DNA Scientist James Watson Is Racist
October 18th, 2007
28 Comments
Wow
He says that he is “inherently gloomy about the prospect of Africa” because “all our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours – whereas all the testing says not really”, and I know that this “hot potato” is going to be difficult to address. His hope is that everyone is equal, but he counters that “people who have to deal with black employees find this not true”. He says that you should not discriminate on the basis of colour, because “there are many people of colour who are very talented, but don’t promote them when they haven’t succeeded at the lower level”. He writes that “there is no firm reason to anticipate that the intellectual capacities of peoples geographically separated in their evolution should prove to have evolved identically. Our wanting to reserve equal powers of reason as some universal heritage of humanity will not be enough to make it so”.
The Federation of American Scientists is denouncing him, rightfully.
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I did an assignment on him in college, just read a book either he’d written or was about him — can’t remember which.
Now I’m glad I didn’t dedicate too many brain cells to him. Douchebag.
I worshipped the book, The Double Helix, so this is seriously depressing.
Frankly, I always thought Watson was a snooty pseudo-intellectual; the late Crick was considered the much smarter of the two.
I, too, read The Double Helix, for a biology class many moons ago. I wasn’t overly impressed. W & C made use of Rosalind Franklin’s X-ray crystallography data and pieces of biochemistry information from other sources along with tedious model building to “crack the genetic code,” basically the fact that the DNA molecule ,found in every cell, was a double helix (winding staircase) and was responsible for the transmittal of genetic information. Without Rosalind’s data, you’d never have heard of Watson or Crick. I also remember thinking at the time that their ethics were suspect in carrying out their scientific work – based on Watson’s own recounting in his book.
I haven’t heard of Watson making any significant discovers since then; he’s mostly basked in the glory of his Nobel prize. He’s definitely a racist, sexist, anti-homosexual quack in many ways, having suggested that women abort gay fetuses. He’s a sorry old fuck (yes, that’s ageist), who would’ve fit in perfectly w/ Nazi racial superiority theories of the 30’s and 40’s.
I trace much of his and other’s bigotry to ignorance of black history. I took an Afro-American history course in high school some 30 years ago. In that course we learned of the endless number of contributions that blacks have made to this ungrateful country, in spite of their status as a subjugated people. I’ll just name two in the fields of agriculture and medicine: George Washington Carver was a scientist who discovered/invented over 300 different uses for the lowly peanut! Dr. Charles Drew made major discovers about human blood and how to successfully do blood transfusions, saving millions of lives worldwide.
This has convinced me that African-American Studies should be made part of the high school curriculum for every student regardless of background or color. Only education can overcome bigotry and hurtful false ideas, I honestly believe.
This should be a reality check for all those who worship scientists as infallible creatures.
That’s one of the five stupidest things I’ve ever read.
Is he indicating a belief that we’re not all members of the same species? That sounds like first-rate douchebaggery to me.
From what I read in the article though, he was born to a Democratic family in apartheid Chicago in the 20’s. If he hadn’t co-discovered the double-helix properties of DNA, he’d probably just be somebody’s stupid racist grandpa. That wouldn’t make him totally harmless, but far fewer would take his “pronouncements” seriously.
I guess it’s just further proof that scientific acumen doesn’t necessarily mean he’s intelligent… after all, how many Nazi douchebags did we use to get to the Moon?
I wonder if there’s any truth to the rumor that Doc Watson is heading up Mitt Romney’s campaign in South Carolina. Seems like a good fit.
“This should be a reality check for all those who worship scientists as infallible creatures.”
And who does that?
“This should be a reality check for all those who worship scientists as infallible creatures.”
I’d also like to point out that just because this guy is racist, doesn’t mean his research is invalid. You ask, “Can it be reproduced independently?” not, “Was the research a prick?”
The whole IQ test “validity” debate is just a sideshow to this story. The real issue – and I suspect Dr. Watson knows this – is at the forefront of modern DNA research. In particular, see the following two articles from the leading peer reviewed journal “Science”
Mekel-Bobrov N, Gilbert SL, Evans PD, Vallender EJ, Anderson JR, Hudson RR, Tishkoff SA & Lahn BT. Ongoing adaptive evolution of ASPM, a brain size determinant in Homo sapiens. Science, 309:1720 (2005).
Evans PD, Gilbert SL, Mekel-Bobrov N, Vallender EJ, Anderson JR, Tishkoff SA, Hudson RR & Lahn BT. Microcephalin, a gene regulating brain size, continues to evolve adaptively in humans. Science, 309:1717 (2005).
Both discuss the recent discovery of two genetic evolutions that are believed to have contributed to the expansion of the human brain several thousand years ago. The authors examined geographical evidence of the responsible gene mutations. They were dominant in Europe, North Africa, and Asia, but not in the geographically isolated region of sub-saharan Africa.
Obviously these are very new discoveries, but as research continues there’s a decent chance that the genetic sources of intelligence will be pinpointed. If so, and if the geographical dispersion is observed as these recent studies indicate, then Watson will have been far closer to the mark than admitted by the PC Nazis who non-chalantly dismissed him and called his claims “junk science.”
And who does that?
It’s called a “straw man.” I’ve definitely seen better from the right-wing doofuses that troll this site. For example:
“If so, and if the geographical dispersion is observed as these recent studies indicate, then Watson will have been far closer to the mark than admitted by the PC Nazis who non-chalantly dismissed him and called his claims “junk science.”
Now THAT is what I call trolling.
Jack,
You’re full of shit. You don’t know one end of a pipette from another. How dare you come on this blog and post a racist comment posing as a person educated in the biosciences, capable of making judgment about the intelligence of millions of people. You work in a 7-11 in Appalachia pumping gas, you son of a racist bitch. You’re telling use that sub-Saharan Africans’ brains have stop evolving? You are a big idiot! I say your brain is both morally and intellectually defective. Ignorant, unintelligent asshole that you are.
I guess it’s just further proof that scientific acumen doesn’t necessarily mean he’s intelligent…
One can be smart and still be a racist. But the guy is also 187 years old. It could be that he WAS smart, and just isn’t any more.
He makes a number of mistakes that are common usually among the “creation science” and anti-global warming crowd. He conflates environment with intellectual capacity for starters and worse, “employee behavior” as evidence of the raw intellectual inferiority of blacks. That doesn’t even qualify as junk science. It’s just the loony ranting of some old guy on his back porch.
Both discuss the recent discovery of two genetic evolutions that are believed to have contributed to the expansion of the human brain several thousand years ago. The authors examined geographical evidence of the responsible gene mutations. They were dominant in Europe, North Africa, and Asia, but not in the geographically isolated region of sub-saharan Africa.
Even if this research holds out, it doesn’t at all prove that African blacks are “less intelligent” than whites. Has it been positively determined that brain size is what determines intelligence, or is it just one of those “size matters” myths?
God knows we have plenty of white people who are stupid as hell.
Regardless of what science has or may discover about the genetic or physiological basis of ‘intelligence (however defined), it’s absolutely clear that whatever differences may exist between ‘races’ (however defined) in this regard are too small to be of predictive value on the level of the individual.
What this means is that in the realm of jobs, education, public policy, etc. The genetic argument is simply irrelevant. Anyone who thinks otherwise and posts on blogs to that effect is either ignorant or a racist scumbag. I won’t speculate on which of those Jim is.
As for Watson, I suspect he’s just senile. Sad.
Oops, that should have read:
“I won’t speculate on which of those Jack is.”
How ’bout a list of Nobel Prize winners who won for political reasons, a list for reasons of brilliance, and a list for the luck of being in the right lab at the right time.
And, along with the Nobel Prize, let’s hand out a little booklet explaining how easily stupidity turns to arrogance.
It’s worth the effort to dissect the foolishness.
Notwithstanding the childish rants of wingers, it’s extremely easy to fire an employee in the United States in private non-union employment; you find an example of misconduct and underperformance and you fire the employee, indeed, you don’t strictly need even that. Watson’s concern is that an employer would promote a presumably effective employee – i.e. not can-worthy and likely promotion worthy – in excess of that employee’s alleged intelligence, and further that the class of employees who would be so promoted would be African or African-American. Yet why such an employee would be both promotion-worthy and promotion-unworthy at the same freaking time is beyond me. (If a manager concluded that Joe/Jane was not promotion material without Watson’s management help, the discussion is moot.)
EVEN IF Watson’s alleged data were both accurately described and soundly gathered – which I profoundly doubt – it STILL would be BS to follow his irrational, counter-scientific method of thinking. Either employee X is a solid hire and promotion or he isn’t, regardless of where other people who share his so-called race and don’t work there fall on an IQ test. Watson’s walk-back – “when they haven’t succeeded at the lower level” – is a waste of breath; you don’t promote ANYBODY (unless you are married to his sister) who is a demonstrated ****-up.
Watson himself is a living example of the converse principle: sometimes a presumably competent person in one field, such as DNA molecular sequencing, cannot handle another field, such as sociology, statistics, business administration, psychology or economics.
I just hope that African-Americans and others won’t hold my intelligence in low esteem merely because I may possibly share ancestry and DNA in common with Watson, from whatever gene-pool micturating Scots Highlander who perhaps took time away from sodomizing sheep to penetrate some female ancestor of mine and his.
I find it ironic how people denounce racism and then proceed to denounce someone on the basis that they ‘pump gas.’ Isn’t this the same thing?
What a twat!
He’s already apologized….sort of.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/19/science/19watson.html?_r=1&ex=1350532800&en=ca2de6f0933423c7&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
Isn’t this the same thing?
Not even close.
“I find it ironic how people denounce racism and then proceed to denounce someone on the basis that they ‘pump gas.’ Isn’t this the same thing?”
What race is ‘pump gas’? Although implying someone is a hillbilly troubles me.
“What a twat!”
I find it ironic how people denounce people who denounce racism that proceed to denounce someone on the basic that they ‘pump gas’ and then use a misogynist crack.
“I find it ironic how people denounce racism and then proceed to denounce someone on the basis that they ‘pump gas.’ Isn’t this the same thing?”
… No.
No it is not the same thing. Race is something you are born into. Your job is not.
it’s absolutely clear that whatever differences may exist between ‘races’ (however defined) in this regard are too small to be of predictive value on the level of the individual.
In fact, genetic studies in this area have already found that there is greater variation WITHIN a given race than there is between races.
“In fact, genetic studies in this area have already found that there is greater variation WITHIN a given race than there is between races.”
They hammered that point home in my psychology class over and over again.
Besides, race is mostly a social construct anyway.
Human genius is collaborative. When we get past our egocentricity we can achieve wisdom. Dr Watson may be smart but he certainly is not wise. He is a sad testimonial to our race. I wonder how long it will take our species to realize that intellect is additive and not competitive. It seems that we’ve created for ourselves a dysfuntional social structure that is blind to self evident truths. I challange anyone to debate the idea that one person can actually be smarter than himself plus another person. It would be a better world if we could get past our centricity.
well there ARE similarities between Classism and Racism. in that they both involve pre-judging someone based on something they they can not choose, and are born into.
Classism is the real dynamic of America, and NOT racism. a handful of super rich white men pits the poor whites and the poor blacks against eachother in a theater of distraction (from their evil doings) called Racism.
but anyhow, weren’t Europeans a LOT darker just merely 5000 years ago, when a mutation in skin pigment made them sickly pale?
back in 1300, Europeans were savages who peed in the bushes outside and could not take care of their sick. the wealthy in Europe sent their kids to study in a Spain ruled by Black Islamic Moors from Africa — the height of civilization: art, music, philosophy, — and had amazing schools, irrigation, running water, medical facilities, etc. the Moors were in Spain for more than 500 years.
funny how short people’s memory spans are…
I did hear that a lecture he was suppose to deliver in London during a visit there was cancelled due to his politically incorrect views expressed publically.
I do not support this hostile reaction to someone just for stating what he believes in.
After all we’re supposed to be an open tolerant democratic society.
But what are we? We’re hypocrites because we don’t support the idea of free speech in actual fact.
We fire people and prevent them from speaking publically whenever they make a politically incorrect statement.
Make any kind of statement that can be represented as a hate/racist comment and you’ll
have the PC (politically correct) thought police coming down your case.
Does anyone else not see what this situation has become? It’s a situation of intolerance and lack of regard for differing opinions,especially if they are held to be politically incorrect.
Regardless of whether Mr.Watson’s comments are scientifically founded or unfounded is not the point.
Personally I don’t really know whether there really is any genetic or biological evidence for believing one race to be intellectually superior/inferior to another.
The evidence if any is probably meagre or non-existent.
But I do believe that it’s his right to believe them whether anyone else agrees with him or not.
It’s a real crime or disgrace to ruin a man’s reputation like Mr.Watson”s because the ruling (tyrannical) PC majority finds offense with his
comments.
This proves that we are not as enlightened,tolerant or open as we like to think we are.
Not if we persecute people for expressing beliefs or opinions that others don’t share.