How Nature contributed to science’s discriminatory legacy

• Published in: Nature (London) Vol. 609; no. 7929; pp. 875 - 876
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 29.09.2022; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 706/648/479; 706/648/479/37; 706/648/496; 706/648/697; 706/689/179; 706/689/522; Alliances; Anthropology; Antisemitism; Archives & records; Colonialism; Editorial; Editorials; Genetic engineering; History; Humanities and Social Sciences; multidisciplinary; Race; Racism; Scholarly publishing; Science; Scientists; Sexism; United Kingdom > UK; Europe; Ethics; Publishing; Society; Authorship; Research data; Research management
• DOI: 10.1038/d41586-022-03035-6
• ISSN: 0028-0836; 1476-4687

Galton's papers are part of a shameful seam running through Nature's history. Since its founding more than 150 years ago, this journal has developed a reputation for publishing some of the world's most important scientific discoveries. Thejournal matured as Britain became the biggest colonial power in history - by 1919, the British Empire spanned roughly one-quarter of the world's land and population. In 1904, Nature published a paper in which he claimed to assess the "distribution of successes and of natural ability" in family members of fellows of the UK Royal Society, and concluded that "exceptionally gifted families must exist, whose race is a valuable asset to the nation". Another 1921 editorial reflected imperialist and racist views, reporting on a session at a meeting of what was then the British Association for the Advancement of Science "devoted to the discussion of the ways and means by which the science of anthropology might be made of greater practical utility in the administration of the Empire, particularly in relation to the government of our subject and backward races".