The man who 'discovered' DNA stripped of titles after racial remarks

15 January 2019 - 10:09 By Odwa Mjo
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James Watson, the father of DNA, has been stripped of his honorary titles.
James Watson, the father of DNA, has been stripped of his honorary titles.
Image: Gallo Images/ IStock

Nobel laureate James Watson has been stripped of his honorary titles over his views on intelligence and race.

According to Sky News, the Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory that Watson once led removed his titles following racial remarks he made in 2007.

Watson was one of three scientists who discovered the DNA double helix in the 1950s. 

In an interview with a magazine in 2007, Watson said he was "inherently gloomy about the prospects of Africa, all our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours – where all the testings say not really." 

According to the Washington Post, in a PBS documentary earlier this month, titled American Masters: Decoding Watson, the scientist revealed that his views that there is a link between intelligence and race have not changed. 

Watson's remarks in 2007 tarnished the 90-year-old's reputation, resulting in him being fired from the Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory. 

In a statement by the laboratory, Watson's remarks were described as "reckless" and "reprehensible and unsupported by science". 

Watson has been stripped of his titles as Chancellor Emeritus, Oliver R. Grace Emeritus Professor and Honorary Trustee. 

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