Lab suspends DNA pioneer Watson
Dr Watson has drawn severe criticism over remarks he made in a British newspaper at the weekend. In the interview, he was quoted as saying Africans were less intelligent than Europeans. The Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory had already distanced itself from the scientist's comments but its trustee board has now suspended him. Dr Watson was due to give a lecture at the Science Museum in London on Friday as part of a book tour. But the museum cancelled the event, saying the scientist had gone beyond the point of acceptable debate. The Bristol Festival of Ideas has also cancelled an appearance by Dr Watson. And further critical comment of Dr Watson's views has come from Dr. Craig Venter, the scientist/businessman who led the private effort to decode the human genome. Dr. Venter said. "There is no basis in scientific fact or in the human genetic code for the notion that skin colour will be predictive of intelligence."
In his Sunday Times interview, Dr Watson was quoted as saying 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 was further quoted as saying that his hope was that everyone was equal but that "people who have to deal with black employees find this is not true". He apologises unreservedly. "That is not what I meant. More importantly from my point of view, there is no scientific basis for such a belief ”.
Dr Watson was a joint winner in 1962 of the Nobel Prize for discovering the structure of DNA, the molecule that lies at the heart of heredity in living organisms. In my opinion , people in positions of great esteem and authority should be more careful to make statements that could incite further racism .I think, his statements also help others to foster a culture of hate or discrimination. Physical colour should be vary according to the geographical situations. But colour is not criterion of intelligence. We should cultivate a culture of universal brotherhood. I believe that every person is a gift of God .Why we are rejecting that gift ?
In his Sunday Times interview, Dr Watson was quoted as saying 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 was further quoted as saying that his hope was that everyone was equal but that "people who have to deal with black employees find this is not true". He apologises unreservedly. "That is not what I meant. More importantly from my point of view, there is no scientific basis for such a belief ”.
Dr Watson was a joint winner in 1962 of the Nobel Prize for discovering the structure of DNA, the molecule that lies at the heart of heredity in living organisms. In my opinion , people in positions of great esteem and authority should be more careful to make statements that could incite further racism .I think, his statements also help others to foster a culture of hate or discrimination. Physical colour should be vary according to the geographical situations. But colour is not criterion of intelligence. We should cultivate a culture of universal brotherhood. I believe that every person is a gift of God .Why we are rejecting that gift ?
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