Don't apologise Dr Watson. You have done nothing wrong whatsoever. I am utterly ashamed of the Science Museum and now withdraw all support for it that I have ever given, or intended to give.

Laura Roberts, London, UK

white people went to africa, colonised, and took over almost all african resources. they also took a quarter of the population of sub saharan africa to the caribban to work as slaves, leaving the vast majority of black people poor.

just think of it this way. its easy to become an inventor when you dont have to worry about survivng a famine or civil war. african people havn't had the same opportunities as white people so its unfair to compare a lit of achievments. maybe if the white people wouldnt have raped africa for all its resources then it would be a black scientist coming up with findings of the opposite nature that you would be reading.

jack, 16, manchester, uk

I recall a test question asking the taker to define 'regatta de blanc.' I also recall no one probing the class issue in other questions on standardized tests. Someone made up the question. And something is the foundation of their thinking. In this case, it was class rather than intelligence.

Chip Surkett, Rochester, NY, US

In the inyerests of being politically correct we should not stifle debate. Watson is a distinguished scientist, and instead of censoring his views we should debate them, and where possible debunk them with hard scientific facts.

A thousand years ago, while Europe was in the dark ages, Europe and North Africa were the leading lights in philosophy, religion, science, engineering, architecture and technology. When Egyptian, Chinese, Indian and Persian civilisations were at their peak, Europe was not even part of the known world. If at that time someone called Europeans backward, historical developments since would today prove him incorrect.

Europe may lead the world today, but who knows what the situation will be a century from now?

Ahmed, Johannesburg, South Africa

We need to define what we mean by intelligence. Dr. Watson says ...'African and Caribbean workers are demonstrably less able than white ones...'. In proof, we see one failed state after another on the African continent. But we see failed states on the Asian continent too, as well as in Latin America. This may have less to do with intelligence than with the ability to manage social and political affairs in a changing modern world. Africans lived healthy and fulfilled tribal lives before the onslaught of European colonists in their lands which disrupted and disfigured their social order. Indians are not white either, but their software engineers have overtaken Silicon Valley due to their educational ability and hard work. Yet Indians have been unable to overcome the glaring problems of poverty and social injustice in their own country. We could say then that although Indians are highly intelligent, they are unable to have the same management abilities as white people. Any thoughts?

Syed Ali Zaidi, Rochdale, U.K.

I intend to agree with the right thinking group and disagree with those who are, obviously, wrong. Hear, hear!!
In addition, why don't the government funded colleges at Oxford and Cambridge show that they belong in the right thinking group and actively recruit new new math and physics professors from sub-Saharan Africa? To do anything else would obviously be wrong when being right is just so easy!!

Jim, Properthoughtcity,

Nothing is worse than the Watson and Crick's refusal to credit
Englands's Rosalind Franklin with the x ray discovery of the DNA's structure as being a helix. Franklin died in her 30s from cancer, and was unable to defend he claim, Nobel Prize or not she shares in the discovery.

William Rodgers, Weston, Mass/USA

The Times editorial this morning hit the nail squarely on the head: "In the most cosmopolitan city in the world [i.e. London], it should be possible to discuss racial differences scientifically. Censorship is as repugnant as real racism." The soft fascism represented by the self-seeking chancers of the race relations industry is just as dangerous, in its own way, as the hard fascism of racist morons. We should never fear open debate, or allow ourselves to be patronised by people who think we must be protected from it. Let Dr Watson be heard, then judge. Intelligently.

Diesel Balaam, London, United Kingdom

I think a systematic review of the study he did should be carried out to find out whether his claims are credible or purely just another attempt at psyching a group of people to believe they are inferior.

efua, milton keynes,

Certain people have always persecuted those who have knowledge and capabilities beyond thier own.

People of superstition are frightened by things they don't understand, living in fear and uncertainty causes some people to brand others as not having our best interests at heart. This appears to be a sort of modern witch hunt.

James Watson will probably stop sharing his knowledge in future(if it causes this much fuss)increasing the divide between those "in the know" and those who don't making the original statement true even if it isn't now!

Merlin, Oxford, UK

Sir, Isn't the world wonderful! In Britain, James Watson's talk is cancelled because he is suggesting something that we don't want to hear while in America our former Prime Minister is praising our values - including Freedom of Speech.

If there is a genetic difference in intelligence, as with so much else, then surely we have to question what is intelligence, how we measure it and whether this measurement is biased.

Charles, London, England

It's interesting to see how easy it is for people to take a narrow view on a subject, if it supports their prejudices. Most comments on this story are supporting the idea that white people are more intelligent than black (even if some submit that blacks are faster runners). The proper view is that tests such as IQ tests or running races only test for a specific thing - being good at running, and being good at IQ tests. In my company, I want people who are probably good at IQ tests, but I also want some who are not good at them, as they may be better at other skills, such as selling, management or leadership. Intelligence is not a narrow measure, like running speed, and the sooner this message gets about, the sooner we can all become a bit more enlightened on this most controversial of subjects.

Pete, London, UK

A lot of people seem to entertain the idea that the Dr. might have evidence. Well, if so we will accept his findings. But his argument on the newspaper was very much weak and layman-type. Every series scientist in the field knows that IQ tests are culturally biased and don't actually show intelligence. Another layman argument in support of IQ tests is that oriental people perform best in the supposedly western-biased IQ test. Well, as any other test one can train for an IQ test and perform well. As to the ' for example, black people are more physically able' argument, go to Scandinavia and see that physical ability has much to do with what you eat and whether you exercise enough(could be in the GYM or on the farm)...

ephrem , london,

Africa is supposedly the origin of the human race, and therefore the oldest.
if we were to compare the list of African acheivements against that of Europeans over the last 1000 years you wouldn't need to be Sherlock to agree with Dr. Watson

steve harrison, Brisbane, Australia

We are now beginning to find out how a certain gene may be responsible for congenital deafness or blindness, and how some others are linked to predispositions to certain illnesses. And we have only just begun to scratch at the surface. Would it come really as a surprise if we ever find out that our genes may be responsible for how intelligent we are?

Tan, Hong Kong, China

Don't you think, just for a moment, that a man who is smart enough to unravel the mysteries of DNA would know a little more about genetics, race, intelligence, etc than the common man, and that there just might be a shred of truth, fact, and reality in what the man says?

Morton, Kent, England

Different races do in fact have different strengths. Look at the last olympic games, at the women's racing. Tell me how many of those women were black. Or even the men. Why is it that we can accept that a black person has an easier time at being 'physically' superior, but saying that maybe the white race has an easier time at being intelligent is completely unacceptable.

This doesn't mean that either race is incapable of accomplishing those things. It just means that depending on how their race evolved, and based on their lifestyle needs, certain things have become easier for them. With enough effort, a white man can be the best runner, and a black man can be the best scientist.

I have no problem with black people, but I do find that white people are generally smarter, just as I find that black people are usually physically superior. This doesn't mean you discriminate against that race or feel differently about them...it could very well just be fact. Think about it.

Armageddon, Canada,

Why are none of the media outlets asking about his 1997 comments that is homosexuality were isolated down to a single gene and expecting mothers knew their child was going to be gay they should be allowed to have an abortion.

Those remarks are far more offensive than his racial ones.
But no one ever sticks up for the gays, just the blacks and jews.
There are other minorities ya know.

The man has no qualifications.
Big deal, he found something to do with DNA.
George Bush and Tony Blair were nominated for the Nobel prize, how soon we forget.
The award is a joke.

Eric, Watsons backyard,

Kai is right: as a question of science the man is either correct or incorrect. People are given to say that on average the Chinese are more intelligent than we Caucasians. That may be so or it may simply be that there are a lot more Chinese than us which produces a larger number of intelligent people which represent however the same proportion of the total Chinese population as people with the same intelligence represent of the total population in the West. We should not react with hysterical paranoia and witch-hunting because a scientist makes a statement in one case or the other. We should not be stampeded into ignoring evidence in favour of prejudice - even if it is reverse prejudice.

Derek, Shanghai, China

Distinct breeds of any species should have some difference. It will be naïve to assume that difference will be in appearance only. Scientifically reasonable to expect that differentiation will be in one or another degree detectable almost for each single quality. It should not be a basis for discrimination in basic rights, thought.

Forby, Chicago,

He's simply reinforcing what the majority of the world believes. By simply looking at human accomplishments throughout history we can see the outcome of white intelligence and black intelligence.

Michael, Toronto, Canada

It seems as though Dr. Watson has made these statements without any sort of evidence to back them up (none that I have seen). These kinds of statements are obviously inflammatory and shouldn't be made lightly.
However, if people are so sure he's wrong, they should put forward some proof. If they can't, then they should listen to him with an open mind.
I really don't see what the big deal is. Even if it turns out that there is a genetic link to intelligence, it only applies to groups as a whole not individual people. It would still be unfair to discriminate based on race.

Ryan, Tokyo,

What did they say and do about the man that first said the world was round?

marty, London England,

I don't understand why that man is labelled as a racist while no one is actually looking at his research... if he has evidence to back up his findings, then he should not be called a racist.
Of course, if he does not have such evidence then one might argue that his comments are based on prejudice.
But his qualifications, I think people should at least listen to what he has to say.

Kai, Manchester,

The Nazis’ 1933 racial law, which applied to black people as well as Jews, institutionalised racism and made it impossible for both groups to lead normal lives.

Dr Watson is promoting racism. There is no difference between any colour or race, we are human beings and there are many religions but one only God, the only difference between human beings is knowledge.

“Education is one of the most powerful instruments we have for bringing about the changes required to achieve sustainable development” says UNESCO Director-General, Koïchiro Matsuura.

mohsen, malaga, spain

Anything to get his name in the spotlight...

To be honest though, being less intelligent does have acorrelation to the amount of children you have... as the so'called 'lower classes' or manual labouring sector of society (or however you want to say it) has more children than your tickle middle england family.

i.e. thick people are outbreeding clever people. Makes you wonder which group are the more intelligent, doesn't it?

Raymon, London,

As a black person his comments offend me more because they are some what based on observations than fact.
But if this man wants to air his views he should be allowed to do so, let him prove his theory rather than be silenced that way we can answer the question rather than fuel racist beliefs and propaganda.

Brenda, London,

Dr Watson was making a scientific observation after decades of work in the field of genetics. He's a Nobel Prize winner, former head of the Human Genome Project, is Chancellor of Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory.
He has more awards than you can count.

David Lammy is a solicitor and politician with no scientific background whatsoever and, like most leftists and PC advocates have completely misinterpreted what Dr Watson has said.

Phill Barlow, The Wirral, England