Controversial statements

Watson is known for his frank opinions on politics, religion, race and the role of science in society.

Dr. Watson signing autographs after a speech at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory on April 30, 2007.For example, in an article for the Sunday Times Magazine published on October 14, 2007, he opined that there is scientific and anecdotal evidence supporting some racial differences, such as the statistically lower scores of black people on some intelligence tests.

He says that he is "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," and I know that this "hot potato" is going to be difficult to address. His hope is that everyone is equal, but he counters that "people who have to deal with black employees find this not true." He says that you should not discriminate on the basis of colour, because "there are many people of colour who are very talented, but don’t promote them when they haven’t succeeded at the lower level."[23]

As a result of these comments, the London Science Museum cancelled a talk that Watson was scheduled to give on 19 October 2007. The museum spokesperson stated that "we feel Dr Watson has gone beyond the point of acceptable debate and we are as a result cancelling his talk."[24]

Hunt-Grubbe also reports that Watson has suggested a link between skin colour and sex drive, hypothesising that dark-skinned people have stronger libidos.[23]

Watson has repeatedly supported genetic screening and genetic engineering in public lectures and interviews, arguing that stupidity is a disease and the "really stupid" bottom 10% of people should be cured.[25] He has also suggested that beauty could be genetically engineered, saying "People say it would be terrible if we made all girls pretty. I think it would be great."[25]

He has been quoted in The Sunday Telegraph as stating "that if the gene (for homosexuality) were discovered and a woman decided not to give birth to a child that may have a tendency to become homosexual, she should be able to abort the fetus."[26] The biologist Richard Dawkins wrote a letter to The Independent claiming that Watson's position was misrepresented by The Sunday Telegraph article and that Watson also considered the possibility of having a heterosexual child to be a valid reason for abortion.[26]

On the issue of obesity, Watson has also been quoted as saying: "Whenever you interview fat people, you feel bad, because you know you're not going to hire them."[27]

According to Watson at the 2003 conference,[28] "DNA: 50 years of the Double Helix," held in Cambridge, England, "Now perhaps it's a pretty well kept secret that one of the most uninspiring acts of Cambridge University over this past century was to turn down Francis Crick when he applied to be the Professor of Genetics, in 1958. Now there may have been a series of arguments which led them to reject Francis. But it really was stupid. It was really saying, Don't push us to the frontier. That's what it was saying."

Watson also had quite a few disagreements with Craig Venter regarding his use of EST fragments while Venter worked at NIH. Venter went on to found Celera genomics and continued his feud with Watson through the privately funded venture. Watson was even quoted as calling Venter "Hitler."[29]

Watson is a strong proponent of genetically modified crops, holding that the benefits far outweigh any plausible environmental dangers, and that many of the arguments against genetically modified crops are unscientific or irrational. His views on these matters are covered in some depth in his book DNA: The Secret of Life (2003), particularly in chapter six.