Scientist Apologizes for Hurtful Remarks

Oct 18, 2007 By MALCOLM RITTER, AP Science Writer
Scientist Apologizes for Hurtful Remarks (AP)
US scientist and DNA discoverer James Watson poses for photographers behind a model of the 'DNA Double Helix', which was discovered by Watson and Francis Crick at an exhibition in Berlin in this Monday, Oct. 11, 2004 file photo. Watson scientist who won the Nobel Prize for co-discovering the molecular structure of DNA has caused an uproar in Britain by reportedly saying tests have indicated that Africans are not as intelligent as whites. A British government minister, scientists and a human rights activist condemned James Watson's comments as racist, and London's Science Museum canceled his speech, which had been scheduled for Friday Oct. 19, 2007. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

(AP) -- James Watson, the 79-year-old scientific icon made famous by his work in DNA, has set off an international furor with comments to a London newspaper about intelligence levels among blacks.



Content from The Associated Press expires 15 days after original publication date. For more information about The Associated Press, please visit www.ap.org .

Explore further: Taking stock of technology

add to favorites email to friend print save as pdf

Related Stories

Snowden's life surrounded by spycraft

9 hours ago

In the suburbs edged by woods midway between Baltimore and the U.S. capital, residents long joked that the government spy shop next door was so ultra-secretive its initials stood for "No Such Agency." But ...

Winners and losers at this week's E3

9 hours ago

Since the first battles over "Pong" machines in local arcades four decades ago, video gamers have loved good competition. And this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo—the industry's largest annual gathering—presented ...

Europe's space truck docks with ISS

10 hours ago

A robot freighter bearing 6.6 tonnes of cargo docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on Saturday, the European Space Agency (ESA) said.

Secret to Prism program: Even bigger data seizure

10 hours ago

In the months and early years after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, FBI agents began showing up at Microsoft Corp. more frequently than before, armed with court orders demanding information on customers.

Recommended for you

Prehistoric rock art maps cosmological belief

7 minutes ago

It is likely some of the most widespread and oldest art in the United States. Pieces of rock art dot the Appalachian Mountains, and research by University of Tennessee, Knoxville, anthropology professor Jan ...

'Ugly' finding: Unattractive workers suffer more

2 hours ago

People who are considered unattractive are more likely to be belittled and bullied in the workplace, according to a first-of-its-kind study led by a Michigan State University business scholar.

Taking stock of technology

3 hours ago

At the recent Harvard IT Summit, Anne Margulies, vice president and University chief information officer, mentioned how Harvard had been at the forefront of information technology since its inception, even to the point of ...

Gay marriage ruling unlikely to cause anti-gay backlash

3 hours ago

Concerns that a U.S. Supreme Court ruling favorable to gay marriage might produce a backlash that would impede efforts to achieve equality are unfounded, according to a study by researchers at University of California campuses ...

User comments : 3

Adjust slider to filter visible comments by rank

Display comments: newest first

x646d63
4 / 5 (2) Oct 18, 2007
People react badly to such things because information like this has historically been used to oppress people--not to further social development. Today, few believe that someone can generalize an entire race and not be a racist.

Maybe if we ever get to a place in this world where everyone is treated with the same dignity and respect by everyone, we can then study why some are more "successful" or "intelligent" by whatever biased metric we are using. But until everyone feels like the respect they receive is independent of their physical characteristics, ancestry, or other attributes, information like this is completely useless.
bmcghie
3 / 5 (2) Oct 18, 2007
I don't know whether to cry or laugh when I read rubbish like this. Who cares what the man said? So, maybe he worded it poorly. His track record indicates this may not be the whole story. Regardless, take his research data, and listen to his scientific ideas. Just don't bother asking him about implementing social programs if his comments bother you that much. Seriously, he's a scientist, not a polititian. If he trips over the line instead of walking it gracefully... just fast forward that part of the lecture. More importantly, I didn't hear ANY mention of a sound byte. All we have to condemn him is one unverifiable quote... People get too bent out of shape over the little things these days.
Argiod
2.5 / 5 (2) Oct 21, 2007
Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy; when will you learn to keep your personal opinions out of the scientific realm? This could be the end of an otherwise glorious career. What were you thinking Mr Watson? And, why didn't you keep your bigoted thoughts to yourself? Freedom of speech is an advertising gimmik, not to be taken so seriously. It certainly does not give you the right to shout 'Theater' in a crowded fire.

More news stories

Prehistoric rock art maps cosmological belief

It is likely some of the most widespread and oldest art in the United States. Pieces of rock art dot the Appalachian Mountains, and research by University of Tennessee, Knoxville, anthropology professor Jan ...

'Ugly' finding: Unattractive workers suffer more

People who are considered unattractive are more likely to be belittled and bullied in the workplace, according to a first-of-its-kind study led by a Michigan State University business scholar.

The hidden agenda of Obama's opposition

Is the US Tea Party movement a racial backlash against President Obama? A new study by Angie Maxwell from the University of Arkansas, and Wayne Parent from Louisiana State University, assesses whether racial attitudes are ...

Tech companies eye security that goes beyond passwords

In late February, a thief or thieves cracked into Evernote's digital vault filled with log-ins, passwords and email addresses belonging to 50 million users. It was a shocking cyberattack considering the Redwood City, Calif., ...

Validating maps of the brain's resting state

Kick back and shut your eyes. Now stop thinking. You have just put your brain into what neuroscientists call its resting state. What the brain is doing when an individual is not focused on the outside world ...