Russia's Usmanov to give back Watson's auctioned Nobel medal

[senheiser]

9 December 2014 Last updated at 22:57 GMT
BBC News - Russia's Usmanov to give back Watson's auctioned Nobel medal

sold at auction for £3m
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Russia's richest man has revealed that he bought US scientist James Watson's Nobel Prize gold medal, and intends to return it to him.

Steel and telecoms tycoon Alisher Usmanov said Mr Watson "deserved" the medal, and that he was "distressed" the scientist had felt forced to sell it.

The medal, awarded in 1962 for the discovery of the structure of DNA, sold for $4.8m (£3m) at auction.

The medal was the first Nobel Prize to be put on sale by a living recipient.

The 1962 prize was awarded to Watson, along with Maurice Wilkins and Francis Crick, with each receiving a gold medal.

Mr Watson, 86, has said he planned to donate part of the proceeds to charities and to support scientific research.

In an interview with the Financial Times recently, Mr Watson said he had been made to feel like an "unperson"feel like an "unperson" since a Sunday Times interview seven years ago in which he linked race to intelligence.

Mr Usmanov described Mr Watson's situation as unacceptable
Mr Usmanov said in a statement that he was the anonymous telephone bidder who bought the medal at a Christie's auction last week.

"In my opinion, a situation in which an outstanding scientist has to sell a medal recognising his achievements is unacceptable," he added.

"James Watson is one of the greatest biologists in the history of mankind and his award for the discovery of DNA structure must belong to him."

Mr Usmanov, said by Forbes magazine to be worth $15.8bn, is a major shareholder in Arsenal football club and was named Britain's wealthiest man in the Sunday Times rich list for 2013.

 

[Steve781]

The link between race and intelligence is something scientists are absolutely forbidden to study for politically motivated reasons.

 

[ozzy22]

The link between race and intelligence is something scientists are absolutely forbidden to study for politically motivated reasons.

What would be the end result and benefit of conducting such a study?

 

[SekrutYakhni]

I am not an expert on genome evolution but what I can say is this -

People take things at the face value.

Had we not fuked up Africa for over 400 years (while developing our own country/culture), things would have been very different by now.

It is like saying - Since we have bombed Iraq - After 30 years - Lets go back and talk about race/intelligence...

This is completely ABSURD and ILLOGICAL!

Change the tables...You will be equally naive/stupid if you were bombed/enslaved for over 400 years!

 

[Steve781]

I am not an expert on genome evolution but what I can say is this -

People take things at the face value.

Had we not fuked up Africa for over 400 years (while developing our own country/culture), things would have been very different by now.

It is like saying - Since we have bombed Iraq - After 30 years - Lets go back and talk about race/intelligence...

This is completely ABSURD and ILLOGICAL!

Change the tables...You will be equally naive/stupid if you were bombed/enslaved for over 400 years!

But in every country where comparable populations exist the rate of educational and professional success is the same. East Asians at the top, Whites in the middle and Blacks at the bottom. There must be a reason for this. I'm not saying there's definitely a link between race and IQ. I'm saying scientific discovery should not be hindered by a desire to be polite to those its findings might offend. What would have happened if Darwin was unwilling to risk offending anybody?

 

[SekrutYakhni]

But in every country where comparable populations exist the rate of educational and professional success is the same. East Asians at the top, Whites in the middle and Blacks at the bottom. There must be a reason for this. I'm not saying there's definitely a link between race and IQ. I'm saying scientific discovery should not be hindered by a desire to be polite to those its findings might offend. What would have happened if Darwin was unwilling to risk offending anybody?

You are missing the bigger picture. When you say East Asians at the top, Whites in the middle and Blacks at the bottom - I do not buy this logic. Cultures adapt to be better or worse. Saying just because Europeans do not have a strong family relation is a genetic issue - Is naive to say the least!

Blacks were systemically discouraged - were looked down upon - were not given opportunities - were not given rights - were not given the opportunity to get education - Blacks in America are the product of slave trade. When did the Blacks get their rights? What happened to them before that? Later on, things changed when the immigration opened.

It takes generations and generations to actually become relevant in the global arena.

Asians are smart but lack innovation. It will take time to catch up - Now is that because there "Genes" are changing so quickly? It is more about quality of education, exposure to other cultures and are given time to breath.

What were the Chinese merely 100 years ago? What are they now? Genes evolve so quickly? Do you think people can buy this logic?

What changed that made China what it is today?

"Time to breathe" - I mean no conflicts. No enslavement. How many Chinese/Asians were rounded up by the local Chinese elite and sent to sugar plantations?

If there was a war with China - US occupies China - You will the same Asians going back to...where they were living merely 70 years ago!

It is okay to discuss political sensitive issues - But you have to look at a broader picture - A picture that says - We enslaved Africans - We colonized various countries - We promoted civil war - We didn't give access to quality education and so on -

White people are smarter than the Asians because of their history and the time they put in to become hegemonic. Meanwhile, they systemically destroyed their competitors...Where does the global innovations/inventions come from? Why do they? Is it because they are genetically superior? Or is it because - They were given the free hand to do whatever they wanted. No one came and took their rights - their liberty - their freedom - their culture - No one came and took their young men as slaves -

If you see an Asian working in Lockheed - It's not because Asian genes are superior than the Black genes - It is because of their culture - expectations, the time/effort the individual puts and so on.