James Watson

If you could find the gene which determines intelligence and it could improve our children, why wouldn't we do it?

People who have to deal with black employees find this a problem, because they're not as good as white employees.

If there were a gene for stupidity, and you could get rid of it, would you not want to?

I would say that, yes, I am a racist in the sense that I believe there are differences between races.

All my friends who have to hire black people, they find it a problem.

There are people who don't want to admit that there are differences between races.

I think it's important to be honest about these things.

The Japanese are smarter than the Chinese.

Women are not as good at science as men.

If you're really stupid, I would say, just become a politician.

There's a difference between a scientist and a politician. A scientist wants to know the truth, a politician wants to get elected.

I'm not politically correct, and I don't care.

If you're going to be a scientist, you have to be prepared to be disliked.

Rosalind Franklin was a pain in the ass.

I've never met a stupid person who was happy.

The greatest joy in science is to prove someone wrong.

I think the great thing about science is that it doesn't care what you think.

If you don't like what I say, don't listen.

I'm not afraid to be controversial.

I think it's perfectly legitimate to ask whether all human populations are equally intelligent.