I caught the piece on "genetics" and the "nature versus nurture" discussion afterword. It had its good points - clearly pointing out that ingrained prejudice tops any attempt at scientific selection, and the inevitable conclusion is ugly in the extreme - and its bad ones - why no mention of the US's Tuskegee experiment, or British cheerleaders for eugenics such as Marie Stopes or HG Wells?
However, to air it just before the 200 metres final gave legitimacy to the damned trope that one race excels at sprinting because its in their genes, while others have to work at it; and I was amazed by the politeness of the commentators in debunking it.
It would have been much better off well after the games as a Horizon programme with more change to explore the whole idea further and make it clear that a) eugenics as an idea has been discredited and b) the latest theories on genetics are as yet unproven.
no subject
However, to air it just before the 200 metres final gave legitimacy to the damned trope that one race excels at sprinting because its in their genes, while others have to work at it; and I was amazed by the politeness of the commentators in debunking it.
It would have been much better off well after the games as a Horizon programme with more change to explore the whole idea further and make it clear that a) eugenics as an idea has been discredited and b) the latest theories on genetics are as yet unproven.