10/27/2007

Europeans more intelligent than Africans?

When James Watson and Francis Crick published their findings in a medical journal about the structure of DNA, it had created a storm in the scientific community of that time. Again after 54 years he tried to shake(intentionally or un-intentionally) the world by saying that "Whites are more intelligent than Blacks". But at this time the 79 year old scientist couldn't create a storm, rather he is forced to retire from his own job.

Dr. Watson and Crick made a breakthrough by unlocking the structure of DNA, "the most secrete of life", popularly known as 'Watson and crick double helix structure of DNA' in 1953 and for which they got Nobel prize in 1962.
Dr Watson directed the 'Human Genome Project' at the American National Institutes of Health from 1988 to 1992. Until few days ago he was the director of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York. This is not the first time he made controversy.


Dr. Watson
In the past, he has said a woman should have the right to abort her unborn child if tests could determine it would be homosexual. He has also suggested a link between skin colour and sex drive, proposing a theory that black people have higher libidos.


After his interview published in Sunday times he is getting many criticisms not only from ethical and social experts also from Scientists from same field.



Dr. Craig Venter, the scientist/businessman who led the private effort to decode the human genome, has said that "Skin colour as a surrogate for race is a social concept not a scientific one" . "There is no basis in scientific fact or in the human genetic code for the notion that skin colour will be predictive of intelligence", Dr. Venter said.


After the interview The Bristol Festival of Ideas has canceled an appearance by Dr. The Science Museum has canceled a talk by American DNA pioneer Dr James Watson. After getting so much criticism, suspended from his job and later forfully regigned he apologized later by saying that "To all those who have drawn the inference from my words that Africa, as a continent, is somehow genetically inferior, I can only apologize unreservedly."


My question is " how did he make such a huge mistake? Is that due to his age or his racial thought or anything else. I hope scientists are not saying anything on the basis of race.

1 comment:

  1. I think everything is Gaussian(ly) Distributed.
    And may be it also shows which level he communicated to!

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