This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
Geneticist James Watson apologized for his inflammatory remarks linking race and intelligence, telling an audience at the Royal Society of London: "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. That is not what I meant. More importantly, there is no scientific basis for such a belief.'' TimesOnline of London reports that Watson said he was flummoxed by an interview that appeared in The Sunday Times in which he was quoted as saying that Africans are intellectually inferior. "I cannot understand how I could have said what I am quoted as having said,'' he said. "I can certainly understand why people reading those words reacted in the ways they have.'' The paper stood by the interview. Watson's apology came in the wake of an uproar sparked by his comments. In Britain to peddle his upcoming book "Avoid Boring People: Lessons in a Life of Science,'', the controversial scientist was banned from appearing at the prestigious Science Museum in London Times Online reports.