Nobel laureate's speech cancelled over racist remarks
The Science Museum has cancelled a talk by Nobel Prize winner, Dr James Watson, because of a remark the 79 year old made in an interview with The Sunday Times newspaper.
Dr Watson said 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". Dr Watson went on to say that while he hoped that everyone was equal "people who have to deal with black employees find this is not true".
Dr Watson was awarded a Nobel Prize in the early sixties for his work on discovering the structure of DNA and was due to speak at the museum on Friday. The museum cancelled the talk because they felt the comments made in the interview were offensive.
Watson caused previous controversy when he claimed that pregnant women should have the right to abort their unborn foetus if tests could prove that the unborn child would be gay..
Dr Watson is in the UK to promote his book and while he will not be appearing at the Science Museum. He will however, still be appearing at the Festival of Ideas in Bristol hosted by Bristol University’s Vice-Chancellor. A spokesman for the university said that the university of Bristol supports “freedom of speech and the right of people to express their views”. Watson will speak at the Festival of Ideas on the 24 October from 12.45-14.15 at St George’s Bristol. Hecklers welcome.
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If the statement given was accurate and what the guy meant then this is a case of people in glass houses. Since this guy clearly has no social abilities, more important in my view than a load of made up maths tests.
The different forms of sexuality are a part of human DNA for good reasons, if his idiotic suggestion was followed you lose those without understanding the consequences. Though clearly an understanding of consequences clearly isnt something he is good at.