Posted by Ivan Oransky

[Entry posted at 19th October 2007 03:09 AM GMT]

The number of black faces in the audience at any scientific conference I've ever attended has indeed been unconscionably small. Ditto for Native Americans. It doesn't take a mastermind to figure out why this state of affairs exists (hint:I wonder how many black/native scientists Watson and the rest of his generation has hired/encouraged over the past 50 years?).

I can understand intelligence being attributed to genetic inheritance but by putting it down to race descent, Dr. Watson has trivialised the contribution of Africans to the world.
Any human in the right environment, can adapt,evolve and flourish. Dr. Watson forgets that as current theories go we are ALL of African descent, so it is the environment that we moved to that makes us what we are.
Africa and Africans are the next frontier and if he ever visited Africa he would know that intelligence is relative and literally, a state of mind. Don't write us off yet...

It is with sadness that I read about this episode. Jim Watson's achievements have been an inspiration to many, and this is no way to end an amazing career. As a scientists working in South Africa, I wish Dr Watson would come and visit us to see the incredible scientific talent that exists in this continent.

When you go to international Scientific meetings and can count the number of Blacks attending on one hand out of the hundreds of delegates, then comments and attitude from such a respected and eminent Scientist should not surprise you. I am sure this just an extension of the type of prejudice showed to women in Science not so long ago. At least every one of these powerful and influential men had at least one woman close by to influence and change their attitude, but what chance do Blacks have??