this is a brilliant man. he helped to advance science and medicine,to the benefit of all humans. if he really is a racist,[i doubt it]who the fuck cares.

Thomas Billis, “transference of intelligence”?  I get the feeling you have no idea who James Watson is other than what you have gleaned from news headlines.

Dr. Watson is one of the worlds premier molecular biologists and genetic research pioneers. He is the former Director of the Human Genome Project and is presently the Institute advisor to the Allen Institute for Brain Science, where current research is on gene expression in the development and function of the brain.

You really think he isn’t qualified to comment on genetics and intelligence?  Then who is?

Cyrena, good questions to ask, all of them. If you genuinely want answers to those questions, you should begin by reading the research paper yourself, in it’s entirety, and review any relevant prior research cited in the references section. Any questions still unanswered should first be directed to the authors of the published research paper.  You should also check out scientific peer reviews of the study, both supporting and critical. Then can you begin to make an informed judgement about the veracity of the source.

Honest intellectual inquiry takes quite a bit of time and effort, Cyrena, and unless you can afford a research assistant, you’re going to have to do it yourself. This link is all you all you need to begin:

http://psychology.uwo.ca/faculty/rushtonpdfs/PPPL1.pdf

I have already seen and heard some of the social fall-out from these studies. There is NOTHING constructive about it.

Why were the studies done? Where did the funding come from? What was the stated reason for the studies?

#109679 by Frank on 10/26 at 4:30 am
•
“A 60-page review of the scientific evidence, some based on state-of-the-art magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of brain size, has concluded that race differences in average IQ are largely genetic.”
Somehow Frank, I would have expected this from you. Rushton of course, has been thoroughly discredited, and nobody with any genuine ‘IQ’ takes any of this stuff seriously. I mean, you could get away with it for a while I suppose, until you start throwing in stupid stuff like ‘lighter skinned’ black people “test smarter’ then the darker skinned ones. Now, how does that connect to brain size?

And, how do we account for (scientifically of course) the drastic LOWERING of “IQ’s” in any given person from birth to old age. (hint, what about the brilliant high IQ person of ANY race at birth, that declines to zero IQ at say, age 77?) Since this is occurring at a rapid pace, at least among the US population of all races, I’m guessing you have an answer for that.

And, can you help us out with the most important part…how are these various tests devised, and by whom? What are the testing criteria, and how is it that this nonsense has been perpetrated, (brain size stuff) since long before the emergence of MRI and other related technology that can examine the brain?

When you’re done with that, I have a few other questions. But, this should keep you busy for a while.

mdruss42, I posted that information to show that this exemplary man of science is being censured for making statements which are absolutely consistent with decades of credible scientific research, including the recent study I linked to. 

Dr. Watson said: “all our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours—whereas all the testing says not really.”

Dr. Watson is correct in stating that “the testing says not really”. Facts are not racist, they are merely facts.  An average African population difference of 15-30 IQ points below the European average is not valid justification for social/economic discrimination or racial hatred against individuals.

On the other hand, acknowledging the scientific truth of these differences may lead to a better understanding of cultural, political, and economic problems in Africa and elsewhere, so that more effective policies for positive change can be formulated.

The trouble is, liberal western societies are so fearful of potential exploitation of this scientific information by hate groups, that they are quick to censure any scientist who speaks too candidly about such things to the press.  This is why Dr. Watson is being thrown under the bus by his fellow scientists. It is not because he is factually wrong, but because he broke a cultural taboo and every institution related to him now faces negative political fallout unless they quickly distance themselves from him.

I agree with Richard Dawkins who said it is a shame that this all ended with condemnation and censorship instead of healthy scientific debate.

And what do you reckon we need to do with that information, Frank?

The Dr. (of nonsense) just CRAWLED back into his hole from whence he came!

http://osi-speaks.blogspot.com/2007/10/james-watson-di scovers-he-has-idiot-dna.html#links

A 60-page review of the scientific evidence, some based on state-of-the-art magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of brain size, has concluded that race differences in average IQ are largely genetic.

The lead article in the June 2005 issue of Psychology, Public Policy and Law, a journal of the American Psychological Association, examined 10 categories of research evidence from around the world to contrast “a hereditarian model (50% genetic-50% cultural) and a culture-only model (0% genetic-100% cultural).”

The paper, “Thirty Years of Research on Race Differences in Cognitive Ability,” by J. Philippe Rushton of the University of Western Ontario and Arthur R. Jensen of the University of California at Berkeley, appeared with a positive commentary by Linda Gottfredson of the University of Delaware, three critical ones (by Robert Sternberg of Yale University, Richard Nisbett of the University of Michigan, and Lisa Suzuki & Joshua Aronson of New York University), and the authors’ reply.

[n]"Neither the existence nor the size of race differences in IQ are a matter of dispute, only their cause,” write the authors. The Black-White difference has been found consistently from the time of the massive World War I Army testing of 90 years ago to a massive study of over 6 million corporate, military, and higher-education test-takers in 2001.

“Race differences show up by 3 years of age, even after matching on maternal education and other variables,” said Rushton. “Therefore they cannot be due to poor education since this has not yet begun to exert an effect. That’s why Jensen and I looked at the genetic hypothesis in detail. We examined 10 categories of evidence.”

The Worldwide Pattern of IQ Scores. East Asians average higher on IQ tests than Whites, both in the U. S. and in Asia, even though IQ tests were developed for use in the Euro-American culture. Around the world, the average IQ for East Asians centers around 106; for Whites, about 100; and for Blacks about 85 in the U.S. and 70 in sub-Saharan Africa.

Race Differences are Most Pronounced on Tests that Best Measure the General Intelligence Factor (g). Black-White differences, for example, are larger on the Backward Digit Span test than on the less g loaded Forward Digit Span test.

The Gene-Environment Architecture of IQ is the Same in all Races, and Race Differences are Most Pronounced on More Heritable Abilities. Studies of Black, White, and East Asian twins, for example, show the heritability of IQ is 50% or higher in all races.

Brain Size Differences. Studies using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) find a correlation of brain size with IQ of about 0.40. Larger brains contain more neurons and synapses and process information faster. Race differences in brain size are present at birth. By adulthood, East Asians average 1 cubic inch more cranial capacity than Whites who average 5 cubic inches more than Blacks.

Trans-Racial Adoption Studies. Race differences in IQ remain following adoption by White middle class parents. East Asians grow to average higher IQs than Whites while Blacks score lower. The Minnesota Trans-Racial Adoption Study followed children to age 17 and found race differences were even greater than at age 7: White children, 106; Mixed-Race children, 99; and Black children, 89.

Racial Admixture Studies. Black children with lighter skin, for example, average higher IQ scores. In South Africa, the IQ of the mixed-race “Colored” population averages 85, intermediate to the African 70 and White 100.
...

Race Differences and the Out-of-Africa theory of Human Origins. East Asian-White-Black differences fit the theory that modern humans arose in Africa about 100,000 years ago and expanded northward. During prolonged winters there was evolutionary selection for higher IQ created by problems of raising children, gathering and storing food, gaining shelter, and making clothes.

full paper:

http://psychology.uwo.ca/faculty/rushtonpdfs/PPPL1.pdf