http://news.independent.co.uk/sci_tech/article3067222.ece
Africans are less intelligent than Westerners, says DNA pioneer
Fury at James Watson’s theory: “All our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours – whereas all the testing says not really”
By Cahal Milmo
Published: 17 October 2007
One of the world’s most eminent scientists was embroiled in an extraordinary row last night after he claimed that black people were less intelligent than white people and the idea that “equal powers of reason” were shared across racial groups was a delusion.
James Watson, a Nobel Prize winner for his part in the unravelling of DNA who now runs one of America’s leading scientific research institutions, drew widespread condemnation for comments he made ahead of his arrival in Britain today for a speaking tour at venues including the Science Museum in London.
The 79-year-old geneticist reopened the explosive debate about race and science in a newspaper interview in which he said Western policies towards African countries were wrongly based on an assumption that black people were as clever as their white counterparts when “testing” suggested the contrary. He claimed genes responsible for creating differences in human intelligence could be found within a decade.
The newly formed Equality and Human Rights Commission, successor to the Commission for Racial Equality, saidit was studying Dr Watson’s remarks “in full”. Dr Watson told The Sunday Times that he was “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”. He said there was a natural desire that all human beings should be equal but “people who have to deal with black employees find this not true”.
His views are also reflected in a book published next week, in which he writes: “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 furore echoes the controversy created in the 1990s by The Bell Curve, a book co-authored by the American political scientist Charles Murray, which suggested differences in IQ were genetic and discussed the implications of a racial divide in intelligence. The work was heavily criticised across the world, in particular by leading scientists who described it as a work of “scientific racism”.
Dr Watson arrives in Britain today for a speaking tour to publicise his latest book, Avoid Boring People: Lessons from a Life in Science. Among his first engagements is a speech to an audience at the Science Museum organised by the Dana Centre, which held a discussion last night on the history of scientific racism.
Critics of Dr Watson said there should be a robust response to his views across the spheres of politics and science. Keith Vaz, the Labour chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, said: “It is sad to see a scientist of such achievement making such baseless, unscientific and extremely offensive comments. I am sure the scientific community will roundly reject what appear to be Dr Watson’s personal prejudices.
“These comments serve as a reminder of the attitudes which can still exists at the highestprofessional levels.”
The American scientist earned a place in the history of great scientific breakthroughs of the 20th century when he worked at the University of Cambridge in the 1950s and 1960s and formed part of the team which discovered the structure of DNA. He shared the 1962 Nobel Prize for medicine with his British colleague Francis Crick and New Zealand-born Maurice Wilkins.
But despite serving for 50 years as a director of the Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory on Long Island, considered a world leader in research into cancer and genetics, Dr Watson has frequently courted controversy with some of his views on politics, sexuality and race. The respected journal Science wrote in 1990: “To many in the scientific community, Watson has long been something of a wild man, and his colleagues tend to hold their collective breath whenever he veers from the script.”
In 1997, he told a British newspaper that a woman should have the right to abort her unborn child if tests could determine it would be homosexual. He later insisted he was talking about a “hypothetical” choice which could never be applied. He has also suggested a link between skin colour and sex drive, positing the theory that black people have higher libidos, and argued in favour of genetic screening and engineering on the basis that “stupidity” could one day be cured. He has claimed that beauty could be genetically manufactured, saying: “People say it would be terrible if we made all girls pretty. I think it would great.”
The Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory said yesterday that Dr Watson could not be contacted to comment on his remarks.
Steven Rose, a professor of biological sciences at the Open University and a founder member of the Society for Social Responsibility in Science, said: “This is Watson at his most scandalous. He has said similar things about women before but I have never heard him get into this racist terrain. If he knew the literature in the subject he would know he was out of his depth scientifically, quite apart from socially and politically.”
Anti-racism campaigners called for Dr Watson’s remarks to be looked at in the context of racial hatred laws. A spokesman for the 1990 Trust, a black human rights group, said: “It is astonishing that a man of such distinction should make comments that seem to perpetuate racism in this way. It amounts to fuelling bigotry and we would like it to be looked at for grounds of legal complaint.”
came so
For Watson’s bio, see: http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1962/watson-bio.html
In Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_D._Watson
When I read that he’s on a “speaking tour to publicise his latest book”, i said “Ohhh, I see”. Looks like he might be trying to gain some attention for his latest book. Any press, positive or negative, is good press when trying to sell books.
Otherwise, what kind of tests/statistics could he possibly have possibly performed/gathered to support this claim?? Not enough.
As my Physics professor once told me:
“There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.”
(http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/487.html)
Looks like he’s using the third one.
the professor can say whatever he likes afterall its whites who bestow the noble prize and i wonder how many africans have won any prize of note in the sciences. Of course westerners are more intelligent than Africans and thats why we have all manner of evils emanating from the west with africans only aping them and that is why we have words like blackmail, blackmaria and white lies.
Give Dr Watson a piece of yam while he is starving and he wont know what to do with it. Give him a bath without a shower but a pail in the vicinity and he wont know how to take a bath. We know what to do anyway. Leave them to their delusions. When we wake up; its going to be with a bang
Not too long ago, they used to say the same kinds of things about Indians and asians. Today, the indians and asians are seriously eating their lunch, which is why they now know better than to take their intelligence for granted.
If we want to be respected, we have to start earning it. Collectively, and as a people. The Iboris, Kalus, Peter Odilis and Etehs are the reason why our nations are so backward, and so justifiably disrespectable. The professor is clearly talking nonsense, but until we emulate the rest of mankind, people will always wonder, in private if not in public, whether something is inherently wrong with us and our children.
Well he has said his piece and I also wonder if his tests(whatever they were) revealed that on the IQ scale the westerners probably rate way behind the Asians.The development in te Asian nations of China, Korea, Japan. Taiwan, Singapore , India etc seem to attest to this reality. On the other hand we as Africans should wake up and get our act together, cos until we do so.pwople across the globe ..Africans inclusive will continue to have a nagging feeling that there may be some “truth” in his postulation.He is in anycase a racist and sexist bigot.
james watson is old mindless caveman. he is such an expert on africans and dont even know there are millions of africans that are living in the west. missery truly wants company or someone to believe in them because really…misserable people dont believe in themselves.
Dr. Watson’s book tour has subsequently been cancelled … and he has resigned due to his remarks
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/25/science/25cnd-watson.html?hp
The responses we are making are at best pedestrian. The old man is a scientist of nobel prize fame. I think the best thing is to challenge the scientists of our race to investigate his claim and tell us whether he is right or wrong from science point of view. Yes, as a negro, I will wish to reject his claim outrightly, but since we say all fingers are not equal, how can all races have equal IQ? The differences in IQ between races might not be significant, I suspect, and may change from age to age. But let our scientists speak, they have the intelligence to do that.
I concur with Jackson. Only a scientific refutation will do justice to such an assertion by man of Watson’s stature. All the same, I say that the pyramids, just to mention one of the numerous legacies bequeathed to this world by the black man, prove him wrong. It is the rape on the psyche of the African by the Caucasians of European descent that is responsible for his present-day predicament.
>> It is the rape on the psyche of the
>> African by the Caucasians of European
>> descent that is responsible for his
>> present-day predicament.
And what kind of rape are you talking about? Was Africa the only colonised continent? What about India? What about places like Vietnam which saw lots of war and destruction? How is it that places like Malaysia and Singapore have vaulted far ahead of us? After 12 years of Sanction, even Iraq, under Sadam Hussein, still had far better infrastructure that Nigeria.
Quite clearly, Mr Watson is clearly talking from his other anus, but we must realise that we and we alone are responsible for our future. The earlier we take full responsibility for it and get back to work, the better for us.
Bros, I agree with you. My point is this – it’s a trans-generational inferiority complex that is keeping Africa down. You know this is true hen you see they way our “leaders” were kow-towing to Queen Elizabeth when she visited. It was more like school children receiving their sovereign.
i seem to agree with Dr Watson, or can any proof otherwise, why all african leader are corrupt? why a bundle of men and women gather at darfor waiting for rice and water from united nation, why nigeria 419 continue writing letter to people who know what they are upto? why africa farmer wait for fair trade before they can sale their product? when they can sale their product among africa countries, why africa can’t unite to solve their internal problem, why do the african continue to line up come rain or sun to vote for useless leader who do the bidding of their colonial master? why do africa accept wholeheartenly anything throw at them (AID,DISCOVER OF AFRICA THAT EXIST before every other continent, slavery trade etc) the current slavery trade is the africa come to sale themself to their master, whereas it was the other way round? African don’t get annoy, just think about it. there may be true hiding in it .
I do not believe in the theory or whatsoever of Dr. Watson. I think he is just being an extremist (racist). All human beings are equal irrespective of skin colour or race. Just to site an example in relation to sports, most American Atheletes are blacks (in track and field events and other events. Football wouldn’t have been what it is today in Europe and America without the blacks. Pele of Brazil was great fooballer and their has not been any like him up to date. What about George Wear of Liberia who won the European, African and World Fooballer of the year. No white or westerner has made this history. What about Jordan and O’neil.This just but to mention a few.
@ MikeA: In reading the comment you made, I do wonder why so many 419 scams continue when Nigeria (as a whole)has been exposed. Yet, I get weekly e-mails about a Nigerian Lottery, Inves tments, Collecting Funds, etc. It seems no matter how much we Americans have heard about these scams (through Oprah Winfrey show, other informative shows, or by personal experience), the e-mails keep coming. They come from Nigeria and from Nigerians living in the UK. Perhaps years ago, the 419 was not that well known and many people were taken advantage of, but when you walk into some of our banks, “WARNINGS” are posted about not doing business with anyone from Nigeria. Yet the e-mails come rolling in weekly. In thinking about that, it possibly can be that 419 has been the “bread and butter” on many Nigerian’s tables for years, and if they stop doing that, then they would actually have to find another way of making money. I DO NOT think it is because Africans are less intelligent than us Westerners, for I wonder how we Westerners would react under such harsh, poverty conditions. I got married in Apapa, Lagos Nigeria on January 4, 2007 and stayed there for two weeks. I know, through observation, how harsh life is there. I am not making any excuses for the 419 scams, for there is no excuse for lying, stealing, and manipulating funds from hardworking people. But horrible, poverty conditions do exist there. When the government, or a group of people work to fix the economic, educational, and health issues of Lagos, all citizens will be in a better financial standing and have hope for the future. Perhaps Africans act the way they do (as some things that you mentioned) because that is all they know and have been exposed to all their lives in that situation. Give a man hope, and watch his dignity and behavior soar to another level!
@Ala Ayodeji: I did not know what to do with that “strange looking” yam too when I first saw it, for our yams are different than the one I saw in Lagos, Nigeria. But I do now. That is not intelligence, but a lack of knowing how to survive in an environment that is foregin to you. If you would be dropped off in certain locations in
America, you too, might not know how to do the simple things Americans do (and take for granted)–not due to a lack of intelligence–but a lack of experience in our environment. The intelligence comes in–whether it is a Nigeian who comes to America or an American who goes to Nigeria–is learning how to survive after we both get there and are taught about that way of life.
Patricia
Why then do Nigerians beat all their western counterparts in graduate degrees?
http://www.census.gov/population/socdemo/ancestry/table_01.txt
Table 1. Educational Attainment for Selected Ancestry Groups
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census
Internet Release date: February 18, 1998
Dominic, I begin to agree with you the more-))) interesting some Nigerians are waking up to see our own folly, the truth hurts, Mr Watson is right, im not going to go into the ethics or acceptability of his words, he is right. we have precedents, how many years did they took us into slavery, Abiola mentioned about compensation he was killed, the Jews that was persecuted in Germany got it, secondly, the Jews created a country where their own can come back to, we failed to do that, The European war so called second world is just about 68 years old which means some people from that era are still alive, and we talk about racism. Its 400 years after slavery, we have not done anything to bring our brothers back home to Africa, other nations was robbed too, but they got over it and move on, one short story, I went to a debate at the university here and one Belgian guy asked me, we shouted that the westerners cheated us all the time, is Abacha a westerner? I could not answer him, if a country in the western world saw the kind of money Abacha stole, guess what is going to happen to that city. imagine it. we failed our brothers sold into slavery, I saw the way we look for visas when I visited Nigeria in December, gee, visa is given to people according to the way their country is rated socio-economic ways, when are we going to learn.
Definitely, too much knowledge has made Jamie mad. It was not just his comment about Africans, but other comments he made in the past. It is a good thing he has been compulsorily retired.
As for us we need to deal with lawlessness, greed and ignorance. Having the highest number of post graduates does not spell literacy. I recently sent my children to school in Nigeria, and my 15 year old son commented, “Mom, Nigerian teachers just want you to give them what they taught you. Your creativity is not welcomed.” I replied, “Now you see why America is progressing while we are not. I brought you here so you can see the need and make changes in your generation.”
i agree with dominic.i had always wondered as a child why the whites are miles ahead of us.then as i grew older i realised we are held back by unhealthy cu;tural practices that make progress almost impossble.cultural practices are based on historical creations that may not have a place in todays realities.hopefully one day we will get it right
Why then do even eminent whites fall victims of cheap 419 scam by Nigerians.
obviously one IQ is greater than another
@Beejay: Greed > Intellect
Although what this man is saying is extremely controversial…..look at his credentials. There are people o here that are just talking out of their asses about sports analogies and stuff, what they hell do any of you know about genetics? The only reasonable comment on this message board is from Jackson. Let science find the answers. You’re all been brainwashed by Western ideas of multiculturalism and equality. The world does not work in an ideal way. Everyone is equal?? What a ridiculous statement, thats just a romantic idea, This man is a nobel prize level scientist with decades of experience, who the fuck are any of you to refute his claims with your pathetic opinions based on nothing?
@G: That he is a noble prize winner does not mean that he cannot be wrong. The problem is that African leaders had sold us into economic slavery to westerners, resulting into stealing of natural resources that are meant for development, and sometimes in exchange for weapons, resulting in instabilities, chaos and hunger. They don’t have any good picture of us, they always promote the negative things about Africa on their TVs, newspaper, e.t.c. That does not mean that everything about Africa is bad or we are less intelligent. I guess u are one of those that never see beyond your nose, because I expect you to know that he is wrong without scientific conviction.
@G: That he is a noble prize winner does not mean that he cannot be wrong. The problem is that African leaders had sold us into economic slavery to westerners, resulting into stealing of natural resources that are meant for development, and sometimes in exchange for weapons, resulting in instabilities, chaos and hunger. They don’t have any good picture of us, they always promote the negative things about Africa on their TVs, newspaper, e.t.c. That does not mean that everything about Africa is bad or we are less intelligent. I guess u are one of those that never see beyond your nose, because I expect you to know that he is wrong without scientific conviction.
@G: That he is a noble prize winner does not mean that he cannot be wrong. The problem is that African leaders had sold us into economic slavery to westerners, resulting into stealing of natural resources that are meant for development, and sometimes in exchange for weapons, resulting in instabilities, chaos and hunger. They don’t have any good picture of us, they always promote the negative things about Africa on their TVs, newspaper, e.t.c. That does not mean that everything about Africa is bad or we are less intelligent. I guess u are one of those that never see beyond your nose, because I expect you to know that he is wrong without scientific conviction.
Just because somone (no matter what his/her classification) says somone is less intelligent than another group of people, does it make it so? Who cares if someone feels Africans are less intelligent than Westerners. If YOU know you are intelligent, blessed by God, and believe you shall have a wonderful future, does “one or more than one negative comment” mean you cannot accomplish what is in your path to accomplish? Every culture has negativity that is associated with them, and Westerners are no exception. However, it is the negativity that you allow someone to affect your walk and destiny that can destroy YOU (do not allow that to happen).
the issue is that ,most developed countries did not develop on their own without Africans.there are countless Africans in America and other parts of the world that have contributed immensely on inventions and theories, which is been connived by the white as their own.comparing most blacks with white in a competitive class rooms, many blacks have been out standing in their marks than white , does that makes them much more intelligent than blacks?, “no”. the only thing that too many whites are good at is just that they are extremely “humanly exploitative”, and most people that discovered most of these things are blacks, but just that blacks are not all-that interested in letting themselves known, with most discoveries.
the issue is that ,most developed countries did not develop on their own without Africans.there are countless Africans in America and other parts of the world that have contributed immensely on inventions and theories, which is been connived by the white as their own.comparing most blacks with white in a competitive class rooms, many blacks have been out standing in their marks than white , does that makes them much more intelligent than blacks?, “no”. the only thing that too many whites are good at is just that they are extremely “humanly exploitative”, and most people that discovered most of these things are blacks, but just that blacks are not all-that interested in letting themselves known, with most discoveries.