James Watson, co-discoverer of DNA shows that being a good scientist does not mean you cannot be an idiot by saying that “people who have to deal with black employees” just know they aren’t as intelligent as white folk and going on to the usual pseudoscientific nonsense on difference in intelligence between races and all that.
Over at James Nicoll’s Livejournal, commenter vito_excalibur imagines the boot on the other foot:
Regarding his groundbreaking new study, respected New England researcher Dr. Alec Dote commented, “I couldn’t believe it either. After decades – no, centuries – of firm widespread belief that white men were simply the top of the evolutionary pinnacle, this study unearthed the fact that most – perhaps all – of the apparent discrepancy in achievement is actually due to white men benefiting from, taking advantage of, taking credit for the work of, and occasionally simply killing and taking the property of, women and other minorities. Why, this very study was made possible by the tragically underpaid work of my female graduate students, and do you think they’re getting their names on this publication? Over my dead body!”
Dr. Dote added, “This study is expected to have a terrible effect on the psychological well-being of old white men, on whom our economy used to popularly be thought to depend. I myself am so shaken that I almost shut up for a second the other day.”
The study concludes on a note of hope, however: although the evidence that old white men are more intelligent, emotionally stable, just, or wise than the rest of the world has been thoroughly discredited, Dr. Dote suggests as a hypothesis for future research that the fact that this imposture has lasted for so long is evidence that old white men are, at least, the most cunning people in the world.