This is a bit of a tangent, but the damage that bigotry has done to human progress is staggering. The scientist leading the team is apparently a black Zimbabwean woman. Not so long ago, it would have been impossible for someone like that to lead a team, and that immense talent would have gone entirely to waste.
Think of all the highly intelligent people who were unable to go to university or perform to the best of their abilities because some racist moron assumed they were too stupid. Think of all the women who are scared off pursuing a scientific career to sexist BS.
Think how (overeducated) morons still run entire countries or huge companies, thanks to privilege they don’t deserve, while at least one of the cleaners is twice as smart and a better human being than they’ll ever be.
“I am, somehow, less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein’s brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops.” - Stephen Jay Gould
That’s an awesome quote, hadn’t seen it before.
Well said. We don’t talk about this very real byproduct of bigotry nearly enough. This is one of the best arguments in favor of affirmative action, imo.
I’m genuinely curious to hear the opinions of the folks who are downvoting your comment.
https://mastodon.social/@jenbanim@mastodo.neoliber.al/111021059217957193
This thread is talking about the fact that 15-20% of the economic gains of the last 60 years or so are the result of decreasing acceptance of overt bigotry in the workplace.
