Letter sent to The Independent
Sir
As reported on the front page of The Independent (17 October), James Watson, the Nobel Prize-winning co-discoverer of DNA, stated publicly that Africans are less intelligent than Europeans. Given that the average sub-Saharan African IQ is 67 and the average IQ of Europeans is 100 (Lynn 2006), his assertion is true. Indeed, it is not even controversial among experts, who have been aware of the direction and magnitude of black/white differences in intelligence since Galton's work in 1869.
Yet Dr Watson has been widely condemned by the media, the Science Museum cancelled his talk, the Bristol Festival of Ideas cancelled an appearance and he was forced to cancel his tour of the UK. That a Nobel Prize-winning scientist is so heavily vilified for telling the truth in this country is an absolute disgrace.
Yours faithfully
Martin Sewell
Reference:
LYNN, Richard, 2006. Race Differences in Intelligence: An Evolutionary Analysis. Augusta, GA: Washington Summit Publishers.
Posted by Martin Sewell at October 19, 2007 6:57 PM