SUPERIOR: How bias and prejudice are perpetuated by science
As ethnic nationalism rises around the world, race science is experiencing a revival, fuelled by the abuse of data and facts by politically-motivated groups. The story of who humans are and how we evolved is being rewritten to suit these agendas.
But even well-intentioned scientists, through their unconscious use of old-fashioned categories, betray their suspicion that race has some basis in biology. In truth, it is no more real than it was hundreds of years ago, when both racial and gender categories were defined and hardened by those in power.
In Superior: The Return of Race Science, award-winning science journalist Angela Saini explores the concept of race in science, from its origins to the present day. Following her acclaimed 2017 book, Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong, in this talk Angela explores the damaging legacy of prejudice in science, and why researchers still fall victim to bias.