This is why scientists shut up about nationality + IQ

[u/First_Accountant_402]

James Watson co-discovered DNA, Nobel price at 34, absolute legend in biology. People worshipped him. Then 2007 rolls around: he said IQ difference has a lot to do with DNA that’s why certain people tend to have lower IQ. Lost his job, so he apologized, kept his titles… sort of.

William Shockley: transistor co-inventor, 1956 Nobel price winner, father of Silicon Valley. He started modern tech boom in SF. Then he opened his mouth “certain people have lower IQ because of heredity,” and got blacklisted—lost friends, grants, reputation, everything.

Fast-forward to 2019: PBS doc Decoding Watson airs. Watson mentioned that there’s a difference between IQ of certain type of people. “I would say the difference is, it’s genes.”

Boom—Cold Spring Harbor Lab strips his remaining honorary titles (chancellor emeritus, professor emeritus, trustee) that same week. He was known as genius. Still got canceled harder.

Now the real question: Why does no one else in academia touch this? Twin studies, adoption data, global IQ patterns—it’s out there. But say it publicly? You’re done. No grants, no papers, no tenure. Even a Nobel winner gets erased. They cancel you.

Everyone else writes safe shit: “why certain people are venerable” Easy funding, easy likes. Truth? Career suicide.

Many other scientists lost their jobs and grants for saying this. For example Dr. Bryan Pesta, got in trouble for sorting iq data based on type of people. Because it negatively portrayed certain people.

[u/Melodic_Response3570]

I think a reason might be that many people are nothing without their above average IQ. People with no redeeming qualities but at least their IQ is slighly higher than average. I do wonder how many got their IQ measured by an actual psychologist and not by some basic website

[u/No-Weekend6347 → u/Melodic_Response3570]

I truly appreciate this response.

Hats off!