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It appears that Dr. James Watson (half of the famed Watson and Crick pair) and his politically incorrect comments have finally caught up to him. Dr. Watson has been known to make stirring racial comments in the past. In fact, Dr. Watson made such comments during his one week visit to IWU, my alma mater, in September 2000. At the time, I thought to myself that he is free to voice his opinion. However, I found it unprofessional that he used that particular pulpit to push this agenda.

I wondered just how long he could ride the "eccentric genius" train before he was kicked off. It looks like that time has finally come. London’s Science Museum has canceled a booking with Dr. Watson because he is quoted in London’s The Sunday Times as having said, "all our social policies are based on the fact that [Africans'] intelligence is the same as [Europeans'] - whereas all the testing says not really." His comments even drew criticism from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, his own lab, prompting them to release a statement to distance themselves from his remarks.

I respect Dr. Watson for his contributions to scientific knowledge, but I certainly do not respect his ideas on social policy and racial prejudice. It is one thing (not a good thing) to make comments unintended for public consumption, but it is entirely another thing to use fame and the press to perpetuate unfounded stereotypes as if they are scientific fact. It’s disappointing that such a brilliant mind can simultaneously be so closed.

Update: Cold Springs Harbor Laboratory has suspended Dr. Watson’s administrative responsibilities, pending review of the incident. Dr. Watson has also apologized for his remarks and canceled his British book tour. CNN reports the following about the incident and the apology:

The controversy [sic] began with an October 14 interview Watson gave to the Sunday Times, which quoted him 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."

Watson also asserted there was no reason to believe different races separated by geography should have evolved identically, and he said that while he hoped everyone was equal, "people who have to deal with black employees find this is not true."

The biologist apologized "unreservedly" Thursday for his comments and said he was "mortified" by the words attributed to him.

"I cannot understand how I could have said what I am quoted as having said," Watson said during an appearance at the Royal Society in London. "I can certainly understand why people, reading those words, have reacted in the ways that they have."

"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 from my point of view, there is no scientific basis for such a belief."

Dr. Watson’s apology makes me wonder what he meant when he was interviewed. I am not sure there is another way to interpret his words, unless they were prefaced by, "If I were a racist, I would say…" My guess is that isn’t what happened.