More on the Mutated Pronouncements of James Watson

Steve Levitt over at Freakonomics gives his thoughts on his research into the black-white test score gap which I reviewed here yesterday.

He tells us that the working paper was rejected on Thursday from the American Economic Review, the powerhouse journal for economists, and that the paper has only been cited in other research twice.

The kicker:

"Like all research, our study has its flaws and limitations. I have to say, however, that I imagined a lot of reactions to this paper, none of which were utter indifference on the part of academics and the popular press. But that was the reaction we got."

I agree with Levitt, both academics and the media dropped the ball on this. Racism is still a huge problem in the United States, even if it isn't the most racist country in the developed word.

As for James Watson, he seems to be pleading insanity:

"I am mortified about what has happened," Watson said. "More importantly, I cannot understand how I could have said what I am quoted as having said.

"I can certainly understand why people, reading those words, have reacted in the ways they have. To all those who have drawn the inference from my words that Africa, as a continent, is somehow genetically inferior, I can only apologize unreservedly. That is not what I meant. More importantly from my point of view, there is no scientific basis for such a belief."