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We The Curious remove name of controversial scientist from room
When a world renowned scientist made reprehensible comments in which he said that race and intelligence are connected, it was an easy decision for We The Curious to make to remove his name from above one of their rooms.
James Watson is a Nobel prize-winning scientist who helped discover the double helix structure of DNA in 1953, of which there is a giant model on the ground floor of the Millennium Square science centre.
His name is now, however, no longer above a second floor door. Instead, it has quickly been replaced with the name of Tu Youyou, whose development of anti-malaria drugs based on traditional Chinese medicine has led to the survival and improved health of millions of people.
is needed now More than ever
Youyou Tu – photo courtesy of Nobel Media AB
We The Curious staff, volunteers and trustees first came up with their own suggestions of names, with 40 whittled down to a shortlist of four.
In a final public vote Youyou Tu – who was awarded a Nobel Prize in 2015 – beat fellow women scientists Mae Jemison, Katherine Johnson and Dorothy Hodgkin.
“I would have been quite happy with Sciencey McScience Face,” We The Curious chief operating officer Donna Speed told Bristol24/7, explaining that she would have stood by any decision made by the public regarding the new name.
“In the end, we had a shortlist of four phenomenal people and I would have been proud to have any of their names above the door. They are all groundbreaking, amazing role models, who show that you can do anything you want if you put your energies towards it.”
We The Curious recently changed its own name above its front door from At-Bristol, and major work is currently happening behind the scenes to radically transform the space based on questions submitted by visitors.
“We are visitor-led,” Speed added. “It’s important for us for everyone to feel represented and welcome. These things are now our opportunity to show that this is real. It’s not just a name above a door.”
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