Yeah, the headline is not the Onion.
But anyway, James Watson, one of the discoverers of DNA is pleading poverty. You see, ever since his odious racism became public knowledge, no one really wants to invite him to their sciency playdates. Aww. Poor thing, the dear.
It's made him lose salary to the point that like many seniors, he's deeply impoverished, or so he claims.
He's now sold his Nobel Prize for $4.7 million, at auction.
The anonymous buyer paid US$4.76 million, including the buyer's premium that goes to the auction house, participating by phone in the sale held at Christie's auction house in New York City. That is the highest price ever paid for a Nobel medal, far outstripping predictions that Watson's prize would sell for $2.5 million to $3.5 million.
(Oh, and for someone who is pleading poverty? inspect the following blockquote, from the same article at nature linked above.)
He plans to donate some of the proceeds to Cold Spring, where he still draws a $375,000 base salary as chancellor emeritus
damn, that's nice.
He does claim he'll donate some of the proceeds to medical research. That's fine and good, but I see someone probably not learning that the reason he was declared "persona non grata" was that he is so odious a person.
EDIT
no one is likely reading this now.
But, no, Watson pleading poverty is not an invention of mine.
The scientist has apologized for his remark but his offensive comments have made him an outcast and this negatively affected his income.
"No one really wants to admit I exist," Watson said. "Because I was an 'unperson' I was fired from the boards of companies, so I have no income, apart from my academic income."
in addition, said information is contained in the link at the very bottom of this diary. And
here. Which is the same link.
James Watson, one of the discoverers of DNA, bascially the father of modern genetics, one-time head of the Human Genome Project, is a blithering racist.
Think about that.
Now, let's recall the incredibly racist book The Bell Curve and Nicholas Wade's equally racist sequel, A Troublesome Inheritance.
And let's keep in mind that the "father" of modern genetics thinks Africans are inferior. And that said man was once head of the Human Genome Project. And nevermind that the same genetics proves him (and Charles Murray, and Nicholas Wade) rather wrong.
In college, "A Double Helix" was assigned reading for one of my classes; a class I do recall getting an A in. Yet I have no memory of reading the book, at all, and I am not one who forgets. I probably blocked it out, because of his discussion about Rosalind Franklin, one of the codiscoverers of DNA, a discussion where he refers to her by a pet name (one she didn't use) and comments on her appearance.
Franklin's work, of course, led to the discovery of DNA, in addition to her work on the tobacco mosaic virus. He did, in 2012, seem to ameliorate some of his assholeishness toward her, as seenin this interview but in that same year? Thought that women in science were "just fun to have around but they're probably less effective."
James Watson, one of the discoverers of DNA, bascially the father of modern genetics, one-time head of the Human Genome Project, is a blithering misogynist.
Think about that, too.
Especially after last month's "shirtgate" where women who rightfully objected are still, to this very moment, still getting death threats from men who are incensed that they rightfully objected to an inappropriate shirt (note here that the shirt's owner genuinenly apologized, and I'm glad he did.). And it's not just "shirtgate."
There is a far broader discussion ongoing in the sciences. People like James Watson will say "prove it. prove there's racism. prove there's sexism." and then dismiss the proof when offered. Why? Because he and they are assholes.
I have to wonder about any minority students he might have advised in his years, or any woman student of any ethnicity he might have advised over the years. Did he tear them down, because he believed they were inferior? Where are they now? And did they believe it and cease their dreams? The Imposter Syndrome is no joke amongst academics, especially in the sciences. The Imposter Syndrome (among other things, but largely that) killed my own dreams at being a scientist, and I had very supportive people around me.
So, sorry, but not sorry, that Mr. Watson's pleading "poverty". I certainly support his right to say bigoted things, and I certainly support the fact that there are consequences for that.
I consider science to be great, like, the greatest thing ever. Science is, however, practiced by people, and they often aren't great. Just something to keep in mind.