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Nobel Prize-Winning American Scientist James Watson Stripped of Honorary Titles

posted by chromas on Sunday January 13 2019, @10:00PM   Printer-friendly
from the race-to-disgrace dept.

takyon writes:

James Watson: Scientist loses titles after claims over race

Nobel Prize-winning American scientist James Watson has been stripped of his honorary titles after repeating comments about race and intelligence.

In a TV programme, the pioneer in DNA studies made a reference to a view that genes cause a difference on average between blacks and whites on IQ tests. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory said the 90-year-old scientist's remarks were "unsubstantiated and reckless". Dr Watson had made similar claims in 2007 and subsequently apologised.

He shared the Nobel in 1962 with Maurice Wilkins and Francis Crick for their 1953 discovery of the DNA's double helix structure.

Dr Watson sold his gold medal in 2014, saying he had been ostracised by the scientific community after his remarks about race. He is currently in a nursing home recovering from a car accident and is said to have "very minimal" awareness of his surroundings.

Previously: Disgraced Scientist is Selling his Nobel Prize

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  • (Score: 2) by bradley13 on Monday January 14 2019, @10:15AM (1 child)

    by bradley13 (3053) on Monday January 14 2019, @10:15AM (#786394) Homepage Journal

    And this is the point I wanted to make, only I was on mobile, so tried to keep it (too) brief. There is plenty of evidence of a difference in the average intelligence of various groups. Of course there is a huge variation among individuals, but that has nothing whatsoever to do with the average.

    Look, I've worked in Africa. I have relatives who live in Africa. With some few and notable exceptions, most of Africa is a hot mess. If we sincerely want to help, it might be important to objectively examine the underlying problems. Marking certain topics off-limits, so that we aren't even allowed to consider them? Not helpful.

    Intelligence is important, if you are going to maintain a civilization above a minimal technological level. Now, maybe the difference in average intelligence in black Africa will turn to be due to environment, or disease, or nutrition, or parasitism, or any of a host of other potential causes. Or maybe it is genetic. Denying that the difference exists means that we will never figure it out. Worse, it dooms any effort to help, you are ignoring a serious and fundamental problem.

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 14 2019, @05:20PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 14 2019, @05:20PM (#786498)

    Now, maybe the difference in average intelligence in black Africa will turn to be due to environment, or disease, or nutrition, or parasitism, or any of a host of other potential causes. Or maybe it is genetic. Denying that the difference exists means that we will never figure it out. Worse, it dooms any effort to help, you are ignoring a serious and fundamental problem.

    Riddle me this: which is worse? Ignoring/denying a problem exists or papering it over with facile/deceptive explanations? Decisions, decisions. Hmmmmm.