot in another. There were brilliant Nazis who could watch a German Shepard rip apart a Jewish baby and afterwards go to lunch.

[Derrick from Philly]

"avocation" sorry. I usually don't make corrections, but after just "reading" this Ku Klux Klan bitch on Boykin's blog, well, I thought I should. And do you know the Nazi bitch had the nerve to "read" blacks for not using the "king's English" What fucking king? George Dumbya Bush II?

[chris-leo]

this is very disappointing to me, as he was more or less a personal hero of mine. i've enjoyed his many appearances on Charlie Rose, and i've always found him to be a gentle, grandfatherly man of reason. i had no idea this was underneath. i'm crestfallen.

[Luther]

He proves a point that I have long held, the "white" minority of the world continues as a whole to say people of color, and blacks in particular, with the exception of "honorary whites aka Asians" are of a lower IQ, and, this is just how most in this country feel from the White House to the house on Elm Street. And, these stereotypes perpetuate every level of society, except they usually are more careful not to discuss it in public, but do it in hiring, firing and every other realm of life.

So, I for one am glad that he was outed for his slip of the tongue, give me un-PC any day.

[Jim]

Gee, I work with white people every day, and I haven't noticed that they were particularly intelligent.

[Franklyn Smith]

That "science" has been discounted for decades. Shame on such a brilliant man.

[Dave]

I agree with all of the above comments,and this guy is definitely a reflection of white racist thinking. However in examining the state of Hip Hop which has devolved in to a gigantic step and fetch it show , with the pervasive thug worship and the blatant romanticization of prison culture among many of our African American youths. The so call explosion of the DL phenomenon fueled by African American writers, and film makers motivated by financial gain which has caused untold damage to the image of the African American male world wide, the exponential rate of increase in HIV infection in our African American communties,the countless unwed African American mothers rearing their children in poverty, the decline in the enrollment, and in the graduation rates of African American men from Colleges and Universities, and generally how African American's allow themselves to be portrayed on television, in print, and in the movies ( "The Monsters' Ball" ,"Who's your Caddy?", and "Soul Plane"). One cannot help but to believe that in someway we are working in a counter productive manner to help to supply fuel to these racist stereotypes about the collective African American intelligence? I mean is WDIGM the film making masterpiece that most African Americans are making it out to be? Why are more young African Americans desiring to be the next P. Diddy (or whatever he calls himself these days lol) or the next Beyonce (who by the way allegedly admitted to wishing she was Latino) instead of a doctor, lawyer, engineer, or school teacher? Makes me go hummmmmmmm.

[Andy]

Dave, all excellent points, however, one is not exactly spot on, Latina women have more kids out of wedlock than black women at this point.

"The Mexican American teen birthrate is 93 births per every 1,000 girls, compared with 27 births for every 1,000 white girls, 17 births for every 1,000 Asian girls, and 65 births for every 1,000 black girls."

Just wanted to clear that part up, its one of those myths that the right wing loves to perpetuate when they get going on out of wedlock births, and is no longer true, and, while still a major issue, not just one with black girls, its a societal one.

[Dex123ter]

Watson's statements are quite ignorant. This just comes to show how far we still have to go in race relations when you can still read and hear ignorance like this.

[Dave]

Hey Andy;

Thanks for the clarity, and as a blktino, and a mental health professional I am aware of the numbers of unwed Latina verse unwed black mothers lol. I mean how else could the Latinos replace African Americans as the largest minority group in this country? Someone is bumping uglies in the Latino community lol. I was not feeding into the negative stereotypes of black unwed mothers having the highest rates of all groups. I was just keeping my point of views restricted to the African American experience in order to maintain the consistency of my argument. Thanks for the sharing I appreciate the feedback.

[timothy]

Dave, not really sure what any of that has to do with genetic markers and inherent intelligence, but, you may want to look up illegitimate birth rates in Iceland, Demark and Norawy. They are among the highest in the world, if not THE highest.

Very advanced nations. Nordic ethniocity. Very high illegitimate birth rates. Shouild we assume they are "less intelligent"? Probably not.

[ca]

This is a ridiculous story. Thanks for pointing out that he has done this before.

[Dave]

Gee Tim:

If you read my post you would have understood my perspective.

[timothy]

Dave, I did read what you said.

Unfortunately, I'm all too familiar with black on black crime, miosogyny in hip hop, etc. But that has little correlation with genetic intelligence and that (correct me if I'm wrong) argument gives the other side ammunition, which is kind of what Rod was hinting at. That's one reason why I like this site, it goes beyond the usual "black folks, we have to do better" and tries to lead by example.

[JD in Philly]

Bringing the personal racist and homophobic traits of this man into light once again demonstrates how even a scientist can be a total ass when he uses opinion and not facts to base observations. Africans can't be too inferior since if it was not for Africans, NONE of us would be here! It is too bad. He could have been a champion for mankind, but instead is a small, ignorant looser.

[notaracist]

Blacks are not generally as intelligent as whites - let's stop pretending this is not true. Do your own research and stop buying into every bleeding heart liberal's wet dream: That we are all "equal". We are not.