Watson's attack on politicians was non-partisan, as he criticized both ends of the political spectrum for interfering in genetics.

He blamed the left-wing for holding up genetic research at Harvard for many years and singled out "people like Pat Buchanan" for blocking prenatal screening that might prevent birth defects.

Watson spoke at length about how prenatal screening needs a champion, even challenging University Health Services to offer prenatal genetic screening of students. "If there is any good from this talk, Harvard University will screen their women," he challenged. "Someone should lead."

The only instance in which laws and genetics should intersect, Watson said, is to stop individuals from using another's DNA. In his opinion, he said, employers and insurance companies should never have access to a person's DNA.

"We don't want someone else to be looking at our DNA... No one should be able to do that," he said.

Watson said, only half-in-jest, that when he was putting together an ethics committee to look into cloning, that he wanted a woman in charge. "Women essentially like babies, men try to avoid them," Watson said.

"If a woman wants to control the sex of her next child...let her! What's wrong with that? Who is harmed?" Watson asked.

Many Harvard students were angered by what they viewed as sexist comments by the Nobel laureate.