"In 1953, he and three fellow researchers co-discovered the double-helix structure of DNA a breakthrough that unlocked the secrets of how life works. The discovery revealed how a molecule could store and copy genetic information, providing a chemical mechanism for heredity, evolution and the immense diversity of life that gave rise to what Charles Darwin famously described as endless forms most beautiful."
"His views first gained widespread public notice in a 2007 interview when he told the Sunday Times of London that he was inherently gloomy about the prospects of Africa, suggesting that Black people were intellectually inferior to White people. All our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours whereas all the testing says not really, he was quoted as saying."
"It was during a field trip to the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory on Long Island, which he had directed for 25 years and later served as its chancellor. While I can't remember his exact words, I do remember him boasting about the superiority of his own genetic heritage (Irish and Scottish) and his attributing problems in Africa to the genetic shortcomings of its people."
James Watson co-discovered the double-helix structure of DNA in 1953, revealing how a molecule stores and copies genetic information and providing a chemical mechanism for heredity, evolution and biological diversity. The discovery enabled understanding of how genetic information supports species variation and adaptation. Later in life Watson made repeated racist, sexist and homophobic statements, asserting in 2007 that Black people were intellectually inferior and expressing similar views elsewhere. Those statements prompted professional ostracism. Genetic research based on DNA's code demonstrated recent common human origins in Africa, contradicting claims of racial inferiority.
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